Colonel Ismaila Yombe (retd) fought in the Nigerian civil war. He later ventured into politics and served as the immediate past deputy governor of Kebbi State. Thereafter, he went back to what he knows best – flying aircraft and improvising armoured vehicles for troops to fight adversaries. In this interview on Trust TV’s Daily Politics, he shares his experiences, saying he is always a soldier.
How has life been after leaving office as the deputy governor of Kebbi State?
We thank the Almighty Allah for his grace. Life has been as smooth as ever since leaving office. It is like you know you are carrying load on your head, and suddenly, that load is removed off your shoulders. That’s how I feel right now. There is also the satisfaction that I was able to support my governor, Atiku Bagudu, in the best possible way I could in order to execute his mandate to the state. And Alhamdulillah, we completed eight years in peace and harmony.
We have noticed that before or after leaving office, such as the one you held, politicians build mansions in Abuja or Lagos, or even outside the country, why did you decide to remain in Birnin Kebbi after your tenure?
I am a Kebbian, and the eight years I had the privilege of being in Kebbi State gave me the opportunity to visualise the need for me to resettle here. This is specifically as the state and others around have rich farming communities. But we have Quelea birds that really attack farms and render them relatively useless. Before joining politics, addressing the Quelea bird problem was the business I was doing. So I felt it is better to be on the front line rather than being in Abuja or elsewhere as you earlier said.
You are an infantry combatant soldier, so people find it curious that you are flying aircraft, at what level did you venture into that?
Immediately after the civil war, the army muted the idea of creating an aviation that would provide additional support to the infantry, the kind of combat support you require to close combat, to evacuate casualties, provide logistics go around on difficult targets and things like that.
Was this around 1967?
The idea of forming an aviation army was muted in 1970. The army thought strategically that it was best to leave the air force to deal with strategic targets. And the soldiers should be given close combat support by an army aviation that has the same kind of tactical background and learning so that overcoming a specific kind of target was much easier in the sense that the infantry will be supplied with logistics. There will be evacuation of casualties and they will be provided with close combat gun support and that would be more efficient. That was why the idea was muted and I was privileged to be the first to be sent for aviation training.
First, I went to Zaria, joined SP9 and graduated. Thereafter, I went to the United States. I was nominated to go to US Army Aviation Centre, where I learned how to fly combat helicopters. I became a fighter pilot, and thereafter, the rest is history.
The dream of every soldier is to reach the rank of a general, why did you leave the military as a colonel?
There were two reasons. Basically, when the idea of the army aviation was muted and it was shoved away, I felt like fish out of water, after having been trained in the military to the highest level. I received flying certification at the highest level because I used to have an ATP airline transportation pilot licence. But you can imagine that after I had worked that hard and trained as a fighter pilot, I found myself out of it. That was one of the reasons.
The second reason had to do with coups. I said I came into the army to be a soldier, not to be a governor, minister or anything of the sort. But unfortunately, the coups kept happening. The last one that broke the camel’s back was when my roommate in the academy, the late Mshelia, and few others, were shot. And when I looked at the horizon, I thought I had done my best, so let me back out peacefully so that someday, some idiots would not say I was among and then end up in the fire stake. That made me to retire voluntarily.
Does that mean you didn’t have the urge to be a governor; you didn’t want to be part of all the coups and all that?
We were wearing the military uniform and at times it would be funny to be called Your Excellency at that time. I was 100 per cent a soldier and I looked forward to commanding a brigade. And I thank God that he gave me that opportunity to command a brigade. I thank people like General Ibrahim Babangida, who I had the privilege of serving with. He nurtured me to that level. I mean it is not easy to start thinking of becoming a governor rather than hanging in there as an infantry man.
It appears the military spirit is still in you because I remember that in March 2022 you wanted to go and encourage troops fighting bandits in Kebbi State and you were attacked somewhere around Kanya in Danko Local Government, is that correct?
Well, I didn’t look at it as dangerous because I am a military property. I was born in the barracks; so I began soldiering right from my mother’s womb.
If you had the privilege of discussing with General Babangida, the former military president of Nigeria, he would tell you stories about my escapades in the army.
On the Kanya incident, I have always encouraged troops deployed to protect our people against the marauders. Thank God that we repelled them and I am sitting here with you.
After that incident, have you gone out again to meet with troops battling banditry, or you were deterred?
The next day, I was at Makuku, and then three days later, I went to Dansadau in Zamfara to greet the district head. At that time, a lot of people felt going to Dansadau was like trying to commit suicide, but I went there and gave moral support to the soldiers.
What is the motivation behind all these things you are doing? Why do you still have the feeling that you belong to the army?
I told you that what I love is army work. I have always been a soldier. I started shooting Mark 4 at the age of 10 when I joined the Nigeria Military School. And since then, I have been shooting guns and learning how to attack and do all kinds of things a typical soldier does. So it is a part of me.
I told you earlier that I was born in a military barracks, so I will be a solider any day. That’s why as a deputy governor I ventured out to give moral support to the fighting soldiers. I didn’t stop there. Till today, I provide the kind of support I have. I am privileged to be a fighting man.
I have just completed building 25 armoured vehicles I converted. I removed the bodies of Hilux and the chassis, put in 10millimeter iron sheets to protect any fire and gave them to the soldiers. They are being used in the area of defending territorial integrity.
I was surprised when I heard that immediately you left office as deputy governor, you went back to the field, improvising these armoured vehicles. I also saw armoured motorcycles. At what level did you learn all these?
I had the privilege of attending a special course, which had to do with airframes and engines. It is the teaching on airframes I got earlier that I transferred to building the motorcycles and other armoured vehicles. They are structures and you have to have training to do them. So, I transferred the experience and knowledge I had from airframes and engines to do what I am doing.
I even saw you with a soldering machine, fully kitted and welding, where did you get that strength at your age?
I thank the Almighty Allah for everything. I learnt welding from part of the training I received on airframes and engines.
In airframes you have to cut and weld a variety of irons, that’s where the tricks came from. About the strength, I thank God for giving me the health and privilege to be active.
The civil war you fought in the 1960s did not last for too long compared with the Boko Haram insurgency that broke out in 2009, what is the problem?
In my opinion, we have had a series of weaknesses in leadership. As our leaders triy to mend one loophole, suddenly, another one would open. And there is a lot to blame on relationship.
Some people are saying the recruitment process in the military is faulty because only children of emirs, governors, deputy governors and what have you go to the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) for status symbol, and when they come out they have little to offer, is that true?
I don’t agree with you. The truth is that we need to clean up the system of recruitment, not only in the military, but other places. For instance, last week, someone was telling me that you needed to pay N800,000 to be recruited as a policeman. Where is he going to get that kind of money from? And if he was able to get that kind of money, what do you expect him to do after investing it on recruitment?
There is also an allegation that in the army you have to pay N300,000 or N400,000 to be recruited. Now, will a deputy governor or governor, or whoever hand over N800,000 or N300,000 for his son to be recruited? I don’t think any of that happens because I am sure some governors will not allow their children to be soldiers, knowing that they would end up being casualties.
But we see children of emirs going into the military.
The question about selection is an area we have to be serious about. And I will suggest seriously that we will have to turn that around, otherwise we will be recruiting garbage and armed robbers and what have you into our security formations.
Should President Bola Ahmed Tinubu seek your advice on how to address banditry in the North West, what would you tell him?
I will tell him to re-enforce the existing military. We have enough fighting soldiers out there who are retired. We have the capacity and capability to fight. We don’t have to hire anybody from anywhere because we have soldiers who still have the strength and capability of handling weapons although they retired. Why do the Americans have reserves and national guards and such units?
When Vietnamese war started, they recalled those who were in First World War and Second World War to come and assist their regular soldiers in fighting.
I don’t see any reason we cannot look at what we have. When the civil war started, ex-servicemen were called. I had the privilege of commanding a company, a short battalion of ex-servicemen, 135 ex-servicemen. Most of them served with my father. You can imagine commanding my fathers and grandfathers at the age of 19, but because they were instill disciplined, putting them into action was easy.
We read in books while growing up that we also had a reserve list of military men who retired, but it appears we no longer have that; rather, what we have now are disgruntled elements. At what level did we deplete our reserve in Nigeria?
Ex-servicemen are not disgruntled. They are retired but that doesn’t make them not to be combat ready. It is just time.
At Kanya, for example, it was easy for me to get one of the guns and fight back. There are so many people like me who will react in the same way. We have such untapped resources and we are saying we need to recruit; that is not wise.
Call these guys and give them two weeks, polish them and give them the guns and see what will happen. They will bring the level of discipline they were trained with in those days. The young ones who are serving now will look at the difference and be able to pick and emulate the ex-servicemen with the good attitude they are showing.
We have been complaining about equipment but you are improvising armoured carriers and other vehicles that can traverse difficult terrains; do you think that with support, you have the wherewithal to reduce our high expectation of getting some of the arms we need from outside the country?
Yes, the possibility exists. And we have the industry that is doing very well. They have also produced some armoured vehicles, and given the right support, they too will build a lot of marvellous support for the army.
Why is Nigeria obsessed with foreign products?
You are asking the wrong man, I am not going to answer that.
Based on your experience…
It is painful. In reality, we can do these things ourselves, we can find them here. I really don’t want to discuss that because it hurts.
At what time did you get involved in politics?
To be honest with you, I found myself in politics by mistake. I never thought I would be able to fit into that group of gentlemen women, so to speak.
I was told by my emir, General Sani Sami, that some politicians approached him to see if one person could be nominated from his emirate, someone suitable for that and it fell on me.
I was getting ready to go and do my pest control when they called, saying the emir wanted to speak with me. He said the news came that they had selected me to be the deputy governor to Atiku Abubakar Bagudu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
I responded quickly to the emir, saying I was not a politician and didn’t think I would fit in well. He smiled and said I should go ahead and learn. I dared not argue with the emir because we both served in the army and that military discipline was still there. I took it up as an order, and suddenly, I found myself standing on the rostrum saying APC and shaking my hands with the broom.
I can tell you that I didn’t regret it one day. After eight years, I thank the Almighty Allah for giving me the privilege of being part of the APC.
You were a quiet deputy governor who never had issues with the governor in the open, what was the secret? How did you navigate the turbulent relationship seen between most governors and their deputies?
I was guided by the constitutional right of the governor. He would give instructions on what I should do and I would confidently do it. That helped me to remain within the bounds as prescribed by the constitution. And of course, I used my military background of high discipline, resisting anything that would result into some misunderstanding.
So we had no problem whatsoever throughout our service as governor and deputy governor of Kebbi State.
During your eight years as deputy governor, was there any moment you got tired and felt like resigning?
Yes, there was a time I almost did that, but I refused after analysing the prevailing situation. That was when I decided to support the fighting people (soldiers) with some form of transportation that would provide better security than they have now. It immediately played the magic.
Do you believe in the notion that deputy governors are spare tyres because they are at the beck and call of the governors?
That’s the prescription by the constitution, so what do you expect the deputy governor to do? The constitution doesn’t give him any responsibility except at the whims of his principal. So, when any deputy governor thinks, he cannot stand to remain within the bounds of the constitution; that’s where the problem starts.
Would you advise National Assembly lawmakers to introduce constitutional roles for deputy governors?
I will strongly advise that something positive should be placed on record by way of reviewing the constitution to provide specific roles for deputy governors. That’s why you see some deputy governors fight with their principals.
Are you suggesting that they have something like the vice president, who is the head of the National Economic Council, among other responsibilities?
Exactly. The deputy governor should have some responsibilities.
Many people thought Bagudu would anoint or support you to succeed him; did you not show interest in the governorship seat?
Well, that never happened; and I didn’t even push.
Do you feel shortchanged?
No; anything that comes to me is from Allah, anything that doesn’t come to me is what Allah hasn’t given me. So, I know I was not shortchanged in any way.
What is your relationship with the former governor after you left office?
Very cordial; we served in peace and parted in peace. Nothing went wrong during our service, so why now?
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