In the second part of a two-part analysis, Robert Postings takes an in-depth look at reasons behind the Nigerian military’s apparent problems in dealing with the increasingly violent Islamic State West Africa insurgent group. He focuses exclusively on ISWA, the ISIS-approved Boko Haram faction led by Abu Musab al-Barnawi since the group split in 2016.
ystemic issues within the Nigerian military have contributed to preventing it from effectively combating Islamic State West Africa militants.
The military’s successes in recapturing territory from Boko Haram in 2015 came in spite of its issues, and over time these fundamental problems have come to the fore again. Soldiers have complained about low pay, long deployments and a lack of equipment as key issues.
At the same time, ISWA has employed a new and apparently successful strategy of attacking hard military targets, while at the same time reaching out to civilians.
Insufficient and poor quality equipment
As exemplified by the fighting at Metele in November, one of the most common complaints from Nigerian soldiers in the northeast is the quality of equipment and weapons they are expected to use. Ranging from boots to tanks, Nigerian soldiers often lack what they need, and what equipment they do have is regularly faulty.
One security source told Reuters in September that soldiers “are running out of weapons, ammo and basic equipment.” A corporal in a special forces unit complained they had not received basic equipment such as uniforms, boots or body armor. Another soldier told Deutsche Welle that they have “no helmet, no flak jacket, not enough ammunition.”
There are also problems with more sophisticated equipment. In July, an officer told the Premium Times that armored vehicles and tanks procured by the previous administration had already “broken down” and were in “a state of disrepair.”
Other soldiers have complained of tanks only firing twice, armored personnel carriers running for 10 to 15 minutes before overheating, machine guns jamming, and mortar shells failing to detonate.
What good equipment soldiers have is often captured by ISWA as they overrun bases. Recent propaganda videos and pictures released by ISIS central appear to show tanks and armored vehicles being seized on several occasions.
