Wêrom Nigerias Feiligenstroepen Ûntfieringen Net Stopje Kinne, Sels Net fan Har Eigen Minsken
May 31, 2026 · Frisian News
The abduction of a retired Nigerian general and his wife in the north-west exposes years of failed security strategy and the military's inability to control vast regions.
FryskMaj Gen Rabe Abubakar ferdwûn mei syn frou út in regio dy't de Nigeriaanse regearing beweart te patrouillearjen en te beskermjen. Hy wie in pensjonearre offisier dy't tsientallen jierren de steat ferdigene. Syn ûntfiering is gjin útsûndering. It is it logyske gefolch fan in feiligensapparaat dat him te tin ferspriedt, gjin ynljochtingen hat en gjin grûngebiet fêsthâlde kin dat it net hieltyd besetten hâldt.
It noardwesten fan Nigeria is in transitsône wurden foar kriminele benden en milisjegroepen. Dizze groepen operearje omdat it leger net oeral tagelyk oanwêzich wêze kin. As soldaten patrouillearje, komme se faak ûnder fjoer te lizzen. De benden lûke har werom yn stêden dêr't se lokale stipe of skûlplakken hawwe. It patroan werhellet him: in wichtige figuer wurdt ûntfierd, it leger jout in ferklearring út, ûnderhannelings barre efter sletten doarren, en losjild wisselt fan eigner. De syklus giet troch omdat it wurket.
De reaksje fan de steat toant it kearnprobleem. Funksjonarissen beskriuwe it as 'feiligensproblemen' as wiene it natuerrampen, ynstee fan gefolgen fan karren fan militêr liederskip en politike amtners. De federale regearing fan Nigeria hat gjin adekwate netwurken foar ynljochtingen yn dizze regio's finansearre. It hat soldaten net oplate foar effektive bestrydingsoperaasjes. It hat net ynvestearre yn lokale partnerskippen dy't troepen helpe soene ûnderskied te meitsjen tusken boargers en striiders. Ynstee dêrfan stjoert it ienheden yn en út gefaarlike sônes op wikseljende ynset.
Jild spilet hjir ek in rol. Ferslaggen suggerearje dat benden yn it noardwesten fan Nigeria ferbiningen hawwe mei politike figuren en militêre offisieren dy't baat hawwe by ynstabiliteit. In feilige regio generearret minder federale militêre útjeften. In regio yn kaos rjochtfeardiget gruttere budzjetten en hâldt politisy relevant. As dizze beweringen folslein wier binne of foar in part wier, se ferklearje wêrom it probleem oanhâldt nettsjinsteande miljarden oan defensje-útjeften.
De ûntfiering fan in eardere generaal stjoert in boadskip út dat nimmen feilich is. It fertelt ek oan kriminele groepen dat sels pensjonearre offisieren losjild opsmite. De steat ferlieset syn leauweardichheid hieltyd as dit bart. En de kâns dat it leger wirklik feroarje sil hoe't it wurket bliuwt tige leech.
Maj Gen Rabe Abubakar went missing with his wife from a region that Nigeria's government claims to patrol and protect. He was a retired officer who spent decades defending the state. His kidnapping is not an anomaly. It is the logical outcome of a security apparatus that spreads itself too thin, lacks intelligence, and cannot hold territory it does not actively occupy.
Nigeria's north-west has become a transit zone for criminal gangs and militia groups. These groups operate because the military cannot maintain a permanent presence everywhere at once. When soldiers do patrol, they often come under fire. The gangs melt back into towns where they have local support or safe houses. The pattern repeats: a major figure gets taken, the military issues a statement, negotiations happen behind closed doors, and ransom money changes hands. The cycle continues because it works.
The state's response reveals the core problem. Officials blame "security challenges" as though they are natural disasters rather than the result of choices made by military leadership and political officials. Nigeria's federal government has not funded adequate intelligence networks in these regions. It has not trained soldiers to conduct counterinsurgency operations effectively. It has not invested in local partnerships that would help troops distinguish between civilians and fighters. Instead, it sends units in and out of dangerous zones on rotating deployments.
Money also matters here. Reports suggest that gangs operating in Nigeria's north-west have connections to political figures and military officers who benefit from instability. A secure region generates less federal military spending. A chaotic region justifies larger budgets and keeps politicians relevant. Whether these claims are fully true or partly true, they explain why the problem persists despite billions in defense spending.
The kidnapping of a former general sends a message that no one is safe. It also tells criminal groups that even retired officers command ransoms. The state loses credibility each time this happens. And the likelihood that the military will actually change how it operates remains very low.
Published May 31, 2026 · Frisian News · Ljouwert, Fryslân