Tuesday 13 May 2014

That military training and my experience - Emmanuel Akpan

That military training and my experience  -  Emmanuel Akpan
It is no longer news that I, Comrade Emmanuel Akpan, a practising journalist working with THE INK newspaper was amongst the two journalists selected and sponsored by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Akwa Ibom State Chapter to participate on a joint training in Internal Security and Low Intensity Conflict (IS/LIC) a month ago.

The training which started from 8th April – 3rd May, 2014 took place at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji Military Cantonment, Kaduna State.

The joint training in Internal Security and Low Intensity Conflict (IS/LIC) which was nicknamed Exercise HASKE BIYU, was part of the senior course 36 curriculum of students of Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC) which also involved the participation of Para-military agencies in Nigeria such as: Department of State Service (DSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Prison Service (NPS), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA), Federal Fire Service (FFS), Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).


Also, media practitioners from Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and the Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ) took part in the exercise.
The exercise HASKE BIYU 2014 was designed to broaden the participants’ knowledge and understanding of Counter Revolutionary Warfare (CRW) with emphasis on insurgency and terrorism as well as understanding of the Nature of Internal Security and Low Intensity Conflict (IS/LIC) and stabilization operations.

The training covered the general principles employed by the security agencies in mutual cooperation among themselves and with the appropriate civil authorities in the conduct of IS/LIC. The 25-day training exercise featured lectures, presentations, syndicate discussions, playtes, demonstrations, an indoor telephone battle exercise, a novelty football match, tug of war and other recreational activities.
Papers presented during the lectures were: Nature and Pattern of Incidents which threaten Internal Security in a State, Intelligence Process in Low Intensity Conflict, Sources and Forms of Labour Unrest, Military Assistant to Civil Authority, Training for Counter Terrorism and Counter Insurgency, Operational Task and Roles of the Police in Internal Security and Low Intensity Conflict, Organisation and Roles of the Department of State Service in IS/LIC, Presentation on Cordon and Search Operations, Home Grown Terrorism and National Security Threat.

Others were: The Role of Media in IS/LIC, Organisation and Roles of Nigerian Prison Service in IC/LIC, Organisation and Roles of Nigeria Custom Service in IS/LIC, Organisation and Roles of Nigeria Immigration in IS/LIC, Organisation and Roles of Roles of Nigeria Intelligence Agency in IS/LIC, Organisation and Roles of the National Emergency Agency in IS/LIC, Organisation and Roles of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Command in IS/LIC, Organisation and Roles of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in IS/LIC, Organisation and Roles of Federal Road Safety Corps, Current National Security Challenges in Nigeria and the Way Forward, Media Operation and Public Relations in IS/LIC, the Roles of Nigeria Armed Forces in Countering Terrorism and other Violent Crimes, the Nature of Terrorism, the Challenges of Command in Internal Security Operations, Command and Staff Organisation in a Joint and Multi Agency and Psychological Operation and Internal Security and Low Intensity Conflict.       

The course content included: organization in a joint/multi - agency headquarters, intelligence gathering/processing, information management, principles and handling of political unrest/riots/urban terrorism handling, command and control in crises situations, telephone battle/crises mapping in urban areas, cordon and search/road block operations roles of security agencies in IS/LIC and disaster management. Other enabling objectives were: application of the doctrine for civil-military cooperation in an IS/LIC setting, handing and taking over drills between the military and the police, cooperation and inter-operability among the Nigerian Armed Forces and Para-Military Service, assess the key capability available to the Nigerian Armed Forces and Para-Military Services in countering terrorism and the use of a joint operational doctrine for military and multi-agency operations in Internal Security/Low Intensity Conflict setting.

The scenario presented during the exercise was a subversive campaign of social unrest, protest, riot, kidnappings, arson and terrorism. The exercise particularly emphasized on the need for the military and other security agencies to understand the capabilities and limitations of each other while considering how best to use available resources jointly to deal with a given IS/LIC situation. In particular, the training offered the participating organizations the opportunity to experience the peculiar environment in which the security agencies operate during an emergency.

The exercise HASKE BIYU 2014 consisted of 5 modules apart from the opening and closing formalities. Module 1 contained series of lectures and presentations on selected topics to provide the participants with foundational knowledge on internal security environment. Another round of lectures was packaged under module 2 which afforded the participants the understanding roles of each of the participating agencies in internal security situations. Module 3 was made up of presentations and discussion on the operational experiences between the Nigerian Army and other security agencies in some contemporary internal security operations.

Module 4 appraised the participants with the international and local efforts countering terrorism with a view to drawing lessons and identifying how they could be applied in internal security environment while module 5 was the sole module. Weeks 2 and 3 encompassed students case study presentations, campaign planning and execution, demonstrations, field activities and telephone battle exercise.
Appropriate accommodation was provided within the cantonment for all participants who came from outside Jaji, while participants were fed throughout the duration of the exercise.

Declaring the exercise open, the Commandant, Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Air vice Marshall, John Ifemeje said the exercise was organised to form a synergy between the military and other security agencies in the country especially now that the nation is faced with terrorism and other security challenges. He charged the participants during the closing ceremony to put to use the knowledge gained during the exercise saying, it will go a long way to help tackle security problem in Nigeria.
Let me use this medium to express my appreciation to the federated chapel which I am a member, for their support during the training and to my chapel chairman in particular, Mr. Emmanuel  Effiong whose  recommendation got me nominated  by the State working committee of the Nigeria Union of Journalists to participate in the exercise.

I also thank the State chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalist, Elder Patrick Albert whose fatherly love, approved my name to be among the two lucky journalists selected across the federation to participate in the exercise HASKE BIYU 2014. Finally, let me also use this opportunity to thank my well wishers who were always there to wish me well during the hard training/course in a strange land. Thank you and God bless.

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