Amid mourning and tributes, the bodies of the slain Commanding Officer (CO) of 149 Battalion of Nigerian Army, Lt. Col Thomas Ebisingha Alari, and 21 of his gallant soldiers, were on Saturday February 1, 2025 laid to rest at Maimalari Military Cemetery in Maiduguri, Borno State.

They were killed on Friday January 25, 2025 when terrorists launched a desperate Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) attack on them at Timbuktu Triangle, a notorious hotspot for terrorist activities in the North East of Damboa, in Yobe State.

The terrorists also were shooting from different directions. Though the VBIED was intercepted and destroyed by the troops, the shrapnel from the explosion tragically took the lives of those closest to the blast, including Colonel Alari, who, as always, was at the front.

These gruesome and unfortunate killings weren’t the only terror attack on the troops by terrorists this year. On January 16, troops returning from the Dumba region East of Lake Chad Basin were ambushed by Boko Haram terrorists, killing an unconfirmed number of soldiers. On January 6, six soldiers were killed and military vehicles torched when terrorists attacked the military in the Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State. And these in January 2025 alone and occurred in two states – Borno and Yobe.

These killings have been long in coming. Last year, there was a resurgence of killing of military personnel in the frontlines across the country, by non-state actors, with about 59 soldiers paying supreme sacrifices.

For example, two soldiers were killed in Okokolo, Benue State, on January 19, 2024; three in Katakpa and Okudu villages of Toto LGA (Nasarawa); 16 in Okuoma, Bomadi LGA (Delta); two in Shege, Toto LGA (Nasarawa); five soldiers in Yar Malamai Military Camp Faskari Katsina State and two soldiers killed in Aba (Abia), among others.

Death ordinarily evokes emotions. But the death of a soldier on the line of duty (“Killed In Action” – KIA) can be deeply traumatic, bringing a complex mix of grief, shock, fear, anger, and even numbness to the family, friends, and comrades. Yet, daily, our soldiers keep showing raw courage, standing their grounds against overwhelming odds, taking and returning fire on the enemy with unparalleled firmness of purpose, facing and surmounting death daily so that their fellow citizens can live in peace.

We at Daily Trust are worried at the huge deaths recorded in the escalating breach of security around military bases and ambush by terrorists. They have become a source of concern for Nigerians. We therefore call on the military high command to ensure there is no further breach or ambush. The very high numbers of about KIA recorded in January 2025 is too discomforting.

The military should mobilise their assets and take the war into the camps, hideouts and base of the terrorists. Towards this, there should be more fortification of checkpoints and bases with more soldiers and equipment, especially surveillance technological gadgets which ensure that any enemy movement or deployment around them is detected on time and nipped in the bud. This is very important because it seems that when the terrorists are not attempting to outgun the troops, they are overwhelming them with their numbers. The rapid deployment of reinforcement of men and material in all forward-operating bases, especially those around key and vulnerable points, in the fight against terrorism should be a priority.

Also, consideration should be given to deployment of Special Operations Forces (SOFs) in this asymmetric warfare as they have unique training, skills, weapons, and equipment to move into terrorists’ camps and hideouts and stratify them to enable conventional forces to conduct clearance operations.

There should also be a change of heart by the nation’s political leaders and the Military High Command in their demand for specialised and conventional troops for personal or group security duties. This limits the number of troops available on the frontlines.

We also call on the federal government, working with the state governments and other stakeholders, to urgently implement robust measures to address the root cause of terrorism, banditry and other criminal activities. These non-kinetic National Counter-Terrorism Strategy initiatives should speed up economic development and deliberately provide employment that will engage the teeming unemployed youths.

As part of this, we call for massive recruitment into the armed services and the security sector. In 2022, Nigeria’s military-to-population ratio was approximately 11,000 military personnel to every 100,000 people, a rate lower than the ratio of its neighbouring countries, except for Niger Republic. And with the high level of insecurity with an estimated population of over 230 million, this is grossly insufficient. For sure, Nigeria can do with more recruitment into the defence and security sector.

It is worthy of note that with each terrorist attack or killing, President Bola Tinubu orders a probe, assuring that investigations will help identify possible intelligence gaps and operational inefficiencies that may have contributed to each incident so as to avoid future occurrences. But it is clear that this has not led to tangible improvements in the battlefield. The killing of soldiers has become too frequent, meaning that the needed robust responses were yet to be implemented. We, therefore, call for urgent execution of all recommendations.

The killing of soldiers is unacceptable. What our troops require is maximum support through provision of required equipment, weapons and personnel balance. This is a sure way to stop these gruesome killings. (Daily Trust Editorial)