*Speaks about silence of Amnesty International
By BASHIR ADEFAKA and ABIRHIRE THOMAS, Asaba
“So, you are now talking about levelling. What leads to levelling? Levelling is when people hold back information, that is one, refusing to give the appropriate security agency information to pick the people out to face the full course of the law. That is one. Then two, if information is given and there is arm resistance to arrest. What do I mean by arm resistance?”
Former Coordinator of Defence Media Operations, Retired Major General John Enenche, has added his voice in condemning the killing of Lieutenant Colonel AH Ali, Commander, 181 Battalion Agbor, Delta State, South South Nigeria along with 16 of his officers and soldiers on Thursday 14th March, 2024.
In his reaction, via an interview programme on Arise Television, to the killings, which occurred in the Okuama community of the state, General Enenche, also a former Director of Defence Information (DDI), warned that if the criminals involved in killing the soldiers do not surrender voluntarily, communities should refrain from resisting the military operations that will follow.
He argued that regardless of the circumstances, the communities should not resist to ensure their own survival.
When called on the telephone for further clarifications on the comments, the General told The DEFENDER that everything he said on Arise Television were his words wherein he highlighted the significance of handling such situation with care and cooperation from both sides.
Conversation detailed
The anchor wondering why the flags were not flying at half mast despite the very turbulent period for the former him Retired General and the rest.
He said, “You rightly said it. Whatever you see on the external is a reflection of what is within. You can see me in black. Normally we mourn our dead with black bands on our shoulders. That is just it.
It has been a black period for me and I want to assume so many of my colleagues out there because, we have seen this in the past which were not good at all. I listened to you making reference to Odi, Zaki Biam and some that were event silently done as it were in the past with one particular reference somewhere in Benue State where the Governor as it were, then, Governor Ortom had to come out and appeal to people where a captain and some other soldiers were slaughtered on their way from a peace mission.
And I can tell you, if you isolated ones that were not brought to the fore, so it’s really, really bad and I feel so bad for somebody, an officer up to the rank of a Lieutenant Colonel? And I even tried to find out some information about him. This was an officer that fought in the North East; Malte and one other location that he led an operation to liberate and the same person who is still there to make sacrifice, you just slaughtered him like that. It is a bad time for us.
People against own military
Asked what could really have gone wrong for a people to turn against their own military, General Enenche sought to make some clarifications.
“When you talk about a people, the people in that area, you classify them. We have the local cultural leadership, look at the traditional rulers, opinion leaders and all. Then these people, from the information I got, were they cultists or rival group communities? So who are the people we are talking about now? What class of people? What is their feeling, what is their patriotism towards the military and the country at large?
“So, it is this class of people that we are going to talk about and how are they managed. It beats the imagination of the normal person, who is supposed to have patriotic feeling for this country. For me, it is an abnormality. And it is a continuation of rascality, audacity by criminal elements.”
Pathetic situation about cooperation
Responding to question about an earlier speaker who talked about total failure of intelligence, lack of back up scenario whereby military was going into a troubled area, why doing it alone, without the secret police, the DSS, the special forces and the rest, Major General John Enenche gave a reply that was pathetic about failure of cooperation among the forces.
“When we talk about intelligence, we look at the first information that you get. And what was the first information? Two communities at each other’s neck. And, of course, we have had issues with other security agencies which is not actually good for us, that without the police or military support, most of the other security agencies will not carry out their statutory responsibilities as they were given. I have established that over the years, which I will say is not good for us.
“That is why military is all over the whole place. People have been saying the military is overstretched and I would l want agree with them now. While I was in active service I was playing down on it but that is the truth of the matter.
“It got to levels that the other security agencies – I would not be specific – said if the military is not going with us, we would not go. And that has affected the society such that every other time they will call the military and we are almost getting used to it. And that the military the information you give them, because of patriotism, they will believe you and they will move because of the urgency.
“So, I would not look at the situation that it was failure of intelligence. We got the intelligence and they said, ‘Look, these people are at each other’s neck, they are fighting. What do you do?’ If you delay, it is the same they will blame, they will say they made calls and they did not respond. So we are caught in-between taking a decision, the one you will weigh that will save the situation.
“That was why they moved. So, I don’t look at it as a failure of intelligence at all. Otherwise, if you do that, you now begin to put the blame right from the hierarchy at the top down to the operational level of command. And if you begin to look at it that way, then you will now be demoralizing the military.”
Levelling down Okuoma community?
The Arise Television’s guest was reminded that President Bola Tinubu had spoken copiously about what he expected and that he had directed the Defence Headquarters and the Chief of Defence Staff in his letter that he personally signed granting the armed forces full authority to bring to justice anybody found to have been responsible for the unconscionable crime against the Nigerian people.
Then he was asked if that presidential directive would include the levelling down of Okuoma and the warring communities like it was seen in Odi, Zaki Biam and other places in the past, the Retired General gave his reply.
“Let me, in my personal capacity, commend the political will of the Commander-in-Chief for giving that directive because, sometimes, people could be evasive. The situation we are in this country is not a situation whereby any chicken-hearted person should fall back and not give the appropriate directive to whoever is supposed to carry out what is in the overall interest of the whole nation.
“Like I also looked at that statement and I saw that he said: ‘Any attack on our military is an attack on the whole nation’. Myopically, you may think that the two communities here comprise of those ethnic groups alone. It may not be so. You will see a Hausa man there, you will see an Igbo man there, you will see an Idoma man there, you will all. So, it is a nation. Nigeria is there and he is in charge.
“So, you are now talking about levelling. What leads to levelling? Levelling is when people hold back information, that is one, refusing to give the appropriate security agency information to pick the people out to face the full course of the law. That is one. Then two, if information is given and there is arm resistance to arrest. What do I mean by arm resistance? As you are coming to arrest them, they are now wanting to repel you. What do you do in that situation as military person, even an ordinary person, a civillian with the situation on ground?
“So, those, for me, are the two reasons that lead to what you call levelling. And it can be averted. How? If only…. I overheard the previous conversation and the man was talking about traditional institutions. They have a lot to do, and we are now diverting it to policing, community policing in totality, to bring the people out.”
Traditional rulers of communities
Interjected about a traditional ruler who exonerated himself that he was overseas when the conflagration took place, General Enenche said, “But he supposed to have the subordinates. He supposed to have the necessary Council of Chiefs, people that he can send, elders. So, what can be done to avert the leveling is to ensure that the appropriate intelligence is brought out wherein the criminals, the perpetrators of these criminal acts are to be apprehended. If they don’t voluntarily submit themselves, handover themselves, leave them not to resist.”
As for whether that means the community will not exist afterward, the General said, “No, it will exist. The community will exist. It depends on how it is handled on both sides now. Because, from a recent experience we had, I’m consulting for a community where they had a lot of security challenges. On getting there, to the forest where the kidnappers were, they resisted. And what happened? The troops from Operation West too had to open fire. When they are firing you, what do you do? You must defend yourself and, in the course of the defence, the kingpin was neutralized. That was how peace now came to that area for about two months.
“In the same way, that is what will normally happen because it is the training and it is the best practice in any operation. But leveling can be avoided like we said and if there is cooperation from all the people and, as I am talking to you, I hope and let them talk to whoever the criminals were, let them surrender themselves to the authority and face the due process of the law.”
Amnesty International’s silence
As to whether the silence of Amnesty International over the killing of military personnel in the Delta means the civil society organisation only talk when it is issue that concerns their own interest alone they see human rights violations, the General asked from the perspective from his experience in active service said:
“Well, if you will recall my responses then, I was also concerned that why was it that it was only when, they would even get report they called it research, to me I’m a top researcher and I’m still on research now to see how our military can be well managed. You will get research, you have you class, you have your sample. They would just come out. So, it calls for concern.
“I assume that if it’s a fair organisation, which it supposed to be, they should have now come out to make a statement regarding this unfortunate and very painful incident to all Nigerians. I have heard nothing and I think the time is not too early from what we saw, what we have heard over the days.
“So, just like you are surprised, I’m also surprised that if it’s an umpire that is unbiased, they should also come out and say something. Probably their focus is just on military alone and maybe on Nigerian military or they have other motives, I don’t know. But I am not too surprised in a way also because it has been their track record of hitting us heard trying to dig up issues where there are no issues, trying to force issues, to force conviction, to force commitment…”
Demoralisation
Interjected in area where he needed to tell how demoralizing the Amnesty International’s attitude could be to the Nigerian military and for the troops considering the various theatre of operation and whether it in anyway slows down actions, operations and the rest, he said, “Yes. It would have slowed down but for the immediate reaction of the appropriate superior authorities, capped up by the directive of the Commander-in-Chief today. It would prop them up. If it is the military that I know and I belong passively.
“The same thing with the Chief of Defence Staff. You saw that he actively came out and moved into action and began to set up investigation to unravel, the same thing the Chief of Army Staff. So, they are on top as far as I am concerned.”
On report that there is no going in or out of the affected communities are locked down, General Enenche said, “Yes! They have to bring out the perpetrators and that is where the cooperation with the Armed Forces is highly desirable and necessary for the locals.”
