By Abel Kolawole

Comrade Oladimeji Odeyemi is the President of the National Committee of Yoruba Youth (NCYY). A security expert, Odeyemi is also a member of Global Agenda Against Terrorism and a columnist with African Journal on Terrorism. In this interview, he lampoons the critics of the Buhari administration, especially on the fight against insurgency.

What is your assessment of the  war against insurgency in the North-East?

Let me first congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari and the military, particularly the Nigerian Army, on the victory over  Boko Haram. The capture of  Sambisa forest which was once the operational headquarters of the terrorist group is commendable. We cannot but also mention that these gallant efforts have led to the recapturing of our formerly lost territories by the Nigerian Army.

Do you think the Nigerian Army has lived up to its billings in the fight?

Definitely. You will agree with me that before this administration came on board, particularly the current Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, what we witnessed was near daily controversy on the military operations in the region, which practically made a very large part of the region deserted, with people having no trust in the capacity of the Army to protect  lives and property against the insurgents. But, today, confidence has been rebuilt, the people, in droves, have returned to their towns and villages. Hence, I believe that the army has lived up to expectation.

Governor Fayose recently said  the story of the rescue of some Chibok girls by the military is a make-belief. What do you make of the statement?

For those who have keenly followed the personality the personality of  Fayose  and his outbursts against the military, particularly the Chief of Army Staff, there is no doubt that he has merely been expressing his frustration based on his alleged role in the arms purchase scandal during the last administration.

Comrade Odeyemi

What is the difference between the current administration and the previous one in terms of fighting insurgency?

I think the fundamental difference between the military, more importantly, the Nigerian Army of the past and the incumbent, is the professionalism that Lt. General Tukur Buratai has promoted. This is a man that leads the Army from the front, as Nigerians have seen him demonstrated on several occasions. Today, we have an Army that is making the welfare of our men, who are sacrificing on the field, a priority. Today, we no longer hear stories of diversion of funds meant for equipment and machinery being converted into personal usage. I think the Army deserves commendation on this.

After a period of break, there seems to be reports of pockets of attacks by the insurgents. What do you think is responsible for this?

All over the world, based on my experience and studies, there is nowhere that insurgency has been completely defeated without the society, having elements of desperation to survive by these terrorists. Hence, the resort to isolated attacks and desperate actions like we are currently seeing in the North-East. That, nonetheless, the fact that IDP camps are being closed and people returning to their abandoned towns and villages, shows that the war is almost over and what is important is that the citizens should work with  security agencies to identify the remnants of these elements. By so doing, there will be no hiding place for the leftovers until their activities finally go into extinction.

In what way do you think Nigerians can assist the military to end the war against insurgency?

Eternal vigilance. The populace should have absolute trust in the capacity of the military to protect our territories, lives and property against any form of aggression, be it internal or external. We, as Nigerians, must provide information on suspicious activities to security agencies. We must also cultivate the habit of appreciating the efforts of our men who are spending their days and nights on the field. The media, I must say, have a critical role to play in ensuring that this is achievable.

Do you think the Nigeria Army is being misrepresented on some of its activities?

Military operations world over, are quite different from many of our regular day-to-day endeavors. There is information on the activities of the military that, when allowed to be in the market place, will naturally jeopardize operations, thereby on a larger scale endangering the security of the country. Often time, people take advantage of the social media, or go out of the ethics of journalism to publish stories on military operations. Some people from my experience, are not just being unprofessional but are deliberately aiding these terrorists. But the Army under this current leadership has been  forthcoming, civilised and professional in its handling of issues around these misrepresentations. It is my belief that Nigerians must begin to look at the implications of  these misrepresentations and misreading of realities on Army operations and how they affect the morale of our soldiers.

It appears  Buratai is having a running battle with a media outlet. Do you consider this a distraction?

In fact, of late, we have observed that Buratai has been a subject of a campaign of calumny. A particular online newspaper seems to be obsessed with a purported investigation of the Chief of Army Staff by the Code of Conduct Bureau, which had given  Buratai a clean bill of health. One is then worried why it is this same medium that has been having one controversy or the other with the Army. It is either they are reporting issues considered to be negative to the operations of the Army at the battle front, or targeting the Army leadership. We consider this as unfair and let me restate that it is a calculated attempt to distract, disparage and ridicule the Chief of Army Staff and the leadership of the Nigerian Army.