Nigeria Lacks Enough Troops To Fight Insecurity, Says Ex-GOC Ali-Keffi

Former General Officer Commanding (GOC) Division 1 of the Nigerian Army,
Retired Major General Danjuma Ali-Keffi,
has said the persistence of insecurity successful Nigeria was mostly owed to the incorrect subject strategies being adopted and the shortage of troops to face insurgents crossed the country.

Speaking connected Arise News ‘Prime Time’ amusement connected Wednesday evening, Ali-Keffi explained that counterinsurgency warfare demands overwhelming beingness connected the ground, but Nigeria’s equipped forces remained grossly understaffed.

“The incorrect strategies are being adopted, that’s fig one. And two, it has adjacent been said severally, adjacent successful the military, determination are insufficient troops, insufficient soldiers. When you speech astir counterinsurgency, you indispensable saturate the crushed with troops to overwhelm the insurgents,” helium said.

Gen. Ali-Keffi recalled past conflicts successful different countries to item however unit surges had turned the tide against insurgencies.

“When Liberia had civilian war, we were there, and erstwhile things appeared to beryllium stalling, General Malu was appointed a commandant and past we had a unit surge. Sri Lanka is little than fractional oregon one-third of Niger State, yet it created astir 16 further divisions to marque it 18 divisions to code that issue. A part is betwixt 10,000 to 13,000 soldiers, truthful we are talking astir an further 116,000 troops,” helium explained.

Comparing the concern to Nigeria, Ali-Keffi said the country’s immense landmass, peculiarly successful the North, requires acold greater fig of troops than are presently deployed.

“So if Sri Lanka with its onshore wide could bash that, look astatine Nigeria — Niger State unsocial volition swallow Sri Lanka 4 times,” the retired Army General noted.

He acknowledged the enormity of the information situation inherited by the existent medication but insisted that citizens were increasing frustrated with the dilatory gait of results.

“I indispensable accidental the contiguous medication inherited a hard situation. In 2 years, Nigerians expect amended results, but it’s not forthcoming,” Gen. Ali-Keffi stated.