General Musa and his promise to avenge deaths of soldiers, by Yemi Adebowale

In August 2023, terrorists, obviously with better intelligence, ambushed soldiers in Chikoba community, Shiroro, Local Government Area of Niger State, killing no fewer than 25 of them.
Sadly, a military helicopter that went to evacuate the dead and injured soldiers also crashed, killing another 11 soldiers. Days later, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) confirmed that three officers and 22 soldiers were killed during the ambush. The remains of the fallen officers and men were conveyed to a military cemetery in Abuja for interment.

Speaking during the burial, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, ordered all military commanders and troops in the country to immediately avenge the death of their colleagues in the hands of terrorists. I remember clearly hearing General Musa vowing that those responsible for the deaths of the Army personnel in Chikoba would pay for it. He vowed that the military would hunt down the terrorists.

I can clearly remember the distraught General Musa declaring: “Today is one of the most difficult days in every Commander’s mind, because when you have to bury your own, you feel highly pained. But I want to assure the families that their death is not in vain. We will ensure those who did this pay for this. I use this opportunity to call on all commanders and troops all over Nigeria that we must avenge this.

“Those who did this, and those who continue to kill our men, wherever they are, we will get them, we will smoke them out and we will ensure that they never have any other opportunity to kill any other person, that I assure you. We will hunt you down, we will bring you to justice. We will not relent until we get those causing havoc in the country.”

That was the vow General Musa made during the burial of his officers and men killed in Chikoba. Almost two years after, the bastards that killed our soldiers in Chikoba are yet to be beheaded. Instead, the killing of soldiers by terrorists without consequences persisted in Nigeria. General Musa consistently fails to avenge the killing of his men. When terrorists kill security agents, the global standard is for commanders to send forces after them and take their heads off. By this, they will drive a clear message to the terrorists that there is no room for nonsense. This will also hinder the remaining guerrillas from further atrocities. This is the kind of leadership I expect from General Musa.

Has General Musa been providing this kind of leadership? I don’t think so. The frightening results from the war front confirm this. Just last week, the terrorists attacked a Forward Operation Base of the 153 Task Force Battalion of the Army in Marte LGA of Borno State, killing a yet-to-be ascertained number of soldiers. Also on January 16, 2025, 22 soldiers were killed by terrorists in the Timbuktu Triangle, a notorious terrorist stronghold in Borno State.

Another attack by the terrorists on a military base in Malam-Fatori, headquarters of Abadam LGA of Borno State on 24 January 2025, claimed the lives of a military commander, two senior officers, and 17 soldiers. On May 3, no fewer than four soldiers lost their lives when terrorists attacked 27 Task Force Brigade, Buni Yadi, Gujba LGA of Yobe State. According to Senator Ali Ndume, between November 2024 and April 2025, no fewer than 100 soldiers were killed by terrorists in Borno State alone.

The killings of soldiers by terrorists without consequences have persisted for too long. It must not continue. The one I will never forget in a hurry is the massacre of soldiers by Boko Haram in Metele, Borno State, in November 2018. Scores of soldiers were killed at 157 Task Force Battalion in that town. The exact casualty figure is still a closely-protected secret till today. The commander of the battalion, Lt. Col. Ibrahim Sakaba was also killed during the attack. The terrorists that carried out the operation were never smoked out and slaughtered. The leadership of the military did not respond lethally.

General Musa must end killing of soldiers without consequences. He must provide the leadership required to end it. He must tackle all hinderances of our soldiers. For example, morale is evidently low among officers and men on the war fronts. They often struggle for allowances and equipment. Many of them have overstayed on the war front, contrary to the rules of engagement, yet, they are not rotated. General Musa, you must end these negatives.

Technology, intelligence, quality equipment and quality manpower are modern necessities for taming terrorists. Our soldiers lack these. They obviously lack the capacity to effectively monitor the movement of terrorists. This is why guerrillas move around in hundreds undetected. The military can’t even monitor the situations in their various formations with technology. In this modern era, the military should be talking about dealing with terrorists with drones from a preemptive and properly-staffed control centres. General Musa must provide effective leadership for these to happen.

Use of drones for intelligence gathering and attacks is vital in modern warfare. Also, in this kind of terror anti-war in Nigeria, emphasis must always on the use of bulletproof attack helicopters instead of the vague air strikes by our security agents. With steel-clad attack helicopters that can go very close to the target, precision is guaranteed. General Musa knows that our security agents lack all these. So, he must provide these necessities.

General Musa must also key into seeking help from climes that have successfully tamed terrorists if he truly wants an end to the killing of our soldiers. He must seek assistance from private military contractors from these climes. They will come with their manpower and equipment, and get the job done. Our gallant soldiers are doing their best, but this best can’t end terrorism.