Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC) Weekly Subject Experts’ Presentation was held at Hall C, TY Buratai Block, and Abuja. There were two presentations made by the Subject Experts covering Nigeria and Eastern Europe
The first presentation was by Brig Gen AK Egwuagu subject expert for Eastern Europe. His presentation focus on how Putin loses entire Brigade as Moscow suffer painful losses in latest battle, On 28 October 2023, the Russian Army suffered over 400 causalities a day in a drive to take the city of Avdiika, in its campaign which relied on small groups of 30-40 men since mid-October, the Ukraine forces have been repelling the Russian onslaught on the frontline in Donetsk and this comes at a time when it was widely reported that Putin’s troops were being executed for retreating from the offensive in the eastern city of Donetsk according to the White House. It is a development that US national security officials believe reflects Russia’s moral problems 20 months into its grinding invasion of Ukraine, arguing that, it is deplorable to think that you would execute your own soldiers because they didn’t want to follow orders and now threatening to execute entire units.
In his analysis and Lessons for Nigeria, Gen AK Egwuagu noted that this idea of executing troops for refusing orders, reflects Russia’s morale problems following her nearly two years of fighting with Ukraine and portrays the Russian forces as barbaric. Nigeria needs to learn from Russia’s mistakes and review her foreign policy towards shying away from war with any country and ensuring good international relationship with other countries while attracting rapid development and growth for her people.
He recommended that Federal Government, the National Assembly and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should review Nigeria’s Foreign Policy in line with current realities of international relations towards peaceful co-existence with other countries, sustainable development, economic growths and never to resort to violent conflicts as a diplomatic status and the Ministry of Defence should never contemplate the execution of troops in battlefield as a punitive measures as was done in Liberia during the ECOMOG Operation.
The second presentation by Brig Gen MF Babayo subject experts on Nigeria. His presentation was centered on how Kaduna community expresses fear over invasion of Ansaru Militants, Acording to the chairman of Birnin Gwari Emirate Progressive Union (BEPU), Ishaq Kasai, Ansaru militants group has been active in neighbouring villages such as Kazage, Unguwar Gwandu, Unguwar Gajere and old Kuyello, the aim of Ansaru militants group is to entice unsuspecting young individuals into joining their ranks, thereby strengthening their numbers and influence within Birnin Gwari LGA of Kaduna State and he stated that the group has manage to lure approximately 50 local youths from old Kuyello villages into their group and has even married 7 girls from the town.
In his analysis and Lessons for Nigeria, Gen MF Babayo noted that these activities are driving up instability in the area and to counteract the group governments need to provide better security and service for the local populations. Subscribing to this, to thwart the group’s activities there is the need for relocation of some military training institutions to the forest as well as establishment of hybrid military formation by Army Headquarters Department of Policy and Plan (AHQ DAPP) while Army Headquarters Department of Army Operations (AHQ DAOPS) to provide operational directives.
He recommended that Federal Ministry of Environment to recruit more National Park Service Personnel as well as reform them by provision of more resources for regulating the use of forest and gathering intelligence on the presence of armed groups which have been neglected for decades and the Office of National Adviser to review Counter Terrorism financing measures supporting security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies with financial intelligence to detect and disrupt terrorist financing.
