July 10, 2013
NewsRescue-The National Security Adviser(NSA) is the nations top security and intelligence position. This is the seat where the buck stops, as regards to all problems of terrorism and insecurity in the nation. Proliferation of arms in Nigeria, violent unrest, are not problems that Jonathan should be directly blamed for. We as citizens need to deliver praise and criticism to the right quarters, even though ultimately the president is responsible for all his staff.
The Dictator’s are Back in Babariga (Civilian attire)
So who is the NSA? Rtd. col Sambo Dasuki is a Babangida’s man. Like Nigeria’s former, serial NSA, Aliyu Gusau, late Gen. Abacha, and other Majors like Abdulmuminu Aminu and Abubakar Dangiwa Umar, these are the Babangida inner circle and the team that deposed of the Buhari-Idiagbon government and maintained the Babangida dictatorship for the harrowing decade in Nigeria’s history.
Sambo Dasuki was the Aide-de-camp to president Ibrahim Babangida. During Abacha’s era, Abacha was possibly scared of Dasuki and Gusau, he knew certain things about these men, perhaps some things that could be dangerous to him, based on their past workings, and as such Abacha retired both Dasuki and Gusau. They both went on to private intelligence business.
Azazi Killed, Enter Dasuki
In June 2012 Sambo Dasuki was made the NSA, after the now late NSA, Andrew Owoye Azazi who died under suspicious circumstances when his helicopter exploded in Bayelsa, December 2012, was fired. Azazi was retired from his post, in a decision possibly not unrelated to the late NSA’s opposing position with the Jonathan administrations policies on security, and his public statement, asserting that the ruling political party, PDP and certain PDP presidential aspirants, was behind Boko Haram northern terror.
In essence, the same men who dictated over Nigeria in the Babangida era, are back. It will be childish to think that Babangida’s brutal regime as many remember it, was a regime of only one, man, Babangida. Sani Abacha did not think it this way, nor did Yar’adua. They both left the Babangida’s men out of their administration. Nigeria has been written of as the world’s recycle capital, but when we even recycle our more brutal regime officers, then it looks like a very serious psychotic problem.
With Babangida’s man in power, national terror again got worse
Upon Dasuki assuming office, June 2012, Boko Haram terror took a turn for the worse. From June 2012 to May 2013, Boko Haram, under the watch of Sambo Dasuki, metamorphosed from suicidal terrorists, to a full fledgeling insurgent army. Nigeria’s NSA was visibly invisible in tackling the dangerous terror development. By May, 2013, Boko Haram had successfully overtaken the government in over 20 towns in Borno, sending what was left of the governing structure of the state, to the southern parts. Nigeria’s intelligence chief literally did nothing while according to Bamanga Tukur, Boko Haram prepared to make its last moves and declare its first Nigerian state.
Armed ethnic militancy is at a highest level in history. The Ombatse cult operate freely, above the law in Nasarawa. There are Fulani and Tiv mercenaries, engaging in wars and massacres with sophisticated weaponry almost every day in Nigeria, and the NSA does not appear to see this as an aberration requiring exigent address. NewsRescue intelligence sources have informed us that MEND, the Niger Delta militant terrorist group, is now more armed that ever. Either directly aided by the Jonathan government or indirectly so, MEND have been seeking local sources of under-ground power generation and have been stashing away unlimited, sophisticated weaponry. It is suspected that the Bayelsa division of MEND are interested in an attempted breakaway effort in the event of a loss for the current president, who hails from Bayelsa, at the elections, 2015. What the NSA is doing about the thriving of all these ethnic militant groups, kidnapping and the proficiency or armed assault and terror in Nigeria, is yet to be recognized. Other unaddressed security crises: North-eastern and Seme border insecurity and the related gun running. Some describe him as weak and sometimes disinterested.
Boko Haram terrorism became an insurgency
The reasons why Nigeria’s new NSA, did and said nothing while Boko Haram developed advanced skills, staged successful attacks at Nigeria’s military barracks and developed international notoriety with cross border foreign kidnapping operations, is left to be explained. Dasuki took over the seat from late General Andrew Azazi, but when discussing Nigeria’s top intelligence position, the conversation must involve another Babangida’s man, who happens to be conveniently married to Dasuki’s sister; the person of Aliyu Mohammed Gusau. Spymaster and die-to-rule Gusau has virtually held the NSA seat for most of Nigeria’s recent past. Gusau was the NSA during Babangida’s time. He was brought in again by Obasanjo, who as US cables describe, preferred to keep a dangerous man like Gusau, close than far. Only Late Yar’adua was careful enough not to appoint Gusau or any other Babangida’s man for the NSA spot. Yar’Adua placed Major Gen. Sarki Mukhtar, remembered for opposing Sani Abacha on coup plotter treatment, in the 90’s. Again, Gusau was made the NSA under Jonathan, until Gusau decided to run in the 2011 elections and tendered his resignation to Jonathan to contest against his boss.
Spymaster, die-to-rule Gusau’s NSA record, terror masterminding
Gusau comes into the discussion, because, as with the current NSA, his dealing with the threats Nigeria faces, have warranted his being suspected as a benefactor and mastermind of Boko Haram. It must be realized that it was under the watch of Gusau, Nigeria’s top intelligence and security man, that Boko Haram evolved and gathered the type of arms and sophistication that was to be recognized in the menace they are today. What was the NSA, Gusau looking at? It is reported that when Obasanjo asked him about the early Boko Haram, then called, “Nigerian Taliban,” Gusau told his boss that no such group existed. As with any job, Gusau who was the NSA during the period that MEND imported weapons and became a dangerous terrorist threat, failed to do his job. Gusau was also the top security man when Boko Haram became the menace it is today, and as such, his employment must be questioned and he, held to account. In line with this failure of his job to secure Nigerian life, Gusau and those who employed him need to be brought to book.
Cease-fire with “proscribed” terrorist group? 13 yr-old heroes of Civilian JTF on victory path did not surrender, why did Dasuki?
So, why has Boko Haram been allowed to proliferate under the tenures of Gusau and now his brother in-law, Dasuki? The State of emergency and war Nigeria waged against Boko Haram May this year, came as a result of pressure from within the military, and intelligence articles on websites like NewsRescue, that pushed the dire situation directly to the president, who immediately, upon realizing that Nigeria was about to loose Borno, called a meeting of his army chiefs who agreed that such a campaign was urgent. What Dasuki was advising before this time and leading to this critical point, is yet to be known. But the duty of an NSA is to prevent such from even, ever getting to a point where a nation wages a full war in its own territory.
Unlike most Nigerians, Dasuki always pushed for an amnesty for the terrorists
According to this report, Dasuki from inception has always been soliciting for placation and dialogue with the barbaric terrorists, who respect no law of God or man. In recent news, Dasuki must have advised the Nigerian government to sign a cease-fire with the defunct Boko Haram, a group that is now on the run. Why such a position will be supported by Nigeria’s top security officer, is questionable. Even 13 year old, boys and girls are no longer afraid of Boko Haram and their gift of death and have taken up weapons to flush out this menace, once and for all. Nigeria was winning the war against Boko Haram, up until the point where a cease-fire was signed with a group that has already been “proscribed,” by the Nigerian government.
A Society can Never have Peace without having Justice
Apart from a cease-fire agreement with a proscribed group, being a breech of the law, according to legal experts, most Nigerians view the signing of a peace agreement with a globally wanted terrorist body, as a betrayal of the Nigerian people and a last minute top intel. effort, possibly co-sponsored by Gusau, Dasuki and who knows who else to save skeletons of Boko Haram and save its sponsors. Signing a peace agreement with Boko Haram is tantamount to the US national security adviser, suggesting that the US signed peace agreements with the Boston bombers, or with the cop killer, Donner of LA.
Will Dasuki Arrest Terror Sponsors?
Can Dasuki arrest Boko Haram sponsors and suspected top level sponsors? Former NSA Gusau has been linked to an arms cache found in Kano with suspected links to Hezbollah, in addition to being pointed out as the chief Boko Haram mastermind. Can Dasuki bring in his brother-in-law on suspicion for masterminding terror in the north? Was Dasuki a wise choice by Jonathan, or another grave error and betrayal to the sanctity of life and property in Nigeria?
On assuming the office, Dasuki said, in his words: “I was in Yobe and Borno States last week and I have got the telephone numbers and contacts of key Boko Haram members and I will meet with them…”
So he was given their leaders contacts. Why was the list of such persons names and addresses not out? What has he done with these contacts? What was his position on the war waged against Boko Haram? President Jonathan always said he knew the sponsors. Has this information been transferred to Dasuki? Does Dasuki have the mettle to arrest them? I am sure both of these leaders, know that whoever commands and masterminds a murderous deviant sect like Boko Haram, by God, must not be covered.
If according to this report, Mukhtar was sacked for the reasons stated, then compare to the crimes of Gusau and Dasuki. Why does Jonathan not fire them likewise? Report:
Muktar Out, Gusau In: Why Jonathan Removed Him –TheWill; 08/03/2010
Muktar’s other offences were listed as various deliberate inaccurate security reports sent to Jonathan on Yar’Adua’s current state of health, his fraternity with Turai Yar’Adua and the inaccurate news reports being planted in the media that Yar’Adua could talk and walk. Also listed are the January religious killings in Jos and the last straw was Sunday’s slaughter of more than 400 Christians in villages in Jos South Local Government Area.
His inability to take proactive steps to stall the violence even after receiving intelligence of an imminent attack from villagers and Jos residents was just inexcusable.
Recycled NSA’s incompetence keeps the poor distracted, bugged down in insecurity, for the rich to divide and devour Nigeria
Boko Haram is not Nigeria’s worst evil, decaying infrastructure is- Dangote
As Mr. Ayo Opadukun of CODER said in a recent article — it is time to prosecute and end the impunity and employment of former military officers, who were part of brutal regimes that destroyed the fiber of Nigeria. It is rather surprising, if such a word is appropriate, that Babangida still runs Nigeria’s government 20 years after, through his men, Gusau, Dasuki and the like who have literally run the Nigerian security department since Babangida left power, and have filled the people’s lives with distractions and preoccupations with terror, bloody-chaos and insecurity, thus allowing corruption and mal-governance to thrive unnoticed, with elite sharing of Nigeria’s wealth—the Babangida’s, the Obasanjo’s, the Dangote’s and the like, cutting up all that’s left of the nations wealth—while the citizens, including our best noble laureates, are left no other option than to run around, preoccupied trying to figure out how to secure their lives, and the lives of their families and friends.
Lekan Abayomi with NewsRescue staff
