It was with rude shock that Nigerians and indeed the entire world recently received the news of the abduction of over a hundred girls from their school in Dapchi, Yobe State. The incident, just like that of Chibok girls of 2014 was said to have been carried out by suspected members of the Boko Haram sect. Obviously, this is an indication that the group still has the capacity and wherewithal to cause havoc contrary to the claim that they have been totally defeated. It is also a wakeup call on the government and security agencies that much are still required to fighting security challenges in the polity.
Interestingly, the Dapchi girls‘ abduction is happening about a year to the next general elections as was the case in the 2014 episode. You will agree with me that the situation calls for genuine concerns and alertness of all patriotic citizens of this country. We must b able to read in-between the lines and decipher that danger is imminent if not properly handled. Thus, it is time to shun sentiments by coming together to join hands to support the government and the security agencies in this very delicate fight against criminality in our society. It is obvious that the execution of these vices are well planned and organized; and, if we continue to hastily jump to conclusion by pointing accusing fingers in wrong directions, it means that the perpetrators have successfully fooled and confused us. It is an indication that their game plans are materializing and, that could be catastrophic to the corporate existence of our country. It is our joint responsibilities to stop this trend as quickly as possible.
It is therefore very crucial for the government and security agencies to work round the clock by ensuring that no stones are left unturned in their quest to unravelling the root causes of these challenges and bringing the perpetrators and their sponsors/promoters to justice. Tere is need to work on the presumption that the incidents – Dapchi abduction and others – were masterminded by some ‘unpatriotic elements‘ whose intentions are to embarrass the government and ultimately make it unpopular to the world and the Nigerian electorates in the countdown to 2019 general elections. When similar fate befell the Chibok girls in 2014, the ruling government was accused of insensitivity and, their failure to promptly rescue the girls and bring perpetrators to book attracted widespread condemnation from within and outside the country. Members of the opposition also capitalized on the situation to join in the campaign of calumny which contributed in no little way to the electoral misfortunes of the then ruling party at the pools. In the same vein, the subsequent rescue of some of the girls and, alleged defeat of the sect under this present dispensation drew accolades from all and sundry. Thus, the probability is very high and cannot be waived aside that, enemies (unpatriotic elements) of this administration could have conspired with like-minded group(s) to cause havocs in the country with the aim of neutralizing and denting the gains and achievements so far recorded in areas of security. Presently, the challenges from Benue, Adamawa, Taraba, Kaduna, Yobe (Dapchi) and Borno have depleted the accomplishments of Chibok and Sambisa.
Needless to say that series of criminality that bedevilled the polity in recent times have raised suspicions about government‘s sincerity and capability to fighting insecurity. Inasmuch as this is not in any way insinuating that the government of the day is tacitly or indirectly involved in this incident of national embarrassment, it is very pertinent for security agencies to fulfil all righteousness in finding lasting and permanent solutions to this recurring trend.
The ‘natives and residents‘ of areas where these nefarious activities were carried out are also entangled in the growing conspiracy theory. The following questions are begging for answers: Why does it seem that the perpetrators are invincible?; Why are the natives and residents not exposing them to the security agents?
The answers are not farfetched; chiefly amongst them is the fact that the people have been terrified to the extent that they now feel more secured and comfortably disposed to dealing with the devils (militants) they know than, the angels (soldiers) they do not know. Therefore, the probability is very high that some members of the group are still living freely and aided by the natives in these areas. Otherwise, how can people who are supposedly confined to Sambisa Forest go to Dapchi and the other places to carrying out their nefarious activities without being apprehended? It is either they are living in those environs or they have their informants on ground who notified them of the movements of the soldiers at every point in time. From the information gathered in the media; the influx of members of the group to Dapchi was noticed hours before they struck. So, what efforts did the natives make to seek help? Furthermore, despite the screaming and wailing (of the girls) that trailed their journey out of town, nobody could explicitly say the point and time they eventually vanished into thin air. I am of the opinion that, if appropriate authorities had been timely and adequately notified, our gallant soldiers could have been able to track and find them through air surveillance (even after several hours of their disappearance) because their (abductors) movements will definitely be limited to the speed of their vehicle(s) and the state of the roads to their destination(s).
It is obvious that we all have a lot of work to do to save our democracy and the lives and properties of the citizenry. We must come together to support the government and security agencies to fight the enemies of our progress and unity to submission. It took us decades to endure military rule in the country because we failed to proactively decipher the major root causes of successive coup d’états. The village meetings across the country embarked on by the IGP is a welcome development and a step in the right direction towards making the people have faith in our security systems. With this interactive programme in place, it will increase the peoples’ faith and confidence in the men in uniforms and this will encourage ‘them to say something, when they see something’. The government should also ensure that the security agencies are adequately equipped and remunerated to boost their morale in this delicate war against insecurity.
- Oise-Oghaede, a public policy analyst/commentator, wrote in from Surulere, Lagos.
