SIR: Since the relentless siege on Kaduna, Zamfara and other states within the north-central, one has waited endlessly for the launch of a massive military operation as we have had in other parts of the country to silence and or decapitate these hoodlums. In the last few years, we have had the likes of “Operation Crocodile Smile”, “Operation Lafiya Dole”, “Operation Python Dance” and “Operation Desert Sanity’. The best we have had so far, is the police taking charge of the road connecting Kaduna to Abuja, helicopters hovering along the road (I don’t know for how long that is sustainable), without any report of dealing with the actual problem which is still subsisting and still threatening.
Barely one week after the attack on the train, a military base at Pole Wire in Birnin-Gwari, in the same Kaduna State was attacked by these terrorists, who killed no fewer than 17 soldiers and three civilians during a fierce gun battle, which also saw over 20 soldiers badly wounded in battle. Locals said the incident happened when the terrorists, in large numbers, came to the area on motorbikes, wielding dangerous weapons including Rocket Propelled Guns (RPGs). It is still surprising, to say the least that after everything is said and done, these men of the underworld are still having a field day around town with little or no meaningful resistance.
One is forced to ask: when will the crocodile smile on us as it did in other parts of the country? When are we going to have “Lafiya dole”, which is literally interpreted as “compulsory peace” or “forceful peace”.
When will the python dance in the North-central part of Nigeria? Plateau State was again hit heavily over the weekend by these senseless and pointless killings. We urge the government, both at the federal and state level, to stop paying lip service to the security situation in north-central and make the fight against insurgency, banditry, and terrorism a balanced combat. The same hand of steel used to break agitations around the country should also be deployed in breaking the bands of terrorism on Kaduna State and its environs. North-Central Nigeria must be liberated from the jaws of bandits, terrorists, and hoodlums.
I have waited endlessly to hear government give these people an ultimatum as has been done in other parts of the country to either lay down their weapons or surrender the same to the government. What is good for the goose is good for the gander.
The terror group while parading the only released abductee was quoted to have stated thus “we don’t want your money, if we want money, we wouldn’t have carried out the attack. You know what we want”
This statement says a lot. There are obviously underlying factors that are not known to the public. This seems to be the fight of two elephants with the innocent grasses bearing the brunt. I must say at this point that the government does not necessarily have to give them what they want but can definitely give them what they deserve. Nigeria is a sovereign state and cannot allow rebellion to determine its line of leadership.
The alleged claim that the only released kidnap victim was allowed to go in the spirit of the Ramadan and because of his age, is self-gratifying and roundly dishonest. We leave them to their God and to their conscience (if they have any). In the true spirit of Ramadan, Nigeria should be at peace and every captive should have been released.
I conclude by saying if the government, both at the federal and state level, is serious about fighting this battle that has engulfed the north-central in recent times, it should not take one week for the government to fish out and deal ruthlessly with the terrorists from their “known” hideouts. It took America just a few days to locate the hideout of these terrorists and they saved their citizen unhurt. We have stayed too long on this troubled spot.
-
Akintayo Balogun Esq., Abuja.