America was lucky

His life must have flashed before his eyes in that split second. It took three shots for Donald Trump to duck all by himself before a swarm of Secret Service agents dived to shield him. Everyone was bewildered. You could see the shock on faces. I watched the clip and wondered what happened. The attempt was successful, and the former president was hurt. But not fatal. There was a security breach somewhere. The Secret Service agents responded adequately. But there are many unanswered questions in trailing how things went wrong. Trust me, it is a complicated world for security agents. It is not as easy as spreading butter on bread.

After watching the video clip, you would agree that Donald Trump was gone, but America was lucky. It would have been a catastrophic episode that America might not recover from for a long time. There would be several explanations from conspiracy theorists. It was apparent that something went wrong, and a 20-year-old crept onto the rooftop of a building less than 100 meters from where the former president delivered a speech. He fired off four shots before he was neutralised by superior force.

I can’t imagine what the narrative would have been like. Where would fingers point? Some elements within the Democrats? Or some foreign interest against a Trump presidency? These and many more would have been on the table of the conspiracy theorists until they found a headway. But before then, America would undergo political tension that would shake it to its very foundation, and much water would pass under the bridge.

I have always admired the American security architecture. It is assumed to be the world’s most organised and effective security system. It is everything we wish for in Nigeria. But this event unveils another dimension to security and how complicated it could be in implementation. A lot goes into a successful state outing by a political figure. As in this case, people only get to know some of these complications when things go wrong.

I like to use Nigeria as an example. Only a few know what goes on within the country’s security architecture. We only get an idea when there is a case of kidnapping or a terrorist attack. For the president to attend a state function outside the Presidential Villa and return safely requires a lot of activities and effort. For the Abuja-Kaduna Highway to be safe for commuters also costs a lot of effort and activities. There are many more examples. But unfortunately, our security chaps are never appreciated. Nigerians have deactivated the button for appreciation for the efforts of our security agents from their list of actions. I stand to be corrected.

When was the last time you read or heard Nigerians openly commended our security agents? For example, the Boko Haram insurgency in North East Nigeria had raged for 15 years. The Nigerian military had been involved in counterinsurgency operations. There was never a time when Nigerians were united in commending the officers and soldiers who have risked their lives, some fortunate to be alive and others unfortunate to pay the price in service to the country. The case of the late Lt. Col. Abu Ali comes to mind. The late officer was a gallant soldier whose efforts in the fight against Boko Haram insurgents were legendary as a Tank commander. He commanded the Army’s 272 Tank Battalion. A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. He was named Boko Haram’s nemesis because of his heroic exploits. He led his tank battalion to recapture key towns taken over by the Boko Haram insurgents. He led several tank manoeuvres, earning him the Chief of Army Staff commendation and accelerated promotion from Major to Lieutenant Colonel.

In the recent history of the Nigerian military, he remains the only officer promoted at the battlefront. His decoration was also held at the battlefront. Yes, he was such a gallant soldier. Unfortunately, he was killed in an ambush in Malam Fatori, Borno State, in 2016, leaving behind a young family. He was only mourned by the military and not the country. There were no candlelight gatherings in Lagos, Abuja, or anywhere in his honour. This applies to many other gallant soldiers who paid the price for loyalty and service to the country.

I can’t count the number of candlelight processions witnessed in the country if a thespian dies. This is a fair practice, I guess, because our security agents are not humans, and they don’t have families and relatives. Yet, we expect so much from them. Not many know what it means to hold a rifle facing adversaries with a volley of bullets coming from different directions. Please trust me when I say the security business is challenging and complicated. The assassination attempt of former president Trump serves as a good example. Anything can go wrong, and not enough to castigate and call for their head.

Back to Nigeria. Our security agents deserve some commendation. Let’s do away with the constant bashing when things go wrong. They are humans too and not immune from human error on one or two occasions, as in the case of the assassination attempt on the former president of the United States of America. They work around the clock, and every tick is different. That’s how complicated it can be. Logic can’t be applied in all situations in this business. For example, you can’t use logic in asymmetric warfare. It is tantamount to suicide. The Nigerian military suffered casualties at the onset of the Boko Haram insurgency because they approached the war through conventional means until reality dawned and progress was made.

America was lucky, and the world was luckier. Otherwise, the story around the world would have been different. World peace would have been shattered, and there would have been consequences.

Ocheja, a military historian and doctoral researcher, is an alumnus of the Nigerian Defence Academy.