A large-scale military effort against bandits in the North West and North Central regions in 2021 was abruptly halted by a decision from the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, according to retired Major-General Danjuma Ali-Keffi.
The former General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division and head of the clandestine Operation Service Wide (OSW) made the revelations, according to Sahara Reporters, in a thorough description of internal power struggles, purported sabotage, and policy decisions that, in his opinion, severely hampered the fight against terrorism and banditry at the time.
According to Ali-Keffi, the heads of the DSS, NIA, Defence Intelligence, and Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit were among the intelligence chiefs who recommended him for the position of Commander of OSW, a specialized inter-agency organization that focuses on terror financing and high-level intelligence.
However, Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai, the Chief of Army Staff at the time, apparently took offense at that procedure.
“Gen Tukur Buratai didn’t hide his annoyance with my appointment as the Commander OSW from the beginning,” Ali-Keffi asserted.
He described a stressful late-night encounter at Buratai’s home in November 2020, just after the National Security Council meeting revealed his selection.
He claimed that at the meeting, Buratai questioned his suitability, insisted that Army Headquarters should handle the assignment instead, and insisted that the Army receive all intelligence collected.
“The Nigerian Army would complete the task without the OSW in 48 hours,” he continued. “I left the Flag House after he dismissed me,” Ali-Keffi stated, expressing concern that the encounter might have been videotaped.
Buratai allegedly reversed course a few days later, providing OSW with funding and logistical help. However, Ali-Keffi declined, believing that tracking devices or booby traps might have compromised the vehicles and other assets.
He said that the purposeful weakening of OSW’s operations began with this internal conflict.
Ali-Keffi additionally asserted that there were reliable intelligence information indicating a plot to frame him on false accusations of treason with the intention of executing him by poisoning or lethal injection following his arrest and detention under the previous regime.
He said that diplomatic action resulted from the OSW alerting a Western ally. “Two weeks into my detention, the US government then sent Anthony Blinken [then-U.S. Secretary of State] to visit Nigeria to warn them not to harm me,” he claimed.
According to Sahara Reporters, the retired general accused senior Buhari government officials of being involved in illicit mining operations and networks connected to kidnappings and banditry in the North West and North Central.
He claimed that because several important officials engaged in illicit mining activities in cooperation with both domestic and foreign private individuals, the former administration was implicated in the banditry.
Large Gains Canceled By 2021 Presidential Order Ali-Keffi proudly described the sweeping operations he oversaw between April and May 2021, during which 1 Division freed over 100 abducted victims and eradicated several bandit strongholds in the states of Niger and Kaduna, including the Alawa Forest.
The Kuyello axis, Birnin Gwari, Kidandan, Fatika, and the vicinity of Kaduna International Airport were among the places where gangs were driven out. These actions relieved strain on the Kaduna–Abuja road and made it possible for the Kaduna–Birnin Gwari–Mokwa highway to reopen.
In order to support 8 Division’s operations in Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara, plans were in place for 1 Division to provide rear protection while 8 Division moved into woodland hideouts.
But the Presidency’s order from 2021 put an end to everything. Although Ali-Keffi stated that his troops complied, both commanders were dismissed prior to the two-week halt that had been agreed upon.
“This operation started in June/July 2021,” he remarked. It should be noted that Gen. Faruk Yahaya had taken over for Gen. Attahiru at this point due to his death.
However, in late July 2021, I received orders from the Presidency to stop all offensive activities in the general area for two weeks. This was because the Fulani leadership had informed the government that they would defeat the various Fulani-derived banditry groups and put an end to their illegal activities because innocent Fulani people were being caught in the crossfire.
“I believed that the government was sincere when it reluctantly stopped the offensive with 8 Division.” I verbally conveyed the order to Maj Gen Usman Yusuf, who was then the GOC 8 Div. But since disobeying instructions from superiors was a serious infraction in the military, I was left with little option.
“However, the GOC 8 Div and I were removed prior to the two-week period expiring.”
According to him, these victories served as the basis for Operation FOREST SHIELD, a joint operation with 8 Division aimed at dismantling bandit groups in areas of Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara.
In a similar vein, he claimed, “the Bandits operating in the North Central and North West zones were on the verge of capitulation in July/August 2021 until the administration gave them a reprieve or lifeline.”
