This Uncommon Gallantry – Matters Arising

By Dele Olaitan

In the first week of this month, the social media was agog with a quite interesting news. It was about the bold and courageous experience of a Nigerian Army officer. The cheering news was relayed in the form of an Army Signal reporting the encounter of an officer with kidnappers. The named officer was reported to be traveling in his car in company of his dog. He left from 29 Battalion in Port Harcourt and was heading to his new unit in the North East. He reportedly encountered the kidnappers on EKPOMA – OKENE – LOKOJA road. The report had it that the officer, alongside others, was kidnapped by armed men. However, he bravely engaged the kidnappers, successfully disarmed one of them and ultimately overpowered and arrested them. He thereby gallantly freed himself and rescued other kidnapped victims while the kidnappers and their arms were handed over to the Police.

What a bold, courageous and uncommon gallant episode. Nigerians were all over themselves to shower accolades, encomiums and appreciation on the named Captain. All forms of rewards including the award of national honours were suggested in appreciation of this gallant performance. In all this, certain facts are quite distinctly discernable and observable. These facts are thus the main subjects of this write up.

In the first instance, it is quite apparent that Nigerian military personnel are performing positively well. In spite of very daunting challenges on daily basis in the course of their duties, they do prove their mettle oftentimes both as individuals and a collective. This reported case and many others like it has affirmed this. Otherwise, the entire nation might have been overwhelmed and totally subdued by unpatriotic elements profiting from crime and insecurity. Though their efforts may seem not enough in the main, so far, they nonetheless deserve the appreciation of well meaning, patriotic citizens and governments.

Secondly, this reported incident of gallantry attracted spontaneous approval and appreciation across boards. There were nothing like political, religious and tribal or ethnic sentiments in the accompanying dialogues. Nigerians were one in their heart felt appreciation of what is desirable and good. Thus, nobody could ascribe the act of gallantry to one political party or the other. Neither also could it not be tagged with any religious nor ethnic coloration. All comments and dialogues simply orchestrated a united Nigeria firmly denouncing criminality and joyously applauded the gallantry and selflessness of the officer involved. Nigerians displayed the human nature in them like in all other humans by acknowledging goodness, cherished selflessness and showed solidarity with excellent performance.

Thirdly, this episode clearly indicate that luck has some place in the affairs of man. In other words, providence do alter the circumstances of our sojourns and endeavors as humans. As such, inexplicable forces do intricately interplay to influence happenings to give either good or bad endings or results. That is perhaps why an adage says “Every day is for the thief while one day is for the owner”. Napoleon Bonaparte was lucky everywhere until he met Wellington in Waterloo in June, 1815. This explicitly meant that the officer in question was indeed lucky. Many must have done what he did (and more perhaps) in same circumstances but ended in failure. Those who plied that axis of the highway that day but did not encounter same experience were luckier. But the luckiest would have been travelers who won’t have any cause to harbor fears, misgivings and trepidations while on Nigerian highways. And this exactly is the crux of the entire issue.

Is it too much to envision travelling safely from point A to point B in the country? Must one constantly be apprehensive of mishaps and misadventures while on road or railway journeys in the country? Is it possible for everyone to be lucky as the gallant officer reported in the Army Signal? Is it not far better to make Nigerians luckiest people by making our roads and railways safer? This is possible and is the desirable ultimate. Though reports of chivalry and gallantry have useful purposes, the collateral damages usually involved is staggering and unquantifiable. What is more important is reducing the circumstances requiring extra efforts of gallantry to the barest minimum. It is not overthinking that travelers in Nigeria be allowed to breathe and enjoy peaceful journeys on the highways. Prevention is always and usually far better, cheaper, cost effective and ultimately more desirable than cure. This should be our goal. Not over stretching and over tasking our military forces. This preventive measure is more of politics and governance than military maneuvers.

Fourth and finally, it is pertinent to closely examine what could make one lucky in circumstances as dire as in a kidnapping case. In the first place, to be lucky means to have or secure favorable end or result in any undertaking ordinarily seen as dangerous and unpredictable or unlikely. Secondly, luck is more of providence enhanced than of ability, capability and capacity. Several instances of human endeavors and experiences have shown that luck is in a realm of its own and has little or nothing to do with personal acumen or dexterity. Luck is in the spiritual or supernatural realm. It can thus be inexplicable most times. But what is certain is that luck can be attracted, manufactured and invented. Luck is when forces of nature converge and interplay to favor one. Hence, not everyone can be lucky and nobody can be always lucky. Luck is an element provided by Provident and depends on same. Thus there must be principles and conditions governing its existence.

On the whole however, it must be noted that only gallants that live to tell the story can be called lucky. Unlucky ones are those celebrated as fallen heroes despite their bravery, gallantry and valor when and where it mattered. Nigerian military top brass should, as a matter of policy, urgently institute a school of thought to examine and brainstorm the possibility of including LUCK element as a principle of war and object of strategy. And we should all understand luck to be in the realm of supernatural in this aspect. Those who know (like the officer reported in the Army Signal mentioned here) would understand and comprehend. We cannot and must not continue to deceive ourselves by hiding behind a finger. After all, we are Africans and remain Africans despite all pretenses otherwise. And fortunately, the motto of the Nigerian Army deeply and solemnly affirms this. It says in a prophetic way “Victory comes from Allah alone”. Or does it not?

Major Dele Olaitan (rtd) lives in Shao near Ilorin