Jibrin Ndace and ‘Insurgency Horrors’: Three Testaments

One of the biggest horrors Nigeria has had to endure in the last nearly two decades has been the long onslaught of religious fundamentalism, which has turned into full-blown insurgency, as the nefarious terrorist group Boko Haram seeks to impose its own. the theology and lifestyle version – no matter how distorted – about the state.

This has resulted in a brutal and protracted attack on the country for several years, from the Sahelian flank to the Northern regions, causing terrible carnage and instability in the space. These have obviously caused a great internal displacement for many, the evolution of IDP camps defined by human misery and the immersion of the economy of places in this region.

Of course, the Nigerian military has, during this period, responded to the call of duty to protect the sovereignty of the nation’s space, although this has had a significant impact on the loss of men and material in this ongoing counter-insurgency offensive. There is no doubt that the armed forces have shown so much gallantry in their determination to save and maintain the country while the noble possible causes are carried out.

It is this great act of bravery in some of the most dire situations that has inspired prominent journalist Jibrin Baba Ndace to document the experiences of our forces in three new volumes that we will soon release. This trilogy includes the poem collection “The Lonely Grave” and two narratives, “Duty Call Under Buratai’s Command” and “Walking the War Front With Lt. General TY Buratai”. This unfolded a canvas of the brave activities of the Nigerian Armed Forces in the war against Boko Haram/ISWAP.

The books, which will soon be launched in Abuja, can be described as essential reading for all – documentarians, students of history, scholars and citizens in general – are seeking deep insights and pictorial evidence of Nigeria’s counter-insurgency war at some of its most devastating moments.

Written over five years, the books have been a labor of love for Ndace, a former Chief Press Secretary to Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State, who felt the need to document his experience of Nigeria’s counter-insurgency war. For him, “these books were inspired by many veterans who fought in and out of the war zone. The soldiers who sacrificed their lives to serve our great nation, the courage they showed and the consequences of their harrowing experiences.” And, “among the many soldiers and military personnel, Lt. Gen. TY Buratai (retired Nigerian Army Chief between 2015 and 2021) occupies a large part of the narrative. It was a period in which some of the most definitive aspects of counterinsurgency warfare were fully expressed.

Also, as Jibrin Ndace said, this upcoming trilogy offers unexpected experiences revealed through first-hand accounts, poetry, photography and powerful storytelling, witnessing the bravery and sacrifice of soldiers, the brutal realities and toll of combat. that war involves both the human body and the mind.

As a witness of the treasures spread in this trilogy, who happens to be a military officer, he said: “These books, which have taken Jibr more than five years, have taken a lot of sweat, blood and tears. These books are not just stories, but true realities. Not only from his eyes, but also from the experiences of other soldiers”.

Fidelis Nwagwu wrote from Abuja.