#BuhariOneYearLater: How Far Has Buhari Secured Nigeria?

  

President Muhammadu Buhari’s work addressing the security challenges bedeviling the country started immediately on inauguration day on May 29 2015.

President Buhari, during the 2015 presidential campaign, derided the People Democratic Party (PDP) Administration of Goodluck Jonathan for not doing enough to check the excess of Boko Haram insurgents and other forms of crimes in the country.

In his inaugural speech, he  ordered the armed forces to immediately relocate their command and control center to Maiduguri Borno State, considered  as the epicenter of insurgent activities in the North Eastern part of the country.

The president further demonstrated his commitment to campaign promises to check insecurity in the country by going on official visits to Nigeria’s contiguous countries which include Chad, Niger, Cameroun and Benin Republic to fast track agreements on a regional solutions to the insecurity in the area.

Significantly also, the president changed the leadership of the armed forces which reinvigorated the fight against the insurgents. This, in addition to the provision of military equipment, is believed to have in no small measure contributed to the successes of Nigerian armed forces have recorded in curtailing the activities of insurgents.

The president’ recent announcement that the Boko Haram group has been technically defeated evoked reactions from sectors of society with some of them pointing at the ability of the terrorist group to carry out suicide bombings and attacks in some remote areas in the north east.

However, as is evident in Operation Crackdown, a component of Operation Zaman Lafiya Dole, the Nigeria armed forces seems to have gained the upper hand in the counter insurgency operations now, carrying out daily clearance operations with reports of many insurgents killed or apprehended.

Also, large swathes of territory previously under the control of the insurgents appear to have been liberated by the military’s combined Special Forces and aerial operations. Many victims mostly women and children held captivity by the group have been rescued.

Recently, the administration’s counter insurgency efforts were boosted by the rescue of two schoolgirls who were abducted by Boko Haram 2014 in Chibok Borno State.

In spite of the work done in tackling the Boko Haram insurgents in the north east, emerging conflicts in other areas of the country, continue to threaten public peace and security in the country.

The government seems to be found wanting in the aggressive resurgence of the farmers and cattle herders clashes in many communities across the north central states in the country.

Also another big challenge for the government is the renewed agitation for the division of Nigeria by separist groups in the south eastern part of the country like Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB.)

Another clear and present danger pertaining to the security of the country is the resurfacing of militancy in the South South part of the country with Niger Delta Avengers becoming infamous for attacking and blowing up infrastructures in the petroleum downstream sector.

Many have wondered if President Muhammadu Buhari score card in fighting insecurity in the country can be said to be in the excellent, good, pass, average or poor category.