Normalcy returned to Maiduguri, the epicentre of Nigeria’s 17-year Islamist insurgency, yesterday, following President Bola Tinubu’s directive that all service chiefs must relocate to the Borno State capital, as the theatre of Boko Haram/ISWAP experienced a resurgence of attacks and bombings.

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, and the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt Gen Waidi Shaibu, arrived at Maiduguri Air Force Base and proceeded straight to the Theatre Command Headquarters Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI, ahead of Vice-President Kashim Shettima’s visit to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) to commiserate with victims of Monday night’s multiple bomb explosions.

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) condemned the recent deadly attacks in Borno, Plateau, and other parts of the country, warning that Nigeria risks sliding into anarchy if urgent steps are not taken. In a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba, the forum expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and destruction of property resulting from the incidents.

ACF specifically cited the recent bomb blast in Maiduguri, which left several persons dead and many others injured, describing it as tragic and disturbing. The forum noted that the attack came shortly after assaults on military formations in Borno State, which reportedly led to casualties among soldiers and the destruction of critical facilities.

It also recalled similar violent incidents in Plateau State, as well as earlier attacks recorded in Katsina, Kwara, Niger, and Zamfara states. According to ACF, the spate of violence has resulted in massive loss of lives, disruption of livelihoods, and worsening social instability across affected communities. The forum said the pattern of attacks suggests a coordinated strategy by terrorists and insurgents determined to destabilise the country and undermine normal life.

While acknowledging efforts by security agencies, ACF insisted that the current response has been inadequate and not reassuring in the face of growing threats. It called for a total overhaul of Nigeria’s security strategies, urging authorities to demonstrate stronger political will and adopt decisive measures against terrorism and banditry.

Former senator, Shehu Sani, has linked the recent surge in terrorist attacks in the Northern parts of the country to the forthcoming general elections. Reacting to the surge, Shehu Sani, in a post on X, said the decade-long security crisis usually deteriorates during election season. He also wondered why the assailants are hellbent on killing innocent Muslims in the holy month of Ramadan and still claim to be fighting a religious cause.

The former lawmaker wrote, “Each time the election season is upon us, bandits and terrorists in the North heighten their attacks. Whatever their motive or intention for this calculated upsurge, it’s condemnable. They kidnap and murder their fellow Muslims in the holy month of Ramadan and claim to be fighting a religious cause. Our Clerics must muster the courage to rebuke these evil forces.”

ALSO condemning the explosions yesterday, the African Union (AU) has sought global support for Nigeria’s war against violent extremism. This is coming one month after 100 American soldiers arrived in Abuja to support the government’s security efforts in its fight against armed and jihadist groups destabilising several regions of the country.

Reacting to the attacks in a statement issued by Nuur Sheekh, his spokesperson, Mahmoud Youssouf, the AU chairperson, said the organisation “stands in full solidarity with the government and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria during this difficult time and extends its deepest condolences to the families of the victims, while wishing speedy recovery to those injured.”

Youssouf urged the “international community to scale up support to Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin region at large” to address rising terrorism. The support, he said, should come through enhanced humanitarian assistance, capacity-building, intelligence-sharing, and sustained investment in stabilisation and development initiatives aimed at addressing the root causes of violent extremism.

In a poignant call for solidarity and support, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Oluyede, called on the people of Borno and Yobe states to actively participate in the fight against Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists, warning that local complicity has hindered military operations in the region.

Speaking to journalists after a closed-door meeting with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Waidi Shaibu, the Theatre Commander of North East Operation HADIN KAI, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, and other senior military officers in Maiduguri, Oluyede alleged that credible intelligence indicates many individuals responsible for attacks over the past 15 years are from the affected states.

“We are here to review our strategies in the fight against Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists in the North East,” Oluyede said. “In the past month, there have been attacks by terrorists, especially during Ramadan, but these challenges are not new, and we are on top of the situation. Unfortunately, many of the perpetrators are our brothers, sisters, and cousins. We know them. When Kukawa was attacked, we discovered two wounded terrorists hiding inside the village during cordon and search operations.”

He stressed that residents must take ownership of the fight, asserting that local cooperation is critical to ending insurgency in the region.

Addressing new threats, Oluyede noted the increasing use of drones and other technological weapons by terrorists, adding that the military is responding by deploying German-made drones and enhancing surveillance capabilities. Oluyede concluded by urging citizens to support military efforts, emphasising that community involvement is key to securing lasting peace in Borno and Yobe.

VICE President Shettima, for the umpteenth time, described the perpetrators of multiple terror attacks in Maiduguri as barbaric, stressing that no cause justifies the killing of innocent people. He also restated the Federal Government’s resolve to defeat terrorism, declaring that those behind recent attacks in the country will be decisively confronted.

Speaking when he visited victims of the bomb blast, who are receiving treatment at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Shettima noted that beyond the presidential directive to security chiefs, the Federal Government was investing more in equipment and other logistics to boost the fight against terrorism across the country.

Condemning the gory multiple explosions in Maiduguri on Monday, in which more than 100 people were affected by the incident, with over 20 confirmed dead, he described the perpetrators as barbaric, stressing that no cause justifies the killing of innocent people.

Shettima said his visit was to sympathise with the injured and families affected by the tragedy, assuring them of the government’s support through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the North East Development Commission, and the Borno State Government.

The Vice President was accompanied by Borno State Deputy Governor Usman Kadafur; NEMA Director-General, Zubaida Umar; Chief Medical Director of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Professor Ahmed Ahijo, and other top government officials.
NAS demands a ban on NYSC postings to high-risk states
THE National Association of Seadogs (Pyrates Confraternity) has called for an immediate overhaul of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) deployment system, urging authorities to stop posting corps members to states plagued by insecurity.

In a statement on Wednesday, the association’s Cap’n, Dr Joseph Oteri, warned that worsening insecurity across Nigeria now poses a direct threat to young graduates participating in the scheme. “The present security realities across the country demand an urgent reassessment of how the scheme operates, particularly about the safety of corps members,” Oteri said.

He stressed that while the NYSC, established in 1973 after the civil war, has played a critical role in promoting national unity, it must not expose participants to life-threatening risks. “National unity should never come at the cost of the lives and safety of Nigeria’s young graduates,” he added.

The group cited rising cases of kidnapping, banditry and violent attacks across several parts of the country, noting that corps members travelling long distances for orientation and primary assignments are increasingly vulnerable.

“Incidents of kidnapping for ransom, banditry, and violent assaults on highways have become more widespread; young graduates are increasingly vulnerable to such threats,” Oteri stated.

He referenced recent and past incidents, including the abduction of a prospective corps member travelling to Sokoto and earlier attacks involving corps members in Zamfara and the Federal Capital Territory.

According to NAS, such cases reflect a disturbing pattern over the past decade, where corps members have faced kidnappings, violent attacks and fatal road accidents linked to deployment.

MEANWHILE, Nigerian troops backed by air support repelled a coordinated assault by Islamist insurgents on a military base in Borno, killing at least 80 fighters, including senior commanders, the army said on Wednesday. Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters have intensified attacks on military bases in recent weeks in Borno.

The attacks on the northeast’s most heavily defended city suggested that the Islamic militant groups have shifted tactics to counter intense government operations against them.

The pre-dawn attack targeted an army position in Mallam Fatori near the border with neighbouring Niger, with insurgents advancing on foot and ⁠deploying armed drones, military task force spokesperson Sani Uba said in a statement.

Troops had anticipated the assault and mounted what Uba described as an “offensive-defensive” response, beating back the attack with ground fire and air support.

Nigeria’s air ⁠force carried out precision strikes, while allied Nigerien jets hit retreating insurgents. Four soldiers were wounded and evacuated for treatment, Uba said, adding that ⁠airstrike damage assessments were ongoing. The military said three “high-profile” insurgent commanders were killed.

Troops also ⁠recovered a large cache of weapons, including assault rifles, RPG launchers, machine guns, ammunition, improvised explosive devices, and armed drone components, Uba said.