Terror Attacks: US troops will not fight our battles, Retd General cautions
Following the deployment of a team of US troops to Nigerian to assist in the fight against terrorism, a former Director of Operations at the Army Headquarters, Major General
Ijioma N. Ijioma (rtd), has cautioned Nigerians against expecting that the United States troops would engage bandits directly on the battlefield.
Last week, the United States sent a small team of its troops to Nigeria. Head of the US Military’s Africa Command, AFRICOM, General Dagvin R M Anderson, said the team was bringing some unique capabilities following increased collaboration between Nigeria and the US after both nations agreed that more needed to be done to tackle terrorism.
Anderson did not however provide further details about the size and scope of their mission. But it was gathered that the team would be heavily involved in intelligence gathering and enabling Nigerian forces to strike terrorist-affiliated groups.
Speaking on the deployment of US troops to Nigeria, Major General Ijioma (retd) accused Nigeria’s leadership of lacking the political will to decisively confront banditry and terrorism, stressing that only Nigerian troops can ultimately defeat the insurgents. According to him, if the Federal Government had handled the 1967 Biafran insurgency with the same “kid gloves” being used against bandits and Boko Haram today, “there would have been a Biafra Republic by now.”
The retired General urged Nigerians to demand answers from their leaders on why terrorists are being treated with leniency.
“The United States does not risk the lives of its soldiers for nothing,” he said, calling on Nigerians to ask what form of agreement or compensation exists between Nigeria and the US.
Gen. Ijioma argued that terrorists have grown bolder even after recent US airstrikes on their camps, insisting that once Nigeria’s leadership demonstrates genuine resolve, insurgency would be crushed.
“I have made it clear that the involvement of the United States, whether through air bombardment or collaboration, should not have been necessary if the Nigerian leadership had the political will to deal with insurgency.
“The strike the US carried out in Sokoto and Kwara — is there anywhere our fighter jets could not have bombed? There is no place within Nigeria that our aircraft cannot reach. The reason they haven’t done the needful tells you clearly that what we lack is political will”, he said.
He wondered why Nigerian fighter jets were swiftly deployed to Benin Republic to quell an attempted coup, while bandits killing Nigerians daily remain largely unchecked.
According to him, “Fighter jets went to Benin Republic. Our troops physically went there on the President’s order. What does that tell you? It tells you there is no political will.
“The US troops are not going to deploy on the battlefield to fight Nigeria’s war. Whether we like it or not, the responsibility of eliminating militants rests with the Nigerian Armed Forces.
The role of US troops would be limited to training, intelligence, and logistical support. They are only going to collaborate with Nigerian troops in terms of training, intelligence and technical support.”
Gen. Ijioma noted that this was not Nigeria’s first military collaboration with the United States, recalling that during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s first term, American military personnel occupied the entire third floor of Defence Headquarters.
“At that time, the third floor was out of bounds to Nigerian officers. The Americans visited all troop locations, mapped Nigerian barracks and equipment holdings. This was strongly opposed by the then Chief of Army Staff, late Gen. Victor Malu, who believed they had no business doing that. That disagreement led to his removal.”
Contributing, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, DIG Goodwin Nwobodo, said Nigeria must be ready to play a meaningful role if the fight against insecurity is to succeed. He warned that lack of cooperation or sabotage by Nigerian authorities could erode US confidence.
“We must be ready to make a meaningful contribution. In the past, the US complained that they could not work with Nigerian troops because they lacked confidence in intelligence sharing. If confidence exists this time, collaboration can work. But they can only assist us with technical know-how.”
DIG Nwobodo stressed that Nigeria’s security challenges require more than a small foreign contingent and that US forces cannot operate independently.
“According to international law, they are here to support Nigeria. They cannot operate without our consent unless there is a full-blown intervention, which would create serious complications.”
Responding to questions on why US troops need Nigeria’s permission while bandits do not, he explained: “Bandits are lawless. That is why they are bandits. But the US is here to assist, not to violate Nigeria’s sovereignty. Any expansion of their operation must still be with the approval of Nigerian authorities.”
