October 27, (THEWILL) — It appears that the ongoing campaign to rid Nigeria of the murderous activities of insurgents has reached a very critical stage. Following news reports that Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists carried out coordinated attacks on multiple locations in two North-East states, the governor of one of the states expressed deep concern over the use of drones by the terrorists, particularly to target key military assets.
Obviously rattled by the development, the governor, Babagana Zulum of Borno State, noted that it exposed a critical vulnerability in the country’s airspace security.
Describing the use of drones by the terrorists as frightening, he said, “The proliferation of drones, particularly in the hands of non-state actors, is of great concern for the entire country. We have to do something to stop the rampant use of armed drones.”
The governor expressed the urgent need to strengthen Nigeria’s borders and the capability of her airspace to check the use of armed drones by terrorists.
Although the military issued a statement after the coordinated terrorist attacks, claiming that the troops of Operation Hadin Kai successfully repelled the terrorists, killing 50 across all locations, the use of armed drones by insurgents remains a subject of grave concern.
Besides the obvious implication for the Federal Government’s efforts to dislodge terrorist groups from the North-East and prevent them from taking control of parts of the region, the use of drones, particularly for precision strikes, could vastly improve the capability of terrorists to cause mayhem and further destruction.
We believe that now is the right time for the security forces to come up with highly effective strategies to neutrallise this emerging threat to national security. The ongoing anti-terrorism war is one that Nigeria cannot afford to lose. It must be won by any means.
