Insurgency, Nigerian Army And A June Diary – By Prince Ugo

The decision to pen this article came to me impromptu. I stumbled on a news item on an online medium, The Sun (UK), published February 18, 2018, which flashed a blistering news caption. It boldly read; “Terror, Exchange Programme: ISIS Commanders Sneaking Jihadis Into Nigeria From Syria to Train Them for Possible Attacks on Britain,” a story written by David Willetts, the newspaper’s Defence Editor in Kaduna, Nigeria. At once my heart trembled. I quickly perused it and the chilling and startling revelations got me upset momentarily. The story also disclosed ongoing counter-terror training sessions between British and Nigerian troops in the country, all preparations to halt ISIS’ plots to consolidate its hold on the West African region.

And a statement credited to a senior Nigerian Air Force commander, Group Captain Isaac Subi, 46, said: “They (ISIS) come and train their fighters here and some of our insurgents too are granted access to their training in Yemen and Syria, after acquiring those skills, they come back to teach others. They have this exchange programme for fighters.”

Once again, my mind flashed back at the Nigerian Army. I took a deep reflection, reminisced on the severity of the insecurity situation in my country and, my fears further exacerbated by the contents of the news reports and looked at the gains made by the Nigerian Army in the counter-terrorism.

Gloomily, I recollected the casual manner some “thoughtless” Nigerians dismiss our troops or seek to disparage or mindlessly lampoon soldiers. I silently sco