Naija army chief wey lead di country through one of Africa longest conflict don die for 56 years

“Naija army chief wey lead soldiers through critical time for di fight against Islamic extremists for di northeast wey suffer plenty don die,” President Bola Tinubu talk on Wednesday.

“Lt. Gen. Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, wey don serve as army chief since June 2023, die Tuesday night for Naija economic center Lagos afta “period of illness,” Tinubu talk for statement wey him office release without saying more. Lagbaja be 56 years old.

Di late army chief no show for public for almost two months, wey make pipo dey talk say him don die, but di Naija army first deny am more than two weeks ago.

Him don already get replacement wey be Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, wey Tinubu appoint for acting position one week ago.

Him death come at important time as Naija dey fight one of Africa longest war on militancy for di northeastern region, wia Boko Haram extremists don start insurgency almost 15 years ago.

Lagbaja na di second Naija army chief wey don die for office for less than four years.

Ibrahim Attahiru serve as army chief for only four months before him die for military air crash for 2021.

Di country military, wey don dey underfund and outgunned for long, don dey fight to slow down di expansion of di extremists for di region and beyond.

Although di frequency of violent attacks don reduce over di years, analysts talk say extremists don dey try to recruit more fighters and consolidate their strongholds for di Lake Chad basin.

As di army dey often deploy across di country, Naija security crises still dey persist for different fronts during Lagbaja tenure, including plenty killings and kidnappings for ransom by many armed groups for di northern region.

At least 11,600 pipo, including security forces, don die during him time as army chief, according to data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, wey be U.S.-based nonprofit.

Lagbaja don promise to make discipline and professionalism dey for Naijan army as one of him key priorities, as e dey try to rebrand one institution wey pipo dey accuse of treating civilians bad and extrajudicial killings for conflict zones.

Naijas Defense Chief Gen. Christopher Musa talk say him death na “tremendous loss” to the military and Naija. E praise Lagbajas “sterling performance, courage and steadfast commitment to protect Naija’s sovereignty.”

student for Kaduna

Felix Sunday, na college student for Kaduna, e talk say e dey 16 wen e join local vigilante group for 2021, and say e dey struggle to combine night watch with im studies.

For plenty part of West and Central Africa, porous national borders dey make am easy for pipo to smuggle weapons.

One survey-based report wey dem publish for 2021 by Geneva-based Small Arms Survey in collaboration with Naija government find say at least 6 million firearms fit dey for civilian hand for di country at dat time.

Di military and police don recover hundreds of firearms for Naija for di last year, but weapons dealers for other place dey make di problem worse.

“Things don bad well well. Some na big military weapons wey dem import from other countries,” na wetin Confidence MacHarry from Lagos-based SBM Intelligence security firm talk.

With sophisticated weapons, di gunmen don launch bold attacks for areas wey get heavy security presence, including military base and airport for Kaduna, show say di problem fit be di motivation of di security forces demself.

Survivors of di attack for Plateau tell di AP say di police no show up until di next day, wey dey echo wetin pipo wey dey live for Runji talk, wey get security checkpoint nearby.

“Wen we call di soldiers, na afta di attackers don go finish na im di soldiers go come.”

“Even if we hear say dem (di attackers) dey come and we report am to di government, dem no dey take proactive action,”

Na wetin Simon Njam, one vigilante leader wey dey near Runji wey dey use bows, arrows and locally made guns to secure di area talk.

Part of di wahala be say di security forces dey disorganized and dem no ready to respond to di attacks, according to Kabir Adamu, di founder of Beacon Consulting, one security firm wey dey based for Naija capital, Abuja.

“We no get coordinated security sector wey fit identify and counter threats,” e talk.

“Dem need to work togeda to protect lives and for now, we no dey see enough of dat.”

Di Naija military and police no respond to written and phone inquiries wey dey seek response to di claims.

As more families dey mourn di loss of dia loved ones, wey dem dey forced to replace farmland with graveyards, dia priority na to demand justice.

“How person go just come kill and nothing go happen?”

Na wetin Dauda for Runji ask, as e dey remember im life with im wife and four children.

“Dem no fit bring back my lost family, but di government fit at least rebuild my home and ensure justice.”

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