Many of the Nigerian security forces who have fought Boko Haram and Islamic State-affiliated terrorists struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health challenges long after serving their country on the battlefield.
In the course of duty, some members of the military experience or witness terrible violence that can induce long-term effects such as severe anxiety, intrusive thoughts, flashbacks and nightmares.
Chioma Onyemaobi, lead psychologist for the Abuja-based HumAngle Foundation, recently warned of the often-overlooked psychological and emotional challenges that can come with counterterrorism operations.
“It is a huge psychological burden to fight an insurgency,” she wrote in a January 15 blog post on the foundation’s website. “Soldiers often deal with life-threatening situations, the loss of brothers in arms, the terrors that come with fighting in a war and the enduring effect on their families. These experiences frequently result in mental health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety and substance abuse.”
In February 2024, the Nigerian Defence Headquarters said it set up an unspecified number of PTSD centers to monitor the mental health of Soldiers involved in security operations. The action was taken to address a rise in incidents of Soldiers who had killed colleagues and themselves. The Army said it attributed most of those cases to PTSD.
The Nigerian Army held PTSD sensitization workshops, including one in June 2024 for officers and Soldiers of its Third Division in the town of Rukuba, Plateau state.
“To look at the prevailing incidents of drug and substance abuse as well as PTSD among troops deployed in theatres of operation is quite worrisome,” former Chief of Army Staff Toareed Lagbaja said, according to an article in the Peoples Gazette news website. “Commanders at all levels must continue to come up with innovative measures to upscale their approaches toward reducing battle fatigue, improve man-management and battle readiness.”
Throughout history, mental health challenges and treatments have been stigmatized in military cultures where a warrior mentality is carefully cultivated. Onyemaobi said it can be difficult for Soldiers to seek help.
In addition to destigmatizing mental health issues, she recommended that militaries educate troops during training and before they are deployed, raise awareness throughout the force, and devote more resources such as teleconferencing in order to serve Soldiers when they are in remote locations.
“Tackling the cultural barriers to help-seeking among Nigerian military personnel is not only crucial to their overall health but also vital to the national security of the country,” she wrote. “We will only be able to develop a robust and effective defense [force] by first prioritizing the mental health of those who serve.”
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