The federal government may have set the path to tackling the menance of Boko Haram after the sect has carried out series of terrorist attacks in the country, killing scores of Nigerians with several millions of property destroyed.
The group’s deadliest attacks occurred recently in Kano and Bauchi States where over 200 people were killed.
The United Nations building in Abuja was not spared last year killing about 25 people, the police headquarters was bomed, several houses of worship were desacreted, with memories of the Christmas-Day bombing by the sect still reverbrating. Reports said over 550 people were killed in 115 separate attacks by Boko Haram in the last two years.
With about 250 killed in the last week bombing, the biggest ever, the group was said to have killed at least 935 people since it launched an uprising in 2009.
Inspite of government efforts to curb this heinious crime, the situation is getting even worse with fear of attack on the streets in most states of the north. Many believed that the group members received training and are possibly being supported by groups such as al-Qaeda.
*Balarabe Musa
This escape lends credence to President Jonathan’s remark that Boko Haram has inflitrated his government; a statement which many considered as showing the hapless situation the government has found itself in on the fight against Boko Haram.
As at press time, we gathered that systematic pressure is being mounted by certain quarters on the government to negotiate with the sect while some other believe that it is too late to negotiate but to confront the group with fire for fire.
Be that as it may, since Nigeria which is regarded as relatively important on the strategic chess board of international communities in terms of economic activities seems to be helpless in tackling the problem, the International Organisations under the aegis of the United Nations, UN, have pledged a multilateral approach in tackling the growing menace of terrorism in Nigeria. It was reported that the coordinated effort to be provided by the United Nations, UN, the United States, US and the African Union, AU, will assist Nigeria in the fight against the Boko Haram sect.
However, prominent Nigerians like former Military Governor of Kaduna State, Col Abubakar Umar (rtd), former civilian governor of Kaduna state, Balarabe Musa, and former presidential candidate in the 1999 elections, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, have expressed their displeasure on seeking foreign aid to fight terrorism in the country.
They insisted that Nigeria is not Afganistan or Pakistan and that the government is capable of doing it if it takes the right approach.
But South West politician and chieftain of the Pan Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo differed saying it is a welcome development that would nip the situation in the bud. The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Mega Party (SDMP) Professor Pat Utomi remained indifferent saying the security of a nation is not meant to be exposed. Their views:
Govt is part of the problem – Col Abubakar Umar (rtd)
We don’t want Nigeria to invite external forces in dealing with the insecurity problem in the country. Nigeria is not Afganistan or Pakistan. What we need now is that the federal government should stop being indifferent on the issue. The Muslims and the Christians should join hands together for a peaceful co-existence.
That action by the religious leaders which has started from various states to the federal level should continue. Unfortunatley, there is no trust in the federal governement taking appropriate steps towards nipping it in the bud. My opinion is that we should let the religious leaders conclude what they are doing on it at the moment.
They can be supported by civil society organisations.
People are suspecting that the Boko Haram is an organisation established for the destabilisation of Nigeria for political reasons. Up till this moment, nobody can say exactly who are the leaders of Boko Haram and what the organisation stands for. But many people are associating it with Islam, and the religious leaders who have waded into the issue will be able to tell us whether or not they are pursing any religious interest.
The causes of this problem of insecurity are poverty; corruption and criminal looting of resources; commercialised politics and underdevelopment of education throughout the country. Government should rather stop its act of indifference on this issue.
They are part and parcel of some of this problem.
Recently the government established a panel to investigate organised violence in the country. The panel reported its findings and even when government released the report, government has failed to issue a white-paper. Even when government issued the so-called white-paper, they will never follow it up at all in terms of implimentation.
The recent post election violence probe is a case in point. The report of the panel has been released in brief and government has not done anything. In Kaduna state for example, the report of the panel has been issued to the government and up till now, the government has not issued a white-paper. So, one is tempted to believe that government’s indifference on the issue of violence is delibrate.
It’s completely unpatrotic – Balarabe Musa
It is completely unneccessary and unpatrotic. What is required is to increase the capacities of Nigerians and the government against terrorism and not to shirk in its responsibility because it has moral problem on its side. The president must tell Nigerians who are the leaders of Boko Haram because he said Boko Haram has inflitrated his governement including the presidency.
He could not have said so if he did not know the leaders of Boko Haram and how far they have inflitrated his government. So, the government should be able to deal with them.
Government has been indifferent since the second republic on the issue of organised violence. The OPC, the Massob, Niger Delta militants and now we have the worse of them, Boko Haram. The best option now is to use the religious leaders in this country (both the Muslims and Christians) who have already started mobilising Nigerians against organised violence.
We should now give support to the religious leaders to help find out those responsible, identify these people and what they stand for. If they are found to be Muslims, the best thing is to engage them in dialogue but if they are found to be a terrorist organisation, they should be treated as terrorists.
The federal government should explain why someone deeply involved in the Boko Haram atrocity was prosecuted but ended up in getting only two years jail term and will not be in prison but under security watch arrangement. Let the federal government justify why it had to be so. It shows government is indifferent but I think government should be involved.
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