Since last Friday, when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu relieved General Christopher Gwabin Musa of his position as the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), among other service chiefs, many interpreted the change of leadership guard as predicated on the coup scare that trended on both mainstream and social media that attracted traction. Though the military quickly debunked the existence of any coup as unreal, news reports published by some online platforms later alleged that 16 military officers were in detention, while a former governor from the South-south zone was being investigated over an unproven coup plot.

The Coup Scare

The more the military authorities attempt to debunk the existence of a coup plot, the more people become convinced that indeed, there was a coup scare that has led to the arrest of no fewer than 16 military officers. The more it became difficult for people to wholly accept the government’s denial of an attempt to overthrow democracy.

On Thursday a former governor who is alleged to have a hand in the coup dismissed his involvement in any subversive plot to undermine democracy. More worrisome, in the face of certain news reports, there has been silence on the part of the authorities in repudiating the insistence by reputable sources over the coup scare. The need to constantly state the truth at all times, and to plainly explain to Nigerians the dialectics in the circumstances of the coup scare should remain a basic irreducible minimum expected of political leadership in clearing the fog from public discourse on any matter.
While on a visit to Nigeria in 2001, President Jimmy Carter, advised President Olusegun Obasanjo to always tell the truth so that propagandists and opposition elements in the country would be denied oxygen in creating confusion. Those behind the alleged planned coup are mostly from the North. Such a report gives the impression that those opposed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu are from the region.

Apart from the falsehood such an impression may cause, it has the capacity to widen regional and political differences in terms of uniting the nation against insecurity.

It’s commendable that the retirement of the service chiefs is not in connection with the coup scare. Taking into consideration that democracy is now the modern norm, any attempt to overthrow the ballot government, despite its weaknesses, is bound to fail. The tenure system gives voters the opportunity to rescind or renew the term of political leaders. Some exceptions may attempt to recreate the past, but the overwhelming disposition of the security forces is adequate to stave off such misadventure.

End Of Era

There is no doubt that the fight against insecurity in the last two years under the watch of the previous defence chiefs led by Musa has protected the lives and property of Nigerians more than in previous administrations. When they were appointed in June 2023, insecurity had festered, with daily and weekly killings turning the country into a global cynosure of barbarity. Under General Musa, the military was unrelenting in combating attacks in various parts of Nigeria.

The North-east, which used to be the epicentre of terror attacks in the country, attracted attention, and many attacks were unleashed on terror groups that resulted in their incapacitation. By far, the most important decision taken by the military was the revocation of an unwritten order that barred the military from responding to attacks in times of emergencies. While telling military personnel to respond to any attacks on them, and the communities under their watch, General Musa said that, henceforth declared to troops that they should respond with fire when attacked and not wait for orders from Abuja, as it was the practice in the past.

The leadership of the military in the past two years or more has led to the transformation of the armed forces and thus transformed it into a stronger fighting team in combating insecurity and making citizens safe from dreaded criminals. In the course of the war on terror, unity of purpose could not have been total in the armed forces, but they were not afraid to review their operations internally and rid themselves of bad eggs sabotaging the war against criminals.

The tenure of the previous leadership points to the irrefutable fact that victory against insurgency and other forms of crime cannot be achieved without political will. With insecurity gradually being used to swing the winds of politics, patriotic leadership that is committed to the safety of Nigeria is all that is needed to fix the country that has suffered in terms of insecurity and is engrossed in the politicization of security matters. Politicians in and outside corridors of power must note that for government to exist, the country must first be there for them to rule over.

What Must Be Done

No doubt, the military under Musa enhanced the protection of Nigerians from attacks, but the non-clear adoption of a clear policy to decimate terror groups fudged attempts at a quick resolution of insecurity.

While on one side, certain actions and inactions of the government often give the impression of negotiating with terrorists and other brigands; in other instances, the fight against the criminals is slowed down to give room for what insiders describe as backdoor conciliations for peace. For the war against terror to be successful, a policy of no-negotiation with terrorists must be upheld in order not to desecrate the memories of those killed. No half-hearted measures are strong enough to defeat insurgency, and the longer the government delays taking a decisive stance against these bloody attacks, the longer the incapacity to rein in those who unleash deadly midnight attacks on our peace-loving communities in some parts of the country where they still hold sway.

The military, so far, has demonstrated unequalled zeal in stamping out monstrous attacks on communities. There remain difficult days ahead in the task of complete decimation of these terror gangs. However, the retired service chiefs have left footprints for the new security leaders to learn from. Supporting communities to provide the first line of defence during attacks can’t be avoided now. The war on terror is never won in the air. There should be less emphasis on getting jets for air bombardments that often result in mistaken assaults