Reviewing the ongoing war against insurgency and terrorism in the country, politicians and other stakeholders are making a case for the return of mercenaries to assist the Nigerian military in routing the criminals that have become a thorn in the flesh of the people.
As a newspaper, we share this opinion recently put back on the front burner of public discourse by the Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, when he urged the federal government to engage the soldiers of fortune in arrangements to bring the war on terror to a speedy end. According to him, developed countries with superior military power are also engaging mercenaries. This was just as he warned that ISWAP elements need to be completely defeated in the Lake Chad region as they are capable of causing more havoc than Boko Haram insurgents. Borno state has been the main theatre of operations since the onset of the crisis that has set the state many years back.
Justifying his position on the issue of mercenaries, he drew comparisons with what obtains in even more developed military environments. He pointed out that the United States of America, the United Kingdom as well as many more countries at one point or the other sought outside support by contracting mercenaries to assist in specific areas of their operations.
We recall that we had previously on this page kicked against the use of mercenaries. However, in view of the rising threat of ISWAP with its International connections, we are compelled to reverse ourselves and join the call on the government to look in the direction of engaging the services of military contractors. In making this call, we are by no means undermining the efforts of the Nigerian military who have made tremendous sacrifices including paying the supreme price in defence of the fatherland.
Actually, we commend the military in its ongoing efforts to decisively rout terrorism and insurgency in the country. However, the threat of ISWAP seems to be growing by the day in Borno and Lake Chad region. They are getting more sophisticated as a result of funding from criminal sources as well as the infusion of well-educated elements into the war in a manner that is enhancing what Boko Haram has.
Furthermore, it must be admitted that the Nigerian military is overstretched as they are currently undergoing operations in at least 30 states in the country in response to internal dissension. Therefore, help from any quarter will definitely give them a breathing space.
It is from this perspective that it must be understood that using mercenaries to prosecute this war is not an indictment on the military. The United States of America unarguably boasts of the strongest military in the world yet, that did not stop them from using mercenaries (military contractors) to prosecute the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Similarly, Turkey used thousands of militants and mercenaries from Syria to help its allied Government of National Accord (GNA) in Libya. The United Arab Emirates also sent hundreds of special forces (mercenaries) to fight the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen, most of whom are drawn from South American countries like Columbia, Panama, El Salvador, and Chile, veterans of the drug wars.
The argument against the use of mercenary elements hinges on the cost implication. According to a report in Quora, mercenaries being employed by the Gulf States who are fighting in the miasma in Yemen are supposedly paid $800 per month. There are also former Colombian soldiers, sailors, and marines who are fighting there, and they are paid almost twice that amount monthly. There are also mercenaries fighting in Syria and, to a lesser extent, in Afghanistan. While the majority of the mercenaries in Syria are Russians and fighters from the former Soviet republics, some are Arabs, Druze militiamen from Lebanon, and even former Iraqi military members. The Russian fighters are paid (on average) 200k roubles which is roughly $3,200 per month. Obviously, pilots and skilled combatants earn more.
It is instructive to note that the federal government used mercenaries in 2015 before the general elections and they were able to help retake some local governments from Boko Haram within a space of time. That singular action made it possible for elections to hold in many places in the North east. The advantage of enlisting mercenaries is that they work within a time frame.
Consequently, we feel persuaded to suggest that the federal government hires mercenaries to tackle the growing threat of ISWAP. In the considered opinion of these newspaper, the mercenaries can complement the gallant efforts of our military. Indeed, all hands must be on deck to successfully end the twin malaise of insurgency and banditry in the country.
Without gainsaying it, the most important thing is ending the war. Nigerians in the North east have suffered in the hands of insurgents who have killed and kidnapped scores of people. Million others are in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in the country having lost their livelihood and are on the verge of losing their humanity. If hiring mercenaries will bring this nightmare to an end, why not?