It was on the 7th of March, that 16 soldiers of the Nigerian Army met their end in a rescue mission to Okuoma Community, Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State. A Commanding Officer, two Majors, one Captain, and twelve soldiers sadly lost their lives during an ambush when responding to a crisis between Okuama and Okoloba communities in Delta State. These officers are among more than a thousand officers who have paid the ultimate price in recent years while responding to the insecurity situation in the country. These military officers continue to put their lives on the line, with no end in sight for the state of insecurity in the country.
In 2022, Non-state actors killed at least 65 police officers in the first half of this year (January-June), as the security situation in Nigeria continues to get worse. Aside from the slain law enforcement officers, at least 92 other security operatives were killed in the same period. These include 81 soldiers, two correctional service officials, two NDLEA officers, five officers of the NSCDC, and two FRSC officials.
In August 2023, Within Nigeria gathered that Gunmen attacked an Army patrol van in Edo State, killing a soldier and carting away sacks believed to have been loaded with cash. Three soldiers were said to have been in the military vehicle that was heading towards Ikpoba Hill when the robbers struck at the traffic lights along Akpakpava Road by First Junction around 2.10 pm. In the same month, 36 Military Officers were Killed In Niger State following the ambush of troops and an evacuation helicopter that crashed.
In September of the same year, gunmen targeted security personnel, resulting in the deaths of 8 soldiers and policemen in Oriagu, located near the Aba branch in the Ehime Mbano council area of Imo state. In December 2023, another attack took place as gunmen ambushed a convoy of Daewoo workers along the Ahoada/Abua East-West axis in Rivers State, resulting in the deaths of four soldiers.
Key findings revealed that in the year 2023, 200 soldiers, 116 police officers, 106 vigilantes, 17 civil defence corps, 4 security guards, 4 VIO officers, 3 customs officers, 2 immigration officers, 1 NDLEA officer, and 1 prison warder were reportedly killed.
These death tolls of military officers continue to increase with no end in sight for the insecurity situation in the country.
What Can Be Done To Reduce Fatality
Adams Abuh, a security and intelligence consultant, emphasized that to decrease the fatalities resulting from unprecedented attacks, the military must understand the current security reality and conduct thorough intelligence investigations. He noted that analyzing the risks involved and gathering sufficient intelligence reports about the environment facing conflicts are critical factors in reducing the death toll of military officers.
“ The major thing for the fighting forces to do is for them to understand the environment they are fighting in, the environment they are going to, risk analysis, and have enough intelligence about the group they are going to meet, that will determine their level of preparedness. It will determine whether they should move in or use another peace initiative to handle the situation. Because there are many systems of reconciliation and modus operandi, it might not necessarily mean that they have to move in there. It could be other government agencies that you call to handle it, particularly using the state government to call the stakeholders in the various communities.
“ This type of crisis is different from areas you have insurgents, bandits, or terrorists operating in. If you are going to a terrorist zone, you know you are going purely for war, and there’s nobody to negotiate with within that period. So, I think we need to devise so many means, determining the kind of suspicion we have at hand, to determine the kind of modus operandi to be employed, I think if we do this, it will reduce fatality” he said.
Speaking further, he enjoined the military to ensure officers are on high alert and can respond adequately to attacks.
“ Another important thing is for the fighting forces to know that there are enemies to the community they are going to and if they have this at the back of their mind, they should know that they can be attacked any moment and must be prepared for it. They should not feel relaxed, cause in most of the attacks they have had, whether at their checkpoint or on their way out, they are taking unawares, they should be prepared that they can get hit any moment,” he emphasized.
