By Victor Izekor
The ongoing security challenges bedevilling the nation have become a source of worry to many Nigerians. Residents of the northeast, in particular, have witnessed an unprecedented scale of violence and deaths, blood-letting and sorrow – no thanks to the Boko Haram terrorist group.
The quantum of human loss and destruction inflicted on Borno by the insurgents is unprecedented. As a result, many want the insurgency to be brought to an end as quickly as possible for peace and tranquility to reign.
Through the chaos, however, the people of the northeast and Borno, in particular, are braving through the carnage and devastation wrought on their hitherto peaceful neighbourhoods.
Borno, a state widely renowned as the “Home of Peace and Hospitality” currently sinks in the quicksand of deaths, blood and sorrow. It currently careens as a habitat of shattered lives, broken homes, orphaned children, widow mothers, severed limbs, and folk living in endless fear, as their days and nights spill with horror courtesy Boko Haram.
In this orgy of destruction, there are beneficiaries of terror who would want it to continue till eternity. The recent upsurge in the destruction to human lives, infrastructure and property, testifies that the insurgents are poised to persist in their campaign of terror.
Today, Boko Haram has perfected its knack for creating confusion, conflict and doubts while accentuating the blame game among Nigerians as the country strives to bring the terror war to an end.
With lack of trust among Nigerians, especially among the elite, and even within government circles, on how best to handle the insurgency, Boko Haram strikes with impunity.
It would be recalled that at a point during his administration, President Goodluck Jonathan subtly hinted that there were some Boko Haram members in his government. In the light of the former president’s submission, could it be said that the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is afflicted by a similar fate.
In short, if this insurgency must be brought to an end, there must be concerted efforts at mobilizing all the stakeholders towards achieving this. The legitimacy of any government ceases at the point when it becomes unable to protect its citizens and guarantee their safety.
It is on record that since assumption of office, President Buhari has been able to reduce the onslaught of Boko Haram. History will not deny this. It is also a fact that Boko Haram has grown in strength as a result of its affiliation with external insurgent groups like ISWAP and ISIL. Notwithstanding, the Nigerian military has contained to a large extent, the onslaught of the terror groups. Hence, Nigerians are able to heave a sigh of relief and enjoy a modicum of respite from the deadly onslaughts of Boko Haram.
However, the prevailing circumstances demand that the insurgency must be decisively neutered, or else, the nation will live in perpetual fear and despair. This is not the time for blame game or suspicion among the stakeholders. It is time to go back to the drawing board, to find out where things went wrong and make amendment.
It is about time we told ourselves the truth and nothing but the truth. In this wise, Borno stakeholders including the politicians, traditional rulers, elites and youths must speak with one voice. They must take the lead. Charity begins at home. There is this assumption that the day the people of Borno speak in one voice against the insurgency, that day signifies the obituary of the Boko Haram sect.
Governor Zulum must carry all the stakeholders along, and the latter must cooperate with him.
Borno has lost a generation of youths as a result of the prolonged terror war. There is need to take the military and government into confidence in information sharing on the movements of the terrorists. Besides, the military must understand the disposition of the enemy. They must know the recruitment policy and strategy of Boko Haram, their collaborators, agents and sources of weapons and other logistics.
There is need for the military to wipe out the saboteurs, fifth columnists and undesirables within its fold to guarantee the success of the anti-terrorism campaign.
The deradicalization process and ultimate freedom of the captured insurgents must be carried out with skill, tact and caution. Besides, the military must be provided the logistics, equipment and conducive atmosphere to operate.
In like manner, there must be synergy and cooperation among the security agencies and elimination of perceived rivalry. The activities of some of the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) must be closely monitored as some no doubt are allegedly working against the interest of the nation.
More worrisome is the proliferation of the small arms on a large scale. It is even said that the preponderance of small arms in private hands exceeds those in the custody of the military. This trend must be checked. In this wise there is need to closely monitor activities at the nation’s borders; more so the operations of the immigration and customs departments at the nation’s entry points.
The financiers of the terrorists must be located and dealt with according to the law of the land. There must be incentives for soldiers at the war front to motivate them while the promotion, deployment and retirement of military personnel must be procedural. There is also the need to have a second look at the establishment of the mega camps to the perceived neglect of military personnel at towns and villages along the major highways.
It is not out of place to let the natives realize the dangers of harbouring the terrorists as they might end up as their victims or face punishment when the law catches up with them.
An idle hand is said to be the devil’s workshop. The problem of employment must be addressed. In the words of Honorable Kashim Shettima, the former governor of Borno state, “Underneath the nihilism of Boko Haram lies the underlying cause, which is social exclusivity and extreme poverty. Once we engage the youths, once we create jobs, this nihilism, this madness will evaporate.”
Whether we like it or not, Nigeria is dealing with a very tough and dangerous situation that demands tough response matched with tact and caution. Delay is dangerous. Every second counts as time is running out.
- Victor Izekor is a journalist and public affairs analyst and writes at victorizekor@gmai.com
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