Following three coordinated suicide bombings in Gwoza, Borno State recently, which is coming after over a four-year lull in such activities, Nigerians have expressed concern about what appears like a relapse of the security situation in the region. But, security experts say there is no cause for alarm. Deputy Political Editor RAYMOND MORDI examines the development and what can be done to win the war against terror.
The security agencies fighting the Boko Haram terrorist group achieved a major feat over four years ago when they successfully degraded the insurgents and reduced their capacity to cause havoc in the Northeast geo-political zone. With its superior firepower, the military pushed the insurgents further into the fringes of Lake Chad and the Mandara Mountains.
Besides, the death of the group’s former leader, Abubakar Shekau, in 2021 also demoralized some of its members and made suicide bombing less popular. Clashes between Shekau’s faction and the one linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have made the extremists turn against themselves, shifting the focus of attacks from the military and civilians. The war of supremacy between the two factions equally led to the defection of thousands of combatants, who were and are still being de-radicalised and reintegrated into society.
But, about two weeks ago, suicide bombings returned to the restive Northeast region, and for the first time since 2020, when three female suicide bombers attacked the strategic border town of Gwoza, where the extremists had declared a short-lived caliphate 10 years ago. The suicide attacks suggest that the long-drawn battle with the insurgents in the Northeast is yet to abate.
The first of the three coordinated suicide bombings on June 30 happened after an unidentified woman sneaked into a wedding reception of a popular young man in Gwoza with a child and detonated an Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) strapped on her, killing herself, the child and many others. The second was detonated at the victims’ funeral and the third at a hospital attending to the injured.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but security experts say it has the hallmarks of the operational tactics usually deployed by Boko Haram.
The Gwoza bombings were the deadliest in recent times and generated significant attention both locally and internationally. Deliberating on the matter, members of the upper chamber of the National Assembly blamed the attacks on a failure of intelligence. Their House of Representatives counterparts allege that the suicide bombers are mercenaries brought in to destabilize the region. The lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction over the deteriorating security situation in the Northeast, adding that it is a sign that the security system has collapsed.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) expressed deep concern over the recent multiple suicide bombings in Gwoza town, saying the country must not allow a return to the era where suicide bombings by Boko Haram insurgents were rampant. In a statement, CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh said the Gwoza incidents called for urgent and collective action to combat terrorism.
Okoh said: “The national leadership of CAN is deeply worried by the recent suicide attacks in Gwoza, Borno State, which have claimed numerous lives and injured many others. We are concerned about the resurgence of suicide bombing in our country and the threat it poses to the lives and livelihoods of Nigerians. This senseless act of violence is a stark reminder of the evil that terrorism represents, and the need for collective action to defeat it.”
He commended the relentless efforts of the security agencies working to contain the threat of terrorism, adding that religious authorities and Nigerians were encouraged to unite to prevent a relapse into the dark days of suicide attacks.
The reaction of members of the National Assembly and that of CAN underscores the feeling of Nigerians about the resurgence of suicide attacks and the use of women as bombers. These attacks not only result in immediate casualties but also instil fear and uncertainty among the population, destabilizing communities and hindering progress towards peace and stability. The resurgence of suicide bombings, experts say, poses significant challenges for Nigeria’s security forces and government.
Experts believe that the return of suicide bombings in the restive Northeast region, which is a hotbed of Islamic militancy, necessitates a re-evaluation of counterterrorism strategies. But, there is a consensus that the military has acquitted itself well in the war against terror in the region. The killings of dozens of foot soldiers of Boko Haram and ISWAP in recent military offensives are believed to have depleted the manpower of the terrorists and put them under pressure to express their presence through suicide bombers. “The terrorists’ capacity to make and use improvised explosive devices (IEDs) has been severely crippled. Almost 65 per cent of their senior operatives have been taken out, hence the use of suicide bombers against innocent citizens,” a retired military officer, Sani Usman was quoted as saying. The military claimed on June 28 that it neutralized 2, 245 Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters during operations. The Borno State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Prof. Usman Tar, also indicated last Wednesday during an oath-taking ceremony for 560 ‘repentant’ Boko Haram members that so far over 8,490 of them have been successfully reintegrated into the society.
Melvin Ejeh, a security expert, said the return of suicide bombings in the Northeast is a sign that the counter-terrorism initiatives of the security agencies are beginning to yield positive results. Ejeh, the executive director of Global Peace & Life Rescue Initiative, said during an interview on television: “It is obvious that the security chiefs are doing their best to keep the terrorists out of circulation; that is why they are resorting to guerrilla attacks and suicide bombings.
“Anytime you see insurgents resorting to soft targets, particularly through suicide bombings, you will know that there is an intensive ongoing war against them and that they cannot withstand the firepower of the security forces in conventional warfare. It is wrong for Nigerians to heap the blame on the security agencies because it is obvious that they cannot be everywhere.
“Therefore, communities have a role to play. We should be able to develop local intelligence with the cooperation of people in the communities. These suicide bombers live in the communities and people know them. Besides, when strange faces come into the communities, it is easy to fish them out. Our security agents are not spirits and they are not magicians. I am not trying to hold brief for them, but the security situation in the country has improved considerably.
“Some of us are biased towards the government and the security agencies; otherwise, we are winning the war against terror and the Northeast is becoming safe. The Northwest is becoming safe too.”
Ejeh said every community should develop a vigilante group to gather intelligence. On the contrary, he said people in war-torn zones like the Northeast are nonchalant and believe that the security agencies should do everything for them. He added: “We need local intelligence in our communities. We must work together with operatives of the security agencies, who are mainly strangers in those communities where they are posted.
“If we don’t give them adequate and timely intelligence, there is no way they can do their job efficiently. Anybody carrying bombs strapped on his or her body cannot move with ease. There is a way he or she will move that will suggest that there is something amiss. Therefore, he or she is bound to attract attention.”
Dennis Amachree, a former director of the State Security Service (SSS), also known as the Department of State Services (DSS), disagrees with the notion that suicide bombers are mercenaries because the lawmakers do not have facts to back up their claims. He is of the view that they are people who have been radicalised and brainwashed with the notion that their reward is in heaven. The former SSS director said Gwoza is a strategic town for Boko Haram insurgents.
His words: “That was the place where the late Abubakar Shekau declared a caliphate. At that time, the insurgents killed the traditional ruler of the hilly town. So, it is like their headquarters. Though the Nigerian Army has decimated them and driven them out of the town, they keep coming back. There are a lot of attacks going on in Gwoza, but the military has been consistent in driving them out of that place. As a result, Gwoza has suffered considerable violence because of the Boko Haram Islamic insurgency.
“The insurgents used to come into the town with troops on motorbikes, to raid the town, kill people and go away. But, now, they are not able to do that anymore because of the high-handed manner the military is handling them. So, they cannot face the Nigerian Army in conventional warfare; what they are doing now is the cowardly act of arming illiterate suicide bombers to go and bomb the place.”
Amachree said terrorism is an international crime and must be dealt with in that way. He said Nigeria must find a way to work together with neighbouring countries like Niger Republic. He added: “Now we have Boko Haram launching attacks from Cameroun; coming from the Mandara Mountains into Gwoza to attack people and go back again. With better relations with Cameroun, the Joint Taskforce (JTF) that has been operating before now should be more effective around that area to be able to curb the latest development.”
A retired military intelligence officer and 2019 presidential candidate of the Grassroots Development Party of Nigeria (GDPN), Dr Davidson Isibor Akhimien said the development highlights the persistent threat posed by terrorist organizations operating in the region despite efforts to combat them. He added: “The ability of these groups to carry out coordinated attacks targeting civilians at social gatherings like weddings and funerals underscores their capacity to adapt their strategies and evade security measures.”
The return of suicide bombings, he said, necessitates a re-evaluation of counterterrorism strategies. He said: “It underscores the need for enhanced intelligence gathering, community engagement, border security measures, and international cooperation to address the root causes of extremism and prevent future attacks. Efforts to counter radicalization, improve governance, and promote social cohesion become even more critical in light of these developments. It underscores the complex nature of the security challenges faced by the nation and emphasizes the importance of comprehensive approaches that go beyond military responses.”
