Major policy dispute over deal with bandits causes Service Chiefs’ sack

…as 160 generals are expected to disengage 

For many Nigerians, the sudden removal of former Service Chiefs and their replacement by new officers did not come as a surprise given a roiling rumors of abortive coup, which was quickly denied by the military.

In a statement by the Director of Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Tukur Gusau, last week Saturday, the military had denied a news report by Sahara Reporters, linking the detention of 16 military officers to a failed coup. But the denial seemed to be contrary to government position and left more questions than answers as official reaction neither emphatically denied the rumor as expected nor confirmed which belied the army statement.

Recall that the  online newspaper had linked the alleged coup attempt to the hasty cancellation of Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day by the Federal Government.

Dismissing the report, however, in an official statement , Gusau flayed the report, saying it was “intended to cause unnecessary tension and distrust among the populace.”

Gusau noted that  the cancellation of the October 1 anniversary parade was “purely administrative,”  saying  that it was meant to allow President Tinubu to attend a bilateral meeting abroad and enable troops to sustain ongoing operations against insurgency and banditry.

While declaring that “Democracy is forever,” Gusau stated, “The ongoing investigation involving the 16 officers is a routine internal process aimed at ensuring discipline and professionalism is maintained within the ranks. An investigative panel has been duly constituted, and its findings would be made public.”

Giving credence to the military position,  on Sunday,  the Federal Government through the information minister, Mohammed Idris, said that it was “a military affair.”

“The Federal Government has no reason to doubt the military on what it has said,” the minister said. “The Federal Government believes that the Armed Forces of Nigeria is committed to ensuring the territorial integrity of the country and also strengthening its fight against insecurity.”

Conflict of Interest 

Mr. Idris’s noncommittal response has left many people wondering whether actually government is convinced and in agreement with it as a coup plot is hardly a military because it a threat against the state and a constitutionally constituted government which is high treason. However, the opposition parties in the country are calling on the Federal Government and the military authorities to come clean and ensure transparency. It was therefore not surprising when last Friday, the federal government announced the sack of Service Chiefs.

The Presidency had insisted that  the removal of the Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, General Christopher Musa, and other service chiefs – Army, Navy and Air Force – was due to a routine procedure aimed at strengthening security across the country and has nothing to do with allegations of coup. A presidential spokesperson, Sunday Dare, who made this known last  Friday, stated further that President Tinubu as Commander in Chief has the constitution a authority to effect such changes when necessary.

General Musa was replaced by Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede as the new Chief of Defence Staff. Other changes include the appointment of Major General W. Shaibu as the new Chief of Army Staff, Air Vice Marshall S.K. Aneke as the new Chief of Air Staff, and Rear Admiral I. Abbas as the new Chief of Naval Staff.

However, Major General E.A.P. Undiendeye remains in his position as the Chief of Defence Intelligence.

Many, who spoke with Business Hallmark have tied the removal to “probably what they called unfounded rumor of a coup,” as one commentator told Business Hallmark.

Informed sources hinted that appointments of the new service chiefs will lead to the disengagements of about 160 generals in the three armed services with the Army providing a lion share of 120 officers while Navy and Air Force make up the rest.

The new chief of army staff, Maj. Gen. Shuaibu is from Regular Course 41 of the Nigeria Defence Academy, and was commissioned in 1994. However, there are still members of RC 38, 39, 40 in service, which means that they are automatically retired according to military tradition. This happened severally under late president Buhari, and some Nigerians expressed concern over such massive waste of trained manpower in a time of national security threats.

Dr. Adullahi Walata, a sociologist with expertise in defence and military politics, told Business Hallmark that

“Connection is tripartite. One, there was rumor of an alleged coup but the military and the federal government denied it.”

Selective Treatment 

Also there seemed to be some selective treatment in the sacking of the service chiefs. They are used a team and come and go together although there has been few exceptions.

Dr. Walata agrees. “The second thesis is that the former Chief of Defence Staff in a widely reported BBC Hausa Service interview went against the official grain of this government by railing against the negotiations government has adopted with the bandits/ terrorists. By that public pronouncement he had sealed his fate, then finally the Service Chiefs were selectively sacked.

“The connections of the three threads are striking,” he noted. “For me as a rational man, I think the BBC Hausa Service interview really scared the political leadership, this may have informed the change of Service Chiefs,” said.

Comrade Isiaka Fache also informed this newspaper that the move “by President Tinubu was brilliant and meant to secure his tenure.

“The  former Defence of Chief Staff, General Christopher Musa, had in the interview stated that they have repeatedly seen that whenever people try to make peace with the bandits, it backfires,” and cautioned Nigerians against entering into peace deals or negotiations with armed bandits, warning that such efforts have consistently backfired and only embolden criminal groups.

In the  controversial interview  conducted in Hausa language, Gen. Musa said those who attempt to make peace with bandits are only putting themselves and their communities in danger, as the so-called truces are often used by the criminals to regroup and expand their operations.

He recalled how residents of Lakurawa community once accepted bandits from neighbouring Niger Republic, who claimed to seek peace and a place to settle. However, the group soon turned against the people.

According to him, the bandits act out of greed and selfish interests, not repentance or goodwill.

He added that the bandits do not fear God and never act out of goodwill; they only pursue their own interests and money, emphasizing that the military does not support any peace deal or negotiation with bandit groups.

He said that if they genuinely want to stop, they should lay down their weapons and surrender. Once they surrender, they will be taken into custody, screened, and thoroughly investigated.

“We’ve seen over and over that whenever people try to make peace with them, it backfires. That’s why we warned: don’t have any dealings with them, in any way. The situation is already serious.

“This so-called peace deal is worthless; they will never honour it. They do not fear God, and they do not do anything out of goodwill; they act for their own gain and for money. People must not accept any truce or deal with them, even if local officials try, it will turn against them. All they do is deceive them.

“We therefore urge everyone: do not make peace with them. We do not support these bandits or any peace agreement with them. If they genuinely want to stop, they should lay down their weapons and surrender. If they surrender, we will take them into custody, screen and investigate them thoroughly; that’s the proper approach.”

“But sitting down with a bandit and asking ‘Why did you pick up a gun?’ is pointless. It’s driven by greed, and greedy people will not give up. They will never stop. So there should be no truce with them,” he added.

Policy Differences

His position as head of the military high command is a major departure from official government policy toward solving the problem of insecurity and represents a remarkable disagreement between the military and the civil authority. Key government officers such as National Security Advisor, Nuhu Ribadu, Minister of defense, and former governor of Zamfara State, under the peace accord was reached with the Lakurawa are proponents of peace and negotiations with the bandits, which has encouraged some governors in the North to enter peace negotiations with bandits.

For instance, while the Katsina State government denies direct involvement, Governor Dikko Radda has acknowledged that some local communities have independently initiated peace talks with bandits. This approach is referred to as the “Katsina Model”.

These negotiations are described as community-driven, where residents of affected areas engage with “repentant” bandits to broker peace. The government claims it does not interfere but supports any effort that leads to stability. In fact, there is still questions about the issue of repentant bandits as it has been alleged that many ex-reformed bandits sooner return to their trade.

Business Hallmark learnt that the National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu is an architect of the negotiations position, and for Musa to openly disown this may have been a career harakiri given Ribadu’s long standing closeness to Tinubu.

Ahmed Sani Bomo, a political scientist told this medium that “The NSA  is an advocate of negotiating with Boko Haram and killer herders, but not with IPOB, but he retained his job. The one who was against negotiations was asked to go.

A senior retired officer, who claimed anonymity said that for Gen. Musa to go open with such disclaimer knowing the government position on the issue was a clear statement of policy disagree and may be their way of telling Nigerians what the problems confronting them. “I think they fed up, and had to express their opposition openly knowing fully well the consequences. They must have tried through official channels without success hence the media option.”

Recall that recently, another former COAS, and CDS, Gen. Lucky Irabor, at his a book launch blamed the persistence of the insecurity as a result of lack of political will by the government and the military can clear the bandits in a few weeks of action.