Politics aside, it does seem that the Federal Government of President Goodluck Jonathan has no clue to the raging terrorism ravaging the northern part of the country. And the fact that the south has not been torched (yes, torched) yet by the terrorists is due largely to lack of capacity by Boko Haram, Ansaru et al and not any act of deterrence by our security forces.
It is not as if they are afraid of coming down here or love us more than our compatriots in the north, the truth is that they don’t have the wherewithal yet, when they are ready they will strike here and may be to a more devastating effect.
And at the rate at which the security situation in the country is deteriorating, these agents of death could sooner rather than later acquire what is required to cause mayhem in the south and thus throw the country into chaos and crises.
With things looking likely to fall apart security-wise for the country under President Jonathan’s watch, it remains to be seen how long the centre would continue to hold if things continue like this. But while we all hope and pray that Boko Haram and Ansaru don’t tear our country apart, I think it is about time we put our heads together to find a lasting solution to this menace. This federal government cannot do it, or if you like cannot do it alone. We all must get involved.
It doesn’t matter how many times Jonathan apologists haul abuses at those who dare to lay the blame squarely at his government’s doorstep, but the fact remains that if we leave our security solely in the hands of this President and his men, only God knows where this country would be tomorrow.
If I sound like an alarmist, pardon me, I don’t mean to, but I am worried that since three years or so ago that Boko Haram began to unleash its terror on Nigeria, we have neither been able to peg them back or eradicate their menace. The list of the orphans, widows and widowers of terror kept on increasing. After every attack and killing our President went on air to promise hell for the terrorists; he always ordered the security agencies to get to the root of the matter and bring the perpetrators and their sponsors to book, yet nothing tangible or sensible has been achieved in this regard.
Monday last week was a horrible day in the office for the people of Kano city, northwest Nigeria. A Lagos bound luxury bus with close to 70 passengers on board was heading out of the new luxury bus park at Sabongari area at about 5 pm when two suicide bombers drove in a Volkswagen Golf car. Pretending to be intending passengers, touts besieged the car asking the bombers their destination in order to direct them to the luxury bus next on line. But these agents of death had other destination in mind. They wanted to go to hell and were hell bent on taking as many innocent souls along with them as possible. As the loaded luxury bus was about leaving the park, they rammed their car into it and within seconds there was a loud bag and the area exploded into a ball of fire. The rest of the story you know.
This latest suicide bombing in the ancient city is no different from several others in the past that have left the bulk of Nigeria’s northeast in ruins and Kaduna and Kano in the northwest in chaos. But what is so significant about this Sabongari luxury bus park bombing is the fact that that area of Kano is inhabited by non-indigenes mostly from the south, particularly Ibo from the southeast. Although the ethnic configuration of the victims shows the diversity of the population of Kano, the fact that the bombers chose that park to strike was an indication that they meant to cause ethnic unrest between the Hausa/Fulani host community and the southerners, especially Ibo.
And anybody conversant with the history of Nigeria’s 30-month civil between 1967 and 1970 will recall that the ethnic massacre of Ibo in the north led to their massive exodus back home to the then Eastern region on the orders of the military governor Colonel Emeka Ojukwu. One thing led to another and Nigeria went into a civil war that cost millions of lives on both sides.
Do these terrorists want to send us into another civil war? Yes, I think and I quite agree with the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero on this score. The revered traditional ruler who recently escaped assassination by unknown gunmen, rightly suspects that this must be the motive of the bombers. But can Nigeria survive another civil war? NO. We can’t as a people and a nation. In fact no country, I think, has ever survived two civil wars. The more reason why we should all put our differences apart, especially as regards the incompetence of the Jonathan regime and work together to defeat these agents of terror that are bent on destroying our nation. We must avoid the road to Biafra and save Nigeria.
I strongly believe leaving the job to security agencies alone will not defeat Boko Haram or Ansaru and their likes. Intelligence plays a big role in identifying and apprehending the terrorists, and this can only be gathered if the people living with these terrorists give them up. One could recall that Lawrence Aninih that notorious armed robber that was terrorizing Benin City and environs, together with his gang in the 80s was only apprehended when the Binis got fed up and revealed his hideout to security agents.
Boko Haram and Ansaru operatives, I believe don’t have their own separate mosques, neither do they live in the open desert. They live and worship among the people in the north. So, who is shielding them? Until this area is addressed by both government and leaders in the north, we might just be wasting our time in the fight against terror. If truly they have any grievance(s) let’s listen to and talk to them. Might at times is not always right, so the government should also apply some carrots to get these people off the path of terror.
There is need for a change in tactic and strategy. We should also approach those countries that have traveled this road before and have come out of it to learn how they did it. Countries like Algeria, Turkey, and Colombia could have one or two things to teach us.