Nigerian Army and the situation after the Mercenary Consulting

The crisis on ISIS-affiliated groups started when the RAM capability of Mercenarism stroke over them, but politically, the Nigerian government couldn't maintain the strategy on persecution and killing, maintaining a bloodshed, that gave the time to Boko Haram regroup, re-structure and change its tactics. 

Eeben Barlow analysed the situation on a waste of energy, resources, financial and natural, also the social impact on villages for they cannot finish the constant target attacks in military bases and civilian assault, plundering, kidnaping, sexual explotation of girls and murdering for spreading terror.

The mercenary capability goes beyond the financial resources for keep a long range warfare with an irregular group that promotes constantly recruitment of foreigners and other mercenaries with no religious ideology exactly.

If the strategy is poor, the innocents die. If you have gaps, the mission can fail. So, if you don't have resources to maintain a long range conflict, they should act bloodshed and faster. But Nigerian army did it well at the begining, being oriented by STTEP and the visionary Barlow's capability, but they lost their strategy as teh resources from the government ended.

They can anticipate the new tactics of survavalism and 'hit and run' and use the legislation on mercenary contracts and counter-terror to mitigate the situation.

At this gap, many soldiers died by the Boko Haram's hands and they keep on attack at military bases with coordinated forms and repeateadly, causing difficulty on the defense, before the restructure of the military bases, the attacks repeat till the defenses get all broke, than the plunder of new military resources are usurped and the group can re-organize with better fire power.

Group gains geographical projection constantly. The dynamic tactics of terrorists is a difficult paradigm to be broken by regular forces when the political decisions are influencing directly the strategy and tactics at the scenario of conflict.

The tactic was hijacked by government prerrogative on hire and fire wasn't updated as the president preferred to use military tactics and legal warfare methoods. For what miltiary personal was trained to do, with patrol and political presence.

Barlow affirmed: Do it poorly, and they die - and the innocent and defenceless suffer.

After mercenary activities the terrorist group increased and the intelligence of Nigerian Deffence couldn't update the new level strategy of the group. The group rearmed and escalated their activities, with regional spill-over impacting directly on the armed forces. Situation is that Armed Forces are tied to government decisions, and if they fail, is because political decisions are ongoing for bureaucratic decisions, not exactly focused on social or security stabliation, but for political status.

Mercenary leader accuses Nigeria of squandering gains against Boko Haram made with his help

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/11/26/mercenary-leader-accuses-nigeria-squandering-gains-against-boko/

South African mercenary who helped the Nigerian army recapture huge amounts of territory from Boko Haram insurgents has accused the country's government of squandering the gains it made with his help.

Colonel Eeben Barlow, a veteran commander in the apartheid-era South African Defence Forces, led a team of mercenaries who secretly trained up an elite Nigerian strike force back in 2015.

Hired by then President Goodluck Jonathan in the wake of the Chibok schoolgirl abduction, the mercenaries were credited with driving Boko Haram out of most of their strongholds in north-east Nigeria.

But after just three months, their contract was cancelled by incoming President Muhammadu Buhari, a former general, who told The Telegraph at the time that the Nigerian army should be able to do the job alone.

Col Barlow has now broken his silence to accuse Mr Buhari of needlessly prolonging the war by dispensing with the mercenaries' expertise. In a posting on Facebook, he said: "It is sad that the President preferred defeat above victory, as soldiers can only do what they are trained, equipped, and led to do.

"Do it poorly, and they die."

He added: "Many of the men we trained... have remained in contact with us, pleading for our return to Nigeria. They have also told us that they have been used to a point of exhaustion."

While Col Barlow's comments could be seen as "sour grapes" at losing his contract, they echo wider concerns that Boko Haram is now regaining strength.

Kidnappings and killings have continued on a large scale, despite Mr Buhari's claim last New Year to have crushed the group in their "last enclave" in Nigeria's Sambisa Forest. An Isis-alled Boko Haram faction has also mounted 17 attacks on army bases this year, with up to 100 soldiers reported in one assault in the remote desert town of Metele on November 18.

Col Barlow added: "Raids on villages and the slaughter and kidnapping of the innocent and defenceless has continued—and in some instances intensified—under the reign of the President Buhari’s government."

He said that back in 2015, his firm had warned the Nigerian government that unless the strike force was allowed to decisively "annihilate" Boko Haram, the group would spread  into neighbouring Chad, Niger, and Cameroon, where it has since become well-established.

"These intelligence warnings were all rejected in favour of a false belief. Neighbouring countries were advised not to listen to us as it was claimed to be a cheap attempt to ‘get a contract’," he added.

Col Barlow was a founder of Executive Outcomes, a private military company made up of many ex-members of South Africa's security forces. One of the first modern "private armies", in 1995 it successfully helped the government of Sierra Leone defend itself against the rebels of the Revolutionary United Front, notorious for chopping off the arms of their enemies.

His new company, known as Specialized Tasks, Training, Equipment and Protection, is thought to have sent around 100 men to Nigeria. 

South African mercenary speaks out after Boko Haram bloodshed

https://www.news24.com/Africa/News/south-african-mercenary-speaks-out-after-boko-haram-bloodshed-20181126

A South African mercenary who fought Boko Haram jihadists in Nigeria spoke out on Sunday against President Muhammadu Buhari's handling of the Islamist insurgency, blaming "poor political decisions" for an upsurge in violence.

In a statement posted to Facebook on Sunday, Eeben Barlow criticised Buhari for claiming that Boko Haram is "technically defeated" and said the jihadists are "causing numerous casualties and capturing massive amounts of equipment and ammunition".

The former South African Defence Force commander said that Buhari's government cut short his contract after his company STTEP - which stands for Specialised Tasks, Training, Equipment and Protection - helped reclaim swathes of territory back from Boko Haram at the peak of the nine-year Islamist insurgency in 2015.

"Pressure forced only a small part of the campaign to be successfully implemented before we were ordered to pack up and leave," Barlow said.

False native

"Many of the men we trained as part of 72 Mobile Strike Force have remained in contact with us (STTEP), pleading for our return to Nigeria," he said.

"They have also told us that they have been used to a point of exhaustion."

Despite Buhari's government saying that Boko Haram is close to defeat, the jihadists have led a number of assaults against the military in recent months, highlighting their continued threat to Nigeria and the wider Lake Chad region.

"Northeastern Nigeria is an example of what can happen when intelligence is rejected in favour of a false narrative," Barlow said.

"Don't blame the armed forces when poor political decisions result in the deaths of people."

Barlow's statement comes after troops fighting on the frontlines of the conflict released a video claiming at least 100 soldiers died in a recent attack on a base in Metele.

It underscored growing desperation among troops, who in June protested at being redeployed to the remote Lake Chad region after fighting for years without relief.

The Nigerian military broke its silence late on Friday evening to confirm that the Metele base had been attacked on November 18, but did not give a death toll.

AFP has reported at least 17 attempts to overrun army bases since July.

Many have been claimed by the ISIS-affiliated Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a faction of Boko Haram.

More than 27 000 people are thought to have been killed in the Islamist insurgency that has triggered a humanitarian crisis and left 1.8 million people without homes.

Eeben Barlow and the 72 Mobile Strike Force: How the Defeat of Boko Haram Was Hijacked
https://www.sofmag.com/eeben-barlow-and-the-72-mobile-strike-force-how-the-defeat-of-boko-haram-was-hijacked/

THE ONGOING CONFLICT IN NORTH-EASTERN NIGERIA

by Eeben Barlow text photos

The recent spate of Boko Haram attacks in northeastern Nigeria have negated President Buhari’s claims when he assumed power in 2015 that the radical Islamist group (many being thugs who have hijacked the religion of Islam for their own purposes) had been ‘technically defeated’. His narrative that Boko Haram was ‘technically defeated’ was false as soon as he uttered those words.
There is, in a purely military sense, no such thing as a ‘technical defeat’—something the President, as an ex-military man ought to know. Sadly, he also chose to make the successes of 7 Infantry Division and 72 Mobile Strike Force (MSF) his own, when it wasn’t.

President Buhari and his team were, however, part of the political leader group that led the vocal charge about STTEP’s presence in Nigeria, making it a burning political issue even before they assumed office. Indeed, they made it known that the company’s presence would not be tolerated under his office.

The initial 3-phase campaign strategy (known as ‘Operational Anvil’) to degrade and destroy BH in Borno State, was rejected by his advisors. Instead, pressure forced only a small part of the campaign to be successfully implemented before we were ordered to pack up and leave.

They were, however, quite happy to allow the armed forces to receive both substandard training and the incorrect equipment provided by both foreign governments and their PMCs—along with the worst possible ‘military advice’. When this approach failed, the military could be blamed for any lack of success.

Whereas it remains a government’s prerogative to ‘hire-and-fire’ who they so wish, it is sad that the President preferred defeat above victory, as soldiers can only do what they are trained, equipped, and led to do.
Do it poorly, and they die—and the innocent and defenceless suffer.

Many of the men we trained as part of 72 Mobile Strike Force have remained in contact with us (STTEP), pleading for our return to Nigeria. They have also told us that they have been used to a point of exhaustion. But, rumours also bubble beneath the surface that President Buhari viewed Boko Haram as an instrument that could reduce the force and standing of the military and thereby protect him from a possible coup d’état.

Over the past few weeks, Boko Haram have executed numerous attacks on the Nigerian Army, causing numerous casualties and capturing massive amounts of equipment and ammunition. Raids on villages and the slaughter and kidnapping of the innocent and defenceless has continued—and in some instances intensified—under the reign of the President Buhari’s government. Sadly, the government has yet to issue a statement informing its citizens of what is really happening—and how a ‘technically defeated’ enemy can be so effective.

As Boko Haram’s activities and actions increased, so too did the silence about the increasing problems in Nigeria’s Borno State. Prior to, and following our departure from Nigeria, we issued numerous intelligence warnings to his government. These warnings covered the implications of not allowing the 72 MSF to annihilate BH in Borno province; the plans by Boko Haram to rearm and escalate their activities; the implications of regional spill-over, the impact on the armed forces; and so forth. These intelligence warnings were all rejected in favour of a false belief. Neighbouring countries were advised not to listen to us as it was claimed to be a cheap attempt to ‘get a contract’. Chad, Cameroon and Niger are now also reaping the benefits of rejecting intelligence in favour of an agenda-driven narrative aimed at destabilising an entire region—a region where Nigeria remains a prime target.
The reality is that these forces can be defeated. But victory requires more than a few soundbytes. Soundbytes do not—and never have—resulted in victory over an enemy.
Ultimately, the innocent suffer and soldiers die, and every tactical victory Boko Haram achieves merely incentivises them to continue. This also gives impetus to the plans and actions of other radical terror groups across the continent.

North-eastern Nigeria is an example of what can happen when intelligence is rejected in favour of a false narrative.
Don’t blame the armed forces when poor political decisions result in the deaths of people.



Boko Haram kills 100 Nigerian soldiers: Buhari blamed for poor political decisions

https://thisisafrica.me/boko-haram-kills-100-nigeria-soldiers/

By Socrates Mbamalu on November 26, 2018 — 100 Nigerian soldiers were killed by Boko Haram in an attack that shocked Nigeria and the world. Eeben Barlow, a South African mercenary who has fought against Boko Haram has blamed President Buhari for making poor political decisions. In a Facebook post Barlow said Buhari claims that Boko Haram ‘technically defeated’ was false.

On May 29, 2015 Nigerians were hopeful that a former military general, Muhammadu Buhari, now a reformed ‘democrat’ would succeed where his predecessor Goodluck Ebele Jonathan had failed. The fight against Boko Haram, tackling corruption, and growing the economy were high on citizens’ priority list of issues which needed attention. So far, President Buhari has failed woefully. In his swearing in speech President Buhari said, “The command centre will be relocated to Maiduguri and remain until Boko Haram is completely subdued.” Boko Haram has not been subdued, neither has it been “technically defeated”. In recent news, more than 100 Nigerian soldiers lost their lives to Boko Haram in what is now called the Metele attacks.

South African mercenary Eeben Barlow, the chairman of Specialised Tasks, Training, Equipment and Protection (STTEP) International, a privately-owned military, intelligence and law enforcement training and advisory company said on Facebook in a post titled ‘The Ongoing Conflict in North-Eastern Nigeria’: “The recent spate of Boko Haram attacks in northeastern Nigeria have negated President Buhari’s claims when he assumed power in 2015 that the radical Islamist group (many being thugs who have hijacked the religion of Islam for their own purposes) had been ‘technically defeated’. His narrative that Boko Haram was ‘technically defeated’ was false as soon as he uttered those words”.

“There is, in a purely military sense, no such thing as a ‘technical defeat’—something the President, as an ex-military man ought to know. Sadly, he also chose to make the successes of 7 Infantry Division and 72 Mobile Strike Force (MSF) his own, when it wasn’t,” the post reads.

In the post Barlow further writes, “President Buhari and his team were, however, part of the political leader group that led the vocal charge about STTEP’s presence in Nigeria, making it a burning political issue even before they assumed office. Indeed, they made it known that the company’s presence would not be tolerated under his office.

When our heroic soldiers go out to fight Boko Haram, they are not thinking APC or PDP. They are putting their lives on the line to protect everyone, regardless of political leaning. They need the support of everyone, in and out of govt, from the President to ordinary Nigerians.

— Dr. Joe Abah (@DrJoeAbah) November 24, 2018

The initial 3-phase campaign strategy (known as ‘Operational Anvil’) to degrade and destroy BH in Borno State, was rejected by his advisors. Instead, pressure forced only a small part of the campaign to be successfully implemented before we were ordered to pack up and leave.

They were, however, quite happy to allow the armed forces to receive both substandard training and the incorrect equipment provided by both foreign governments and their PMCs—along with the worst possible ‘military advice’. When this approach failed, the military could be blamed for any lack of success.”

Boko Haram attack on the army base in Maitele where over 100 soldiers were reportedly killed is not the worse attack this year. On July 14 over 200 soldiers were slaughtered in Jili during an attack on the military base there.

Due to poor reporting that incident didn't go viral

— Nicholas Ibekwe (@nicholasibekwe) November 24, 2018

Barlow further explained how the military had been used to the point of exhaustion. During the week, a video surfaced online of Nigerian soldiers complaining of how they were being killed by Boko Haram. The soldiers lamented about the lack of sophisticated weapons to fight the terrorist group. In one of the videos, a soldier showed a 1983 Czechoslovakia armour tanker which they used to fight Boko Haram. Despite President Buhari signing the release of $1bn in April 2018, to procure more weapons to fight Boko Haram, for the Nigerian soldier fighting violent extremism the battle remains difficult.

Barlow said, “The reality is that these forces can be defeated. But victory requires more than a few soundbytes. Soundbytes do not—and never have—resulted in victory over an enemy.

Ultimately, the innocent suffer and soldiers die, and every tactical victory Boko Haram achieves merely incentivises them to continue. This also gives impetus to the plans and actions of other radical terror groups across the continent.

North-eastern Nigeria is an example of what can happen when intelligence is rejected in favour of a false narrative.

Don’t blame the armed forces when poor political decisions result in the deaths of people.”