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20260806 073000 UTC
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[00:00:00] increment of salaries of our military uh from 30%
[00:00:04] to 80% depending on the level, and of course the good news
[00:00:07] about the rescue of over 300 persons inquire and other
[00:00:11] places, we bring you that detail with our next guest, stay with
[00:00:14] us!
[00:00:24] of
[00:01:28] of
[00:01:32] of
[00:01:37] of of Welcome back to the program.
[00:01:41] Let's uh get to
[00:01:42] of talk security. We are joined this hour by a group
[00:01:44] captain. retired is private security sector reform
[00:01:48] consultant and
[00:01:49] of CEO, conflict security and
[00:01:53] development consul. Thank you indeed group captain for
[00:01:56] agreeing to talk to us. Just
[00:01:58] a moment Group captain. Let's take a listen to the commissioner for communications
[00:02:02] in quara states on the release
[00:02:05] of uh the victims who were kidnapped the residents who were
[00:02:09] kidnapped in that states since
[00:02:11] February.
[00:02:15] First and foremost we want to say big thank
[00:02:18] of you to his excellency the President of Federal Republic of
[00:02:21] Nigeria President Bolamed Tinubu and the Nigerian
[00:02:25] military for the part they played in
[00:02:28] our victims. gaining their freedom, we also want to
[00:02:32] say huge thank
[00:02:34] in you to the executive governor of Karara state, malam
[00:02:37] Abdullahman Abdul Razzaq, he has been working tiredlessly behind the
[00:02:41] scenes to make sure all the world victims regain their
[00:02:45] freedom. It's been a whole lot, but as
[00:02:49] we have
[00:02:49] been saying, all hope was never lost,
[00:02:53] because we have been working and
[00:02:55] of because it's a security issue, there's no how we would have come to tell the
[00:02:59] public how... and what we are doing to release our
[00:03:03] kidnapped victims. i know lot of
[00:03:06] details, we cannot tell you the exact number now, we are waiting
[00:03:10] further um details from the Nigerian
[00:03:13] military, because they regain their freedom and they are
[00:03:17] presently with at the military base. once we have more details
[00:03:21] we will definitely share with the public, but we are
[00:03:25] grateful for this, it's a huge relief, especially to the
[00:03:28] kurara state government. Well
[00:03:32] that's bola Olukojo, she is the commissioner for communication
[00:03:36] inquire states uh speaking there on uh those
[00:03:40] victims regaining freedom, the choice of words group
[00:03:43] captain, I heard very clearly trying to
[00:03:47] release, trying to ensure they regain their
[00:03:50] freedom and there's
[00:03:52] of a debate as to rescue or release uh
[00:03:56] of of when when victims like this regain their freedom while this looks.
[00:04:00] in cheering news to many Nigerians because the these victims inqua state
[00:04:04] precisely have been in
[00:04:05] of captivity since February, six months and maybe four
[00:04:08] days or there about plus uh group captain, I'm just wondering
[00:04:12] perhaps if if you have some sort of insider information as to uh
[00:04:16] this chering news from Kwara states
[00:04:20] uh, well thank you very much, first I will say whenever we heard that people that have
[00:04:24] been kidnapped have been released through whatever means and they
[00:04:28] are
[00:04:28] in a healthy and conditions, it is something to celebrate.
[00:04:32] I do not have any insider information, but as somebody
[00:04:36] who has been myself involved in hostage rescue
[00:04:40] operation, I may talk
[00:04:41] of from a general principle. you see what people normally mistake is
[00:04:45] that when they say rescue uh kidnap people, it has
[00:04:49] to do with kinetic operation or fight and shoot and bring them
[00:04:52] of
[00:04:53] of even for the most
[00:04:54] of advanced cost rescue units, which we don't have in Nigeria, here I'm
[00:04:58] taking like the French.
[00:05:03] These are some
[00:05:04] of the highly trained, highly recognized hostage rescue
[00:05:07] me units, even for them negotiation is the
[00:05:11] first option that they're always follow why? because
[00:05:15] to be honest
[00:05:16] with you, even the most trained such units cannot assure you that if
[00:05:19] we storm the area, we can bring back those people alive, including the
[00:05:23] victims, including the the kidnappers, so the first option for
[00:05:27] any hostage rescue operation is negotiation. now negotiation
[00:05:31] does not necessarily me concession, it does not necessarily, but it may include paying
[00:05:35] of ramsom, but not necessarily so, negotiation also does not
[00:05:39] mean that immediately release this, "we are looking about
[00:05:43] how many days have these people spent there along this, so definitely it tells you
[00:05:47] that they must have been receiving food, they must have been receiving medicine, so sometimes
[00:05:51] negotiation is even to allow uh life sustaining
[00:05:54] material to be delivered to the people, there may be children, there may be
[00:05:58] women, there may be sick people, there may be pregnant women, so
[00:06:02] negotiation might even allow us a corridor to deliver
[00:06:05] medicines, to deliver food while we continue talking what is the terms of
[00:06:09] release, so to me uh as as a profession" what is
[00:06:13] important is the release and if you can get released without firing a
[00:06:16] bullet, think it is very fantastic. the only thing is
[00:06:20] that we have to say payment of ransom that is inst of cash or
[00:06:24] to make some political concessions or to say that some people
[00:06:28] may be released from prison, of course it has its negative side, but what i want to
[00:06:32] disabuse people's mind, and again here even talk to my military people, if
[00:06:36] you obtained the release of this firing a bullet to do
[00:06:39] negotiation, in fact that is the highest form of. success, so
[00:06:43] it is not something, if that's what happened for the military or security forces,
[00:06:47] there are many security forces that involved to come and say we negotiated, in
[00:06:51] fact in every host rescue unit you have specially trained
[00:06:54] negotiators, they use psychology, they use
[00:06:58] you know human senses, they use everything, the important
[00:07:02] thing is to get the victims released healthy and in good
[00:07:06] condition, that is what i want people to understand, it's a developing story
[00:07:10] group, captain sh, we can see p shows there for our viewers as well
[00:07:14] uh from uh those were rescued or released in in
[00:07:18] kara state we here about the about 38 for quara
[00:07:22] and niger states
[00:07:23] but group captain the argument is that why is it so
[00:07:26] easy perhaps maybe some would say easy or easier
[00:07:30] to um rescue or release victims in
[00:07:33] this uh part of nigeria in oro state for instance
[00:07:37] 56 days people were in captivity puples and teachers eventually
[00:07:41] there would be rescue. and regain their freedom, now quara
[00:07:45] state as well, niger states w kara precisely, um, we are
[00:07:49] those who say what's the are those who have been kidnapped in northern
[00:07:52] Nigeria for more than one
[00:07:54] year, um, goza, we here in b state
[00:07:58] as well, mass kidnappings as well, so
[00:08:02] is there something that makes the kidnappings in the north a bit different from the
[00:08:06] south that gain some where we see successes
[00:08:09] recorded a bit faster in the southern? region as
[00:08:13] compared to the northern region?
[00:08:17] yes, i've heard people are making that comparison, and again i'll talk from
[00:08:20] general principle, what makes a rescue operation
[00:08:24] of hostages either easier or faster are certain
[00:08:28] factors? factors like for example, what do do we know
[00:08:32] where the hostages have been taken to? that is the first
[00:08:35] geolocating where the hostages are, if we know that, are
[00:08:39] they an open area or
[00:08:41] an enclosed space? "it is always difficult, it is more difficult to
[00:08:45] rescue people that are put into a forest, not an enclosed place than to rescue
[00:08:49] people that have been taken
[00:08:50] to into a house for example, so these are the different aspects we have to look
[00:08:54] at, when you know the exact location like in this aspect, we know that the nearest
[00:08:57] bush that they could enter is that kng park, so what does it
[00:09:01] mean? since the they have disappeared, they must have entered that kaingi park, now if the
[00:09:05] military or security forces can be able to block the exits and entrances
[00:09:09] there then the hostages are in, mean
[00:09:11] the the kidnap." are a fix first they cannot go out, they cannot come
[00:09:15] out, they cannot receive supplies of food and medicine, because they
[00:09:19] to apart from the hostages,
[00:09:21] the to they need survival, they need somebody to deliver food for them, so once you
[00:09:24] can locate them and block all these exits, then the the hostage,
[00:09:28] mean the the hostage rescuers, they have an advantage, because now you are putting
[00:09:32] them with their back to the wall, they have to do some negotiation,
[00:09:36] whereas in other areas, for example in zampara or in uh
[00:09:40] or in uh burno much as don't want to admit it, there are places
[00:09:44] that are not accessible, so if the sees people and enter those places,
[00:09:48] first you don't even know where they are, so this i think to
[00:09:51] me, more than bring any political connotation to differences, i
[00:09:55] think is the terrain, is the modus operandi that will determine
[00:09:59] whether the people that are rescuing have an advantage or not, if they
[00:10:03] take them to a wild area with and you are not able to know the place
[00:10:06] then definitely the the kidnappers have an advantage because first is
[00:10:10] localizing and localizing have you surrounded the place, up to
[00:10:14] now in the in the northeast we have places that are not accessible, that is honest
[00:10:17] truth. captain, let ask you questions that
[00:10:21] I've always raised, so when you look at the numbers, that are
[00:10:25] in the red, it always points to the north,
[00:10:28] sadly multidimensional poverty or poverty
[00:10:32] itself, out of school children,
[00:10:36] insecurity, and we can go on and on, and then let's stay with
[00:10:39] insecurity, for instance, the 19 northern states,
[00:10:43] do you think they are angry enough to be able to
[00:10:47] stop in collaboration with the federal government, this mass
[00:10:50] abductions and killings, or there is an interplay of cul
[00:10:55] and religion that makes it difficult for them to stand up
[00:10:59] and say enough is enough, because our people in the
[00:11:03] north are getting killed every other day, getting kidnapped every
[00:11:07] other day, the government do their own bits, not enough, but there's an
[00:11:10] effort, so let's talk about
[00:11:13] the the elites in the north, the governments the north,
[00:11:17] are they really showing that they are serious about national
[00:11:21] insecurity as it pertains to northern Nigeria?
[00:11:26] Well, I will agree with some the socio economic indices that you highlighted.
[00:11:30] These are things that I know either from NBS reports or even from reports
[00:11:34] from uh UNDP and the rest. However, I think it will not be
[00:11:37] fair even assume or speculate that the people in the
[00:11:41] north or rather the elite are not uh are not
[00:11:45] angry or are not bedevilled by this kind of security
[00:11:48] situations. Again when you say the elite from as we do now, if
[00:11:52] you talk the late brigadier. was kill Rabe, you cannot
[00:11:56] say but Rab is not part the elite, if you talk the
[00:11:59] former director general
[00:12:03] of nysc, general that was taking you, so the point I'm
[00:12:07] making profile uh high profile traditional
[00:12:10] rulers, politicians have been kidnapped, so it is really not even the problem
[00:12:14] the downtoading, so when you say the elite, the elite are not even spared, however
[00:12:18] if you say that there is more than can be done, I can agree, but uh for
[00:12:22] anybody who is responsible person. either as a leader either as
[00:12:26] a parent to say that he's not concerned about insecurity about
[00:12:29] kidnapping, i think that will be stretching is
[00:12:32] bit a bit wide, so that is just what i have to see,
[00:12:36] so let's talk about the remuneration, the great news that came
[00:12:40] through, the president increasing the salaries
[00:12:43] of officers, i think from col and above
[00:12:47] or generals and brigader general about
[00:12:50] 30%, and then just beneath that is about 50%, and then the
[00:12:54] lower kid is about 80% and then we also have the
[00:12:57] president expanding the divisions from eight to now with
[00:13:01] additional for that's 12 so we're seeing
[00:13:04] you know attempt to bring security closer to the people in terms
[00:13:08] of response time we're also seeing better motivation from
[00:13:11] this latest move how do you think this will impact
[00:13:15] in the immediate term because implementation is another
[00:13:19] kettle of fish thank
[00:13:23] you very much first I must say It is very welcome decision by the president and the
[00:13:27] federal government to increase the salary
[00:13:29] you know of military servicemen. We
[00:13:33] cannot continually ask service men and women to undertake dangerous,
[00:13:37] disruptive and demanting duties across the country while allowing their
[00:13:40] remuneration to fall seriously behind economic
[00:13:43] realities. And in most countries, not only in Nigeria, the
[00:13:47] military remuneration is not ordinary public service remuneration.
[00:13:51] Why is it so? Military personnel accept restrictions on past.
[00:13:55] freedom, mobility, outside employment and ultimately exposure to
[00:13:59] injury and death. i have met soldiers that have served in the frontline for three to four years
[00:14:03] away from their family. some have even suffered apart from financial
[00:14:06] losses, some have even suffered the fact that their family l is disrupted
[00:14:10] because they are absent from the reason. so i like this idea, it's a very
[00:14:14] welcome, especially also, must praise the that the highest
[00:14:18] percentage goes to the lowest ranks, that's 80% the lower,
[00:14:21] 50% in the middle and 30% at general officer level. that is
[00:14:25] defensible policy because this percentage increase applied uniformly
[00:14:28] otherwise can disproportionately benefit those already earning the most that is the
[00:14:32] generus so I particularly comment the graduated approach
[00:14:36] and uh you know why I you ask also whether this will
[00:14:40] immediately you know uh uh be implemented again
[00:14:43] a very good warning because sometimes in Nigeria we announce something and it is not
[00:14:47] done the first problem the government is going to encounter is that they have given a
[00:14:51] September
[00:14:52] you know start date of this thing please the soldiers. are looking to see that thing reflected
[00:14:56] in their September P. once you meet that September date, now you have started talking
[00:15:00] of areas and we know from a argument with teachers,
[00:15:04] argument with medical workers in Nigeria, once areas start
[00:15:08] filing then you are going to have a problem, so we hope the president will
[00:15:11] ensure and has made adequate financial
[00:15:14] you know provisions that will ensure that those salaries are paid as
[00:15:18] the date, the soldiers are living in peny, apart from saying that
[00:15:22] I must also call on the federal government and the authority. to protect this
[00:15:26] increase, what do mean by protected? protected by making sure that it is
[00:15:30] uh, it is something that is continuous, protected by making sure that
[00:15:34] when you pay a soldier or genior officer salary, he does take
[00:15:37] from that salary to buy things that he needs for operation, things like uniform,
[00:15:41] things like medical care for him and his family, things like uh food
[00:15:45] ration. when i joined the military in 1984, when a soldier is on duty, there's
[00:15:49] a truck that used to go and give him food, i don't that is no longer there, i think if
[00:15:53] ask modern soldiers they don't even know what is called mestin, there is no soldier that didn't have
[00:15:57] mestine in those days, all you wait for the truck is to come and give you, now we have
[00:16:01] allegations that soldiers are buying uniform, in fact alarming
[00:16:05] things that soldiers are some soldiers say they are buying pragmented jacket that's
[00:16:09] anti bulletproof which they used to this so as long as you don't protect this
[00:16:12] salary and you allow soldiers to be using that their salary to buy things they are going to work
[00:16:16] for, i think then the the mean
[00:16:19] the the benefits that we are thinking from the that will accrew from increase in salary will
[00:16:22] fall. to be honest, i will even go as far as to say any person that does
[00:16:26] uniform work, he shouldn't have to buy a uniform item or any item
[00:16:30] that you will take for operation, this is very very important. thirdly
[00:16:34] there's also the issue of accommodation, there are still soldiers.
[00:16:37] officers that are not accommodated in barack and they rent ideally all
[00:16:41] over the world, when you have police, when you have any paramilitary, you give
[00:16:45] them barack accommodation, if you cannot give them barack accommodation then you have, because
[00:16:49] government is supposed to give them barack accommodation, government is supposed to give them
[00:16:53] comprehensive medical care, yes thank you, just before
[00:16:56] we
[00:16:57] we we round off, is this decision fair for
[00:17:00] other law enforcement agencies and those
[00:17:04] responsible for internal security example? the Nigeria Police
[00:17:08] force, the those who say that the South African police are
[00:17:12] paid several times higher and much more than the average
[00:17:16] Nigerian police, the NY, NSCDC as well
[00:17:20] and other paramilitary uh agencies, is is this fair on
[00:17:23] them?
[00:17:26] now talk of fairness, definitely this is one debate that might start
[00:17:30] and it has already started, not only paramilitary or other security
[00:17:34] agencies like we see in this rescue operation, it was not only the... military, so
[00:17:38] maybe I'm sure the president must have thought through this and
[00:17:42] think
[00:17:42] what is going for, certainly this uh argumentation will come out, even within
[00:17:46] the military, if you remember the president spokeman said
[00:17:49] 25000 are going to benefit, by my own calculation, what I
[00:17:52] know, that is the size, above the size the people in
[00:17:56] uniform, the people that are outside like me, I'm not talking for myself,
[00:18:00] but like me, like the retires, they will certainly also ask what is in there for them even
[00:18:04] though the government didn't say so, but the figure of 250 tells me that it is for
[00:18:08] those people that are in uniform, now what are you going to do to the retiries? addition
[00:18:12] to the parability which you said may rais observation, why? the
[00:18:15] purpose, what people have to understand is that you do these things to make the
[00:18:19] military or the security agencies attractive for young nigerians to
[00:18:22] general? it is a common knowledge that in the southeast for example the
[00:18:26] army is so is facing serious problem even attract young men and
[00:18:30] women to join the military, it must spread to other parts the country and that in
[00:18:33] itself is will be security problem if you have people from certain
[00:18:37] area and they are not joining the military and the only way you can make people to
[00:18:41] join the military is making the service
[00:18:43] you know attractive and it's also seeing how you treat those people
[00:18:47] that are in service and those that are retires because even the people that got this
[00:18:51] 80% tomorrow they are going to be retirees and they will start thinking when i retire
[00:18:55] what is going to happen for me so again the government like you said you are right other
[00:18:59] security agencies they have their roles to play like we see in this rescue
[00:19:02] operation there has military theres dss there is civil
[00:19:06] defense they also in the government, I'm sure the president must have thought
[00:19:09] about it and he's going to, maybe he has not told us, but it's something that is
[00:19:13] debate that will
[00:20:18] this at the very beginning the show that the
[00:20:20] Nigeria uh security structure is being reviewed
[00:20:24] constitutionally where we now have state police, so this is the
[00:20:28] nationalpolicing bill.com where you can actually
[00:20:32] submit your memorandum, memoranda for everyone,
[00:20:36] so if you navigate, just go to... to
[00:20:37] nationalpolicingbill.com and uh
[00:20:41] just look at what you you need to know in terms of
[00:20:45] inquiry and all of that. two weeks has been given for everyone to make their
[00:20:49] little. to the bill so that we can uh we
[00:20:53] can uh have a very good
[00:20:56] police where it will not be abused a subnational level or
[00:21:00] you people talk about being abused a subnational level the feder can also abuse
[00:21:04] it so abuse is two way straight so
[00:21:08] but generally your input will be required the government and the committee
[00:21:12] the working group has said whatever
[00:21:14] it is you have as a proposal two weeks is given i think that it has already
[00:21:18] started counting yeah so do your best
[00:21:20] put put together your thought, whether as a group, professionals, whichever,
[00:21:24] however you want to approach this and make your contribution for this
[00:21:28] constitution amendment that will serve the interest of all Nigerians.
[00:21:32] This is not the time to say, uh, my voice will not be heard, it doesn't matter, it doesn't, my
[00:21:35] voice does not count, to say, oh, they will not listen for all it once we've been
[00:21:39] doing, have they listened to us, no, you have to make your imputs,
[00:21:43] democracy uh sort of gives room for
[00:21:46] participatory governance, so this is an opport, I like the fact that you can do
[00:21:50] this on socials for so for young nigerians we are the ones
[00:21:54] who use the smartphones and we are always online so
[00:21:58] all right we understand it's closing on the 13th of august today is
[00:22:02] august 6th already so we are almost
[00:22:05] closer almost halfway halfway already so
[00:22:07] close halfway so please we have - one week plus uh to ensure
[00:22:11] that you get to uh make your contributions
[00:22:15] because we really it's our police and it's going to affect us
[00:22:19] so whether you like it or yes, so let's talk about
[00:22:23] Ash, we've talked extensively about, but David do, his uncle is the governor
[00:22:27] the state, David is a musician, one of Nigeria's
[00:22:30] superstars, he
[00:22:31] is the chairman the imole youth campaign council as
[00:22:35] well, he was very, very influential,
[00:22:38] instrumental rather uh to his uncle's victory the last time, so he's back
[00:22:42] again on the in the trenches to make case for his, so let's take a listen to
[00:22:46] David.
[00:22:54] so uh, I like the fact that you know what,
[00:22:58] it's good to support um family, so um,
[00:23:02] so I like the fact that he's able to
[00:23:05] do this, and he's someone that has
[00:23:06] been always been very vocal, um, David O, he likes to
[00:23:10] comment issues of national interest, some celebrities like to just sit on the
[00:23:13] sidelines on defens, but he's been very vocal when it has to
[00:23:17] do with politics, just other subnationals, but at
[00:23:21] the national uh levels as well, at the video
[00:23:25] there.
[00:23:26] all right, come out
[00:23:30] and exercise your right to
[00:23:32] vote, do not be afraid
[00:23:36] or intimidated. your vote is your voice and your choice
[00:23:40] must be respected, no political
[00:23:43] ambition, disagreement
[00:23:47] or election is what the... for an osion son
[00:23:51] or daughter, let us
[00:23:54] reject violence, I'll say it again, let us
[00:23:58] reject violence,
[00:24:01] intimidation, provocation, and most
[00:24:05] importantly destruction, to our
[00:24:07] daddy from emo
[00:24:10] states, I say this with
[00:24:14] respect, sir, I have heard rumors
[00:24:17] suggesting that there are... used to
[00:24:20] interfere in the Oushen state
[00:24:23] election or use the state as a
[00:24:27] political battleground to prove
[00:24:29] point
[00:24:33] like very respectful some would say respectable fellow
[00:24:37] to our daddy in the most states referring to the
[00:24:39] governor of man i don't know did man say
[00:24:43] anything the chairman the
[00:24:47] APC campaign council yeah remember
[00:24:50] yeah, i was thinking whether he said anything recently, but i just remember
[00:24:54] chairman the campaign council, we we there shouldn't
[00:24:57] be violence, election is not war, is unnecessary, i think he
[00:25:01] echos it, of course is partisan is supporting his uncle
[00:25:05] uh, but it's
[00:25:06] what it is, let's go there, i'm praying, i'm hoping that there will be a day when elections will be
[00:25:10] so peaceful that you know you lose your polling unit as a man
[00:25:14] congratulations, lose my pulling, i say congratulations because we know the
[00:25:17] election was free and fair, not this
[00:25:20] manipulation just let's make sure
[00:25:24] the judges have other