In the early hours of 23 March 2020, Boko Haram insurgents launched a surprise attack on a Chadian army base, in Boma, in the Lake Chad region, killing over 90 soldiers, destroying military hardware, and stealing weapons in the process.

Later in the evening of the same day, the insurgents attacked a military convoy travelling for an offensive against Boko Haram, in Goneri village, killing around 70 soldiers, injuring some, and taking some others hostage.

While these two attacks were similar in terms of human and material losses, the responses by the two militaries have been anything but similar. The response of Chad has been emphatic, reassuring to the general Chadian populace, and motivating to troops; but devastating to Boko Haram. And the response of Nigeria? Well, we wait with bated breath. But let’s pray it’s not propaganda.

Boko Haram will forever wish they had not carried out the recent attack against Chadian forces due to the calamitous consequences that have followed. The initial phase of the lethal response (Operation Boma’s Wrath), which was carried out barely a week after the Boko Haram attack, was personally supervised by their president, Idris Deby, a well-trained, battle-tested war veteran. He called it the worst attack ever on their military, vowed to crush Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region—and matched words with action.

You only need to look at released pictures and videos of their offensive against Boko Haram to know why the Chadian military is regarded as the best in the Sahel: ransacked Boko Haram strongholds and hideouts, large caches of recovered arms and ammunition, death or capture of Boko Haram fighters, and a captured Boko Haram commander to cap it all. This offensive has left the usually boisterous Shekau, Boko Haram leader, sounding sober in his recent audio release.

The initial counter-response by Chad was a quick, decisive and ruthless offensive devoid of ethno-political and -religious bickering, administrative red tape, corruption, leadership ineptitude, inadequate military hardware and intelligence, low troop morale, all malaises that have characterised our handling of the Boko Haram issue.

There was no press release/conference by the Chadians downplaying or denying the incident, or highlighting the supposed weakness of Boko Haram, or one talking about how they are a “degraded” or “technically defeated” outfit that can only attack soft targets.

The Chadians didn’t wait forever to “study the situation,” or set up a “fact-finding committee,” as Nigerians officials are wont to do. Again, this was just one quick, daring sucker punch on Boko Haram with clear and decisive results.

They have not stopped with just one counterattack; they continue to rout jaded and Boko Haram insurgents in their strongholds, even on Nigerian territories. A sad reminder of where we are military.

This recent “uppercut” delivered by intrepid Chadian forces has provided the perfect foil for the deficiencies of the Nigerian armed forces and its leadership. Despite years of attacks, battles, skirmishes, we continue to show we lack the institutional memory, experience, and tactical nous needed to send Boko Haram militarily into the dustbin of insurgency history. Instead, we now have a military that is known more for its “tactical manoeuvres” than tactical offensives.

We continue to wage a never-ending war against Boko Haram with no definite, decisive end in sight. Rather, events of the past years have only solidified the thinking that Boko Haram is here to stay as a part of our national lives and staple on our yearly budget.

How has the Chadian military, which is much smaller in inventory and personnel (about 30,000), been so effective against Boko Haram for a long time while we continue to flounder in this attrition warfare? How and why has our military become a defensive one?

How many times are we going to witness more deadly attacks against our forces, only for them to mount feeble and cautious counterattacks? How many more times are we going to watch them sack our barracks, garrisons, military formations, or lay deadly ambushes? How many more times are we going to continue hearing trite propaganda terms like “degraded”, “technically defeated,” “chasing after remnants of Boko Haram?” How much longer do we have to put up with glaring leadership and operational deficiencies of the Nigerian armed forces?

Apart from exposing our frailties, this Chadian offensive shows that Boko Haram is not invincible and invisible. They do not live in thin air; they have strongholds and hideouts where they stay, sleep, and plan attacks, and these places can and should be destroyed if we want to put a decisive end, at least militarily, to this protracted, skirmish-filled, hit-me-I-you, hide-and-seek war against Boko Haram.

This is a time for sober reflection for all and sundry, especially those directly involved in military operations against Boko Haram, including the head honcho himself President Mohammadu Buhari. While I am not expecting Buhari to ditch his babaringa for military fatigues, he and his war commanders at all levels need to see this Chadian offensive for what is, a humbling experience that provides vital lessons moving forward.


This article was first published on Opera News Hub; It is reproduced here with little modifications
The writer of this article can be reached at tunzmails@gmail.com[b][/b]

CC Lalasticlala Seun Ishilove Mynd44 Dominique MissyB3 Fynestboi

Ok

The initial counter-response by Chad was a quick, decisive and ruthless offensive devoid of ethno-political /religious bickering, administrative red tape, corruption, leadership ineptitude, inadequate military hardware and intelligence, low troop morale, all malaises that have characterised our handling of the Boko Haram issue.

Nigerian government is simply in love & league with BH.
A terrorist can never fight terrorism.

Bokoharam has infiltrated the Nigeria military. That's why so long as our soldiers are pretending to fight Bokoharam, nothing would happen. Bokoharam would still be having meetings under mango trees in borno openly.

The chadians soldiers have made up there mind to wipe out Bokoharam and they would do it as long as they don't team up with Nigeria soldiers cos Nigeria soldiers work hand in hand with Bokoharam.

This one chief of army staff has gone to borno now, to form he wants to wipe out Bokoharam, na now he wake up? Why now? Cos either he wants to claim glory cos he can see Bokoharam would soon be history or he wants to team up with Bokoharam to fight the chadians while pretending he is helping the chadians...

Moda4kas

Ok