Lagos, Nigeria – Na so President Bola Tinubu take shake things up for military side last Friday, as him replace top security officers. This gbe-gbe no be small thing, because e happen just after plenty noise about one alleged coup plot wey don waka enter town like fire. Na dem military officers wey arrest about 16 for September wey dey give people headache, including brigadier general and colonel. A step wey many eye-dey-watch with suspicion.
“I don approve changes for di hierarchy of our armed forces to strengthen Nigeria’s national security architecture,” na wetin Tinubu talk straight to di point. Dem dey expecting plenty changes for di military side, and as dem dey talk am, Tinubu don fire three top security officials: Christopher Musa, di chief of defence staff; Emmanuel Ogalla, di chief of naval staff; and Hassan Abubakar, di chief of air staff. Dis na serious matter oo!
Di former chief of army staff, Olufemi Oluyede, don land di chief of defence staff position. Shaibu, I Abbas, and SK Aneke don also collect major posts as chiefs of army, air force, and naval staff. De president don charge dem to improve “di professionalism, vigilance and comradeship wey dey define di Armed Forces of Nigeria.” (No be small task. E no go easy o!)
E get as di military on Saturday deny say dem no dey plan coup, but local media and some analysts no carry that story. Confidence MacHarry wey be security analyst for Lagos talk say dis kind military leadership reshuffle dey common for Nigeria. But wetin hin dey tried say na say di military never really batch dem own denial well. Dis shake-up fit be strategy to cool di hot tempers of coup plotters wey dey yarn say dem dey suffer career stagnation, or maybe punishment for di military chiefs wey no fit improve security.
Abeg, e no stop here! Listen well, as Abuja dey shake with protests dis week while police dey release tear gas and arrest people wey protest for di release of Nnamdi Kanu, di leader of di Biafra separatist group. E be like di country dey dance to one serious gbedu, because armed groups dey waka amok full ground. Boko Haram don resurface like say dem no wan go anywhere, wey dem don dey terror for di north since 2009, plus di bandits wey dey kidnap people for ransom join body. Na wah!
Earlier dis year, di U.S. government don approve $346 million for arms to help Nigeria fight di insurgency and all dis wahala. E be like na military take over dey change di tune tom morn – Senator Iroegbu bin talk say we fit still dey see more changes for di military front. No forget say in di last three years, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger don experience military takeover too, so e no too surprising say fear dey enter body for wetin fit happen next.
As dem dey watch wetin dey happen, opposition parties don start to talk say di government need to make am clear wetin dey really happen. Dem want transparency for di coup matter wey dey waka about. Na so dem don push for dem to open up, especially as some influential politicians dey rumour wey dey surround di coup plot. Dis whole thing dey bring plenty questions wey dey echo inside di air, as di authority dey scramble for control. Wetin go happen next, na only time go tell!
Do you have a news tip for NNN? Please email us at editor@nnn.ng
