Coming across such an article with such a title in the Premium Times journal of September 11, 2018 edition, has elicited this response duly addressed to the editor, for the purposes of correcting all the wrong impressions contained in the said article…. This rejoinder has therefore become that avenue upon which the Truth will be anchored. A medium to state in clear terms the factual state of affairs of the Nigerian military operations against the Boko Haram terror group, other than allowing the earlier false impression contained in Bámidélé Adémólá-Olátéjú’s article take preeminence and prominence in the minds of the good people of our Country, Nigeria.
It is first of all important to state that, having the freedom to write and to express an opinion, should not be taken as liberty to confuse the people, convict the military and make bogus spurious claims of which Bámidélé Adémólá-Olátéjú will surely not be able to substantiate. The acceptable ethics of the writers creed is all about situating the truth and not finding where to anchor a conjecture — The writer of such an article, suggesting that; “Boko Haram Become A Money Spinner For The Army Brass”, went too far, too bleary, far too effete, immoral perhaps as to even suggest a thing as villainous as the Military top personnel, profiting from the prolongation of terror.
The war on Terror, is not just an indecisive kind of war, everywhere, but a particularly present war, even as The Great American state remembers the 9/11 Terror attacks, still. Has America won the war on Terror on Afghanistan, in Iraq, in Yemen in Syria and in other places yet…!??
America, with the greatest war machinery the world has seen, will not make such a claim. Such is the reality of the war on Terror.
Has Nigeria won the war on Terror, yet…!??
Of course not. Has the Nigerian state made such a claim to have win the war on Terror, hell no.
What the Nigerian government under the Buhari administration has done is to declare a Technical defeat of the Boko Haram terror, on the same terms, consistent with the international standards of having to drive Terrorists, underground, by defeating their ability to fight in the open and to inflict upon the people a rulership over them.
Once upon a time, The Boko Haram terror group, was in control of well over 14 local governments and spread over 4 states of the Nigerian Federation.
Once upon a time, The Boko Haram terror group, established themselves, flag and all, proclaiming a self government over many territories…!
Once upon a time, the Boko Haram terror group, operated in the open, so much so, the situation in the North East zone was that of a Full-Blown theater of war.
Today in Nigeria, much like in the other parts of the world and typical of how terror wars become, what we have with Boko Haram in Nigeria are the attacks of the soft target kind, like guerilla wars, of hit-and-run type.
The matter now becomes, how wise, how prescient, how accurate, how useful is an article that strives to exaggerate the Boko Haram attacks of late, spew such untrue and misleading accusations of the military profiteering from Terror and downplaying the glorious strides of the Nigerian military, who have spared no effort, on ground, from the air and through the use of complex intelligence network, in bringing terror to its knees since the inception of the present administration….
We should rather be celebrating our gallant Military, our Military leadership, the officers, subalterns, soldiers, who, while we all are asleep, these Heroes are Awake, making sure we all sleep every so soundly…!
Many will undoubtedly recall that the war against Terror of the years preceding 2015, was of a period of daily reports of loss of lives, property and hope….
Returning the Nigerian Military to the very positive place of total professionalism therefore became a task for the new Military leadership that took over in 2015!
Before this present administration took over, of a major hindrance to winning the war against Terror was the very disturbing incessant reports of army mutiny, Indiscipline, various cases of violations of the codes of war….
Such a destabilizing and debilitating situation was what the new administration and the new military leadership inherited…!
And there was such a war on Terror, that was very far from being won — whether outrightly or technically.
We should also not forget that, war is served by many activities quite different from mere conjectures, so that innocent lives and lives of troops will not be lost.
That Bámidélé Adémólá-Olátéjú, will simply overlook the efforts of the present military leadership, especially that of the Chief of Army Staff, General Tukur Yusufu Buratai in the way and manner of prosecuting the Boko Haram war, particularly shows a bias, a subjective opinion. Any opinion that will discount the very notable, laudable and decisive victories over the Boko Haram Haram with visible evidence that abound, from captured territories, to captured Boko Haram commanders, to the liberation of thousands of Boko Haram abductees, to the driving away of Boko Haram from the Sambisa forests, to the capture of the Boko Haram headquarters, would not serve the Truth, to the good people of Nigeria; rather it will only serve the purpose of pandering and prevaricating to the remnants of Boko Haram terrorists… And exactly the narratives the terrorists would see thrown up to confuse the polity is that which degrades the military and its leadership.
Particular mention must be made of the army and its leadership that are involved in many other operations on almost all the zones of the Federation, concurrently. As if coping with all these operations are not enough with many insurgencies that test the country’s security preparedness to the limit, here comes a series of conjectures, targeting an already overstretched army, trying its very best in the kind of situation in which the country has found itself of late.
Unfortunately, it has now become a different kind of “war”, between The Terrorists and Harangue of Lyricists like Bámidélé — The War within and the Attrition in between.
This war on Terror has claimed hundreds of Gallant and Patriotic men and women of the Nigerian Army.
And we all owe it to them to honor their resolve to pay the Supreme Sacrifice with their lives, so that, no one, including Bámidélé, has the right to the use of unfounded conjectures to sow deception and Subterfuge…. this Nigeria, we all laboured to build it and we shall not abandon it to be abused in this manner.
For a country that is in a hurry and troubled by the occasional but far in between terror attacks, there will be emotional reactions and deserving finger pointing at lapses, but that should not lead to dastardly accusations either.
There are challenges facing the Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Buratai as a True leader of men at a very difficult period in our nation’s history.
He has a vision for the Army, which is to have a Professionally Responsive Nigerian Army in the Discharge of its Constitutional Roles… These were in his own words.
His present efforts are geared towards totally obliterating the Boko Haram terror and he has so far exceeded the expectations of many. The Northeast today can breathe and thanks to the efforts of the present army leadership.
To conclude this treatise, allow me to say, what Nigeria needs at these times, is the building of our confidence levels to stand with our armed forces in this war against Terror.
We must develop the courage to grow the Trust and to accept the tough decisions that go with overcoming our security challenges, including the courage to speak for our armed forces in their various efforts to rid our nation of the enemies to our security.
We also must have the compassion to listen to the findings of security personnel, as most times the usual narratives may not be exactly representing the truth on the ground.
A nation does not set out to be a great nation by fiat, but becomes one by the quality of the actions of its citizenry and the integrity of the people at various leadership roles.
This Rejoinder was written by Comrade Oladimeji Odeyemi, the Convener of the Coalition of Civil Society Groups against Terrorism in Nigeria.
