IN no time they brought back the sad and nauseating agonies of the past, the fear, the despair, the nightmare, the dark cloud of silence and uncertainties are here again. Knock, knock and knock, the demons of destruction and agents of darkness have once more murdered our sleep and our newfound victor’s song suddenly evaporated.
Run, run and run, Borno is on fire again.
This is the eleventh year of terror war and in the recent renewed and sudden upsurge of insurgency with impunity, the people of Borno in particular the epi-centre of the terror saga are being told in an unambiguous tone by the insurgents to keep vigil as all is not yet over because the Night of Long knives might after all just began.
This is Borno’s sad story that rudely interrupted the forward march of Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, the state governor who for the past few weeks on the assumption of office, has demonstrated the capability and capacity to lead, inspire and govern. Governor Zullum is in trouble and the recent rattle of gunfire and assault on the people of Maiduguri, Gubio, Konduga , Dalori and other towns and villages of Borno by the terrorists provoked, pricked and prodded the governor and others alike to action and reactions.
Narrating his ordeal to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, Governor Zulum lamented that the Boko Harm insurgents have demonstrated higher expertise and more sophiscated weapons than the Nigerian military. According to him, the insurgents are now using drones to monitor the military movements and operations. With this trend, Governor Zulum is of the view that the sect from all indications might be ahead of the military in the possession of higher technological warfare strategies and expertise to the nation’s Joint Military Task Force.
The state governor who was speaking at the Government House in Maiduguri recently during the Speaker’s courtesy call stated, “Boko Haram now uses drones to monitor the operations of the military. Without providing proper and up-to-date technological capacity to the military, this thing will never end, he warned.
Zullum said, “The capacity of the military has to be re-examined interms of modern technological warfare. Otherwise this thing (insurgency) will never end”
The governor implored the Federal government to increase the numerical strength of the country’s security and paramilitary personnel fighting the terror war in addition to supporting the Civilian JTF in the light of serious sophiscated warfare from the terrorists and scaled up operations of ISWAP in the Chad Basin region.
Further lamenting the destruction of Boko Haram sect on the state, governor Zulum told the Speaker that although all the local government areas in the state had been liberated from Boko Haram “only 10 villages now stand out of the 500 that used to exist in Northern Borno, only 20 now stand out of about 1,000 villages that used to exist in Central Borno before 2015.”
Responding, Femi Gbajabiamila who was in Maiduguri to assess the situation of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) with regards their population and their transition from the camp to resettlement regretted that the insurgency continued for” a bit too long and we have to put it behind us.”
The Speaker pointed out that the Federal Legislature has resolved to collaborate with the executive for concerted efforts to bring to an end the terror war pointing out that for now it is not yet “UHURU.”
Shortly after the meeting of the Speaker and governor Zulum in the state capital, the insurgents struck again in some parts of the state, prompting Zulum to rush to Abuja to brief President Muhammadu Buhari on the latest where he was assured that plans were on to end the insurgency.
Hardly had Governor Zulum left Abuja back to Maiduguri when some Borno indigenes wrote President Buhari on the precarious situation in Borno following the latest upsurge of the insurgency. According to the report in the Vanguard of August 27, 2019, P9 the open letter said to have been signed by Hassan Boguma’ a traditional ruler indicted the military of not doing enough in the light of recent attacks by the insurgents with no counter measures by the military to forestall such.
According to the letter, “The attempts by Boko Haram to intimidate and attack communities in the state and the actions of our soldiers in the frontline has made us lose confidence in the recent military’s performance in protecting not only the vulnerable citizens but even the territorial boundaries of the nation.
“Your Excellency, while lauding the efforts of the Nigerian Army for its gallantry in other parts of the state, much is needed to be done in the areas around MMC and Jere and in the light of recent attacks on Nganzai, Gajigana, Gubio, Magumeri, Amurwa, Kalali Abdul, Wanori and Dalori villages”.
The letter further explained that the incessant and daring attacks by Boko Haram terrorist is becoming a source of great concern to citizens living in the two local governments moreso when five villages were recently simultaneously attacked for three days without any counter measures or even a response to distress calls from the locals.
No doubt the people of Borno in particular are indeed unhappy- no thanks to the insurgents who visit them every now and then with gunfire, bomb blast, abduction, death, sorrow and blood. The great question is when will this lamentation go? Gambo Dori in his Tuesday Column of the Daily Trust of August 13, 2019 asked ” When shall we vanquish Boko Haram?”
It is indeed high time we went back to the drawing board with all sincerity and find out where things went wrong in the journey so far instead of the present blame game. It is time we look critically at ourselves as stakeholders in this business to ascertain whether as a group or individuals we have honestly contributed our quota positively or negatively to the struggle aimed at eliminating the insurgency. It is time we ask ourselves some thought provoking, pricking and prodding questions thus: Who are the sponsors of Boko Haram and where are they? Who are the internal and external collaborators and accomplices. Is Boko Haram caring the tog of religion, politics or criminality? How sincere is our neighbors in this war against the insurgency? Equally is the question, to what extent can Nigeria trust some notable counties in the international community in this terror war?
Coming back home, do we really understand the enemy or enemies we are fighting? Have the military the full grasp of the terrain it is operating? How equipped is the military material wise, logistics wise, intelligent wise and pro-active wise in this terror war? Are there no fifth columnists within the rank and file of the military who aid and abet the insurgents? What is responsible for the successful ambush of the terrorists on the locations and movements of soldiers and para military groups? How far is the allegation that some members of the security agencies fighting in the fronts security agencies are short changed with regards their entitlements especially allowances? How regular is their salaries?
More questions: To what extent in the synergy amongst the members of the armed forces, the police and other para-military formations in the sharing of intelligence? How cooperative are the locals with the military in giving helpful information to the latter on the locations and movement of the terrorists in their respective environment? How far in the allegation that the so called over stay of the present military chiefs in their respective positions is said to be uncomfortable with some groups within the military with spill over of this prompting the less vigorous prosecution of war on terror? How honest and desirable are the activities of the Non-Governmental organizations, some who are alleged are fraudsters and spies and would want the insurgency war to continue in the name of merchandise?
It would be recalled that on some occasions, the military has indicted some elite especially, the politicians in the North east and Borno in particular of trying to frustrate the efforts of the military in its determination to end the insurgency for self ends. The question is what has become of the said politicians?
Even the military is equally alleged to have been retarding the terror war on the said accusation that some of its unpatriotic members have turned the war to commercial venture with some allegedly fronting for the insurgents as well?
No doubt the federal government since the terror has not kept mute. Efforts were made by subsequent central government to tame the insurgency. Especially, President Muhammadu Buhari administration come out loud and clear in this direction to put on hold the onslaught of the insurgency. To this end, success has been recorded as the large empire once controlled by terrorists has been reclaimed by the military.
Izekor, a journalist and public affairs analyst, writes at victoizekor@gmail.com.
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