The
Persistent Boko Haram Menace: The Best Way Out
By: Frank Eboye
One major challenge Nigerians are currently facing besides
extreme poverty and growing unemployment that the country is notorious for, is
the growing insecurity, which has rendered the nation grossly unsafe,with
thousands killed and property worth billions of Naira destroyed.Daily,there is
panic in the land and the country is tilting towards the predicted
disintegration. Nigerian security problems seem to be in phases:in those days,
it used to be a series of armed robberies.Then,it advanced to kidnapping-an off-shoot
of the Niger Delta militancy and today, to what used to be an alien to the
country-bombings; suicide bombings,which the country recorded its first case on
the 16th,June 2011,when the Police Headquarters was attacked by the
dreaded Islamic sect,Boko Haram.
Thereafter, bombings have continued to be a recurring
decimal, recurring unabatedly, therefore, throwing the whole nation, nay the
world into a pandemonium. Today, in Nigeria, the fear of Boko Haram is the
beginning of wisdom for all Nigerians and world citizens, who often catch cold
whenever Boko Haram sneezes. From Europe to Asia, Australia to the rest of
Africa, the Africa’s most populous nation, Nigeria, is always in the news, for
wrong reasons: Boko Haram insurgency.
Boko Haram has become a nuisance, a menace, an endemic and
pandemic scourge to the country .It is holding the entire Nigeria, especially
the north-eastern zone hostage. It was formed in 2002 in Maiduguri, Borno State;
it has since 2009 exposed the ineptitude of the nation’s security agencies and
the insensitivity of the government, most of whom are masterminds and sponsors
of the nation’s most dreaded Islamic sect,
a sect, many believe has a link with the Al-Qaeda of the North-Africa.
Confirming Boko Haram external affiliations, the then National
Security Adviser, late Gen. Owoeye Azazi (rtd) said, while fielding questions
from foreign news agency in Abuja: ‘’There is now wealth of evidence that Boko
Haram has linked up with global jihadists like Al-Qaeda’s North African
wing,including meetings between the sect members and evidence show some are trained
outside Nigeria and their increasingly sophisticated bomb making technologies’’.
While buttressing this point during an interview with a
London newspaper, the arrested Boko Haram spokesman, Abu Qaqa confirmed that
the group’s leaders met with the Al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia where they cemented
the group’s financial and logistic base.His words:‘’Al-Qaeda are our brothers.During
the lesser hajj,our leaders travelled to Saudi Arabia and met Al-Qaeda there.We
enjoy financial and technical support from them.Anything we want from them we
ask them’’.
Bombings, the latest entrants into Nigeria’s security
problems, right from the October 1, 2010 bombing at the Eagle Square, Abuja,
bombings have become celebratory fireworks that can be likened to the ones seen
at carnivals. And the country has lost count of its numerous explosions as well
as its uncountable hapless victims.
The solution; the best antidote for curbing if not totally
eradicating it. On this, Nigeria seems confused. Nigerians are equally divided
along several schools of thoughts on how best to stop this fatal Boko Haram
insurgency.The president is also clueless on the best method to adopt.Everybody
seems confused and clueless like the president. While many see dialogue,
peaceful and bloodless resolution to these attacks, thousands others are
advocates of violence, military option and bloody resolution.
One fact is certain: Boko Haram has been intractable; defying
every solution proposed to nip it in the bud, as it continues to bear its
murderous fangs on the country, especially the hapless, innocent masses.
The pertinent questions begging for answers, as the dreaded
sect continues its onslaught on the north-eastern zone, with serial bombings
and killings of innocent souls, most of whom are Christians are: How best can
this carnage be stopped? What best antidote can put a lasting stop to this
prolonged insurgency that has gone from being a security issue to political,
ethnical and religious?Which proves to be the best solution: military
operation, jumbo security allocation, foreign assistance, amnesty or social and
economic justice?
As things stand now, there appears to be a dichotomy between
the proponents of peaceful resolution to the insurgency through dialogue and
the opponents of dialogue,who believe that military option would be the best.
While proponents of dialogue as the only way out believe that what the country
needs now is peace and any measures adopted by the authorities that would
restore peace to the troubled North-East should not be opposed; opponents of
dialogue believe it would be out of place for the government to enter into
dialogue with criminals, killers and bombers, who have no genuine cause, agenda
and demands. They are of the opinion that dialoguing with them will show
government as a coward. Therefore, they advocate violence and severe military
action against them. But the poser is: How effective has this weapon of
military option worked in stopping the rampaging insurgency?
Military Operation-How has
it fared?
The genuine truth here is that military operation or it is
violence has failed woefully in restoring peace to the troubled
northeast.Instead of curbing the activities of the Boko Haram, Its activities
have continued unabated, as there are incessant and ubiquitous bombings every
day.The declaration of emergency in fifteen local government areas of five states
means heavy military presence of combined Police-Military officers.Has this
doused the growing tension that has gripped the zone? If history was to be strictly followed,the
futility of state ofemergency declaration would have been better imagined.Did
it curb the violence in Plateau in 2004?With the emergency rule in Borno, no
day has ever passed without one or two blasts.With the emergency rule in
Bauchi,Borno,Yobe and Niger states;Bauchi and Borno are still engulfed in
several bomb attacks by the Boko Haram, while the sect has regrouped in Kano
and Kaduna,with constant bombings that claim huge numbers of casualties.The
heavy presence of the police and the military has achieved nothing noteworthy
in the fight against terrorism. So is the declaration of emergency.Rather,it
has aggravated it.While it has overstretched and exposed more the ineptitude of
the security agencies; it has emboldened the Boko Haram sect every day.
Recently, Sultan of Sokoto, Alh.Saad Abubakar observed that
field operation is the most difficult aspect of military operations due to the
fact that the members of the religious sect are unknown.This view was
corroborated by many observers,who believe that members of the sect are
faceless,unknown and are scattered all over the face of the North East,saying
trying to use military might result into
the killings of more innocent Nigerians.
Mr.Ibrahim Yahaya, a public affairs analyst and a peace and conflict resolution
expert in Abuja said,’’Boko Haram sect members have no specific identities,homes
and are all over the country.Government should jettison military option and
embark on dialogue, if the government does not want the crisis to be aggravated
or claim more lives. It is the case of the proverbial mosquito that perches on
a man‘s pubic region; it, therefore, requires a robust caution to get it
killed’’.
But it seems the former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air
Marshall Oluseyi Petirin is having a different opinion, when he recently said:
‘’Those calling for the withdrawal of troops (military operation) are the big
people living in the Government Reserved Area (GRA) and most of these bombings
and killings are taking place in crowded area and markets, which do not affect
them’’.
Dialogue and Peaceful
Resolution-Will it help?
Though, the rank of those calling for dialogue and peaceful
resolution to the Boko Haram insurgency keeps swelling by the day,Niger State
Governor, Babangida Aliyu was in the forefront of the call.Babangida called for
dialogue as the best solution to the ravaging Boko Haram insurgency instead of
military operation.His words: ‘’Boko Haram is beyond military operation; it
should be looked at in its proper context. We must communicate with the people
to solve their local problems.’’Also, former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo,
advocated, during an interview with Audrey Brown of the BBC, dialogue, Obasanjo
said if he were the incumbent president of the country, he would dialogue with
Boko Haram sect. Former military governor of Kaduna State, Col. Abubakar Umar
(rtd) equally advocated dialogue when he said: ‘’If the government can identify
it(BokoHaram) and if its demands are reasonable, government should listen to
it. Dialogue is preferable. I believe the Boko Haram members have a grouse
against the government. Without dialogue, you can’t get their point of view’’.
Similarly, just of recent, former Military president, Gen.
Ibrahim Babangida, urged the Federal Government to dialogue with the Boko Haram
sect, warning that the insecurity posed to lives and property in the country
could lead to disintegration of the nation along ethnic and religious groups.
He said the use of brute force by both the police and soldiers under the Joint
Task Force (JTF) might not end the serial killings and bombings in the North.
Equally, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) lent its voice to dialogue as the best antidote when it said
recently ,in a statement: ‘’The preference for dialogue with the Boko Haram
insurgents is not a matter of choice but has been necessitated by the
realization that hard power of military might is yet to work on terrorist
anywhere in the world.’’
And in heeding the wise counsel, President Jonathan has
invited the sect to meet him at the conference table. By this, the president
has reaffirmed his belief in dialogue as a potent instrument for halting the
reign of terror unleashed on the country by the rampaging Islamic sect. But how
effective is the weapon of dialogue in settling the Boko Haram scores? Will it
go a longway in bringing back the fleeing peace and development to the North
and Nigeriaas a whole?
In answering this, observers expressed several misgivings and
reservations on the potency of dialogue as a tool for ending the Boko Haram
destructive insurgency .The growing consensus is that dialogue,like military
might,will equally fail because Nigerian government may not be able to meet the
‘’unreasonable’’ conditions for dialogue,which the sect may put forward. This
includes: the unconditional release of all its detained members, the Islamization
and enforcement of the Sharia Law in the whole country. This Abu Qaqa promised
that the right of the country’s 70 million Christians,who represent half of
Nigeria’s population,would be protected under the group’s envisioned Islamic state.
His word:’’Even the Prophet Mohammed lived with non-Muslims and he gave them their
dues.” He said anyone must abide by Sharia Law.” There are no exceptions.Even,if
you are a Muslim and you don’t abide by Sharia Law, we will kill you .Even, if
you are my own father, we will kill you’’.
Other conditions are: the prosecution of the former governor
of Borno, Ali Modu Sheriff, under whose administration, the sect was formed and
used as political thugs but trouble started when the sect fell out of favour
with him. As well as the impeachment of the incumbent governor, Kashim Shetimma,
they believe is the protégé of the former governor.
The questions are: is the Nigerian government ready to fulfil
these set of ‘’unreasonable conditions’’?Is the Boko Haram sect ready to
dialogue with the government? Observers are of the opinion that government may
renege on its promises,as the conditions are grossly unreasonable and are
against the constitutional stipulations.
In his own view, a university of Abuja professor, who craved
anonymity, said:’’ Nigerian government is not so much serious about finding a
solution to the on-going bombings and as a government that is reputed for
reneging on its promises, it may, if at all, it enters into agreement with the
faceless group, whose cause is shadowy, Nigerian government may back out, as it
is the case with Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and several others.
This may cause a further slide into anarchy-a relapse into graver insecurity.
Dr. Matthew Ogunwande, an International Relations scholar,
said while speaking to Peace Advocate in Abuja recently, that:
’’The president knows those who are behind this unstoppable insurgency.
Intelligence and other revelations had shown him but he is merely incapacitated
by a couple of things. If he tries to fight Boko Haram and their sponsors,
unprecedented causalities will be recorded.’’
On how ready is the Boko Haram sect in dialoguing with the
Federal Government, in an audio message posted on YouTube recently, the group’s
current leader, Abubakar Shekau, rejected calls for a negotiated peace from the
president, who recently called on the shadowy sect to step out to dialogue with
him. Also, before his eventual arrest, Abu Qaqa said:’’ We will consider
negotiation only when we have brought the governments to their knees. Once we
see that things are being done according to the dictates of Allah, and our
members are released from prisons, we will only put aside our arms-but we will
not lay them down. You don’t put down your arms in Islam, you only put them
aside’’.
How serious is the Federal Government about its proposed
dialogue with the rampaging sect? The sect has been accusing the government of
insincerity in dialoguing with it.Abu Qaqa insisted recently that Abu Dardaa
was arrested in Kaduna when he made himself available for talks with some
government representatives. This was corroborated by the former governor of
Kaduna State, Col Hammed Ali when he asked: ‘’How do you expect them (Boko
Haram) to come out and dialogue now that they know that government is only
deceiving them? I think this is not the best approach if truly government wants
to put a stop to their attacks considering the loss of lives and property.’’
He, however, advised the government to stop the arrest of Boko Haram members
and bring to an end their on-going violent activities.
Amnesty or Forgiveness-Will
this do?
The Speaker,House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal recently
came under intense public condemnations when he called on the Federal
Government to extend its amnesty programme to the Boko Haram sect.He said
this,in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Hausa
Service in Kano.
This call by the Speaker appears to have caused some ripples
in some quarters,with many wondering why the Speaker would suggest that a group
of dissents,faceless,unrepentant and shadowy group that has been terrorizing
the country, killing innocent people and destroying property should be granted
amnesty.Observers expressed worries that what kind of amnesty should be granted
to a group of religious misfits,who have no genuine or specific agenda, cause
or demand.They believe this is not done in anywhere for government to negotiate
or forgive a group, who has destroyed lives and property,without a
clearly-defined agenda.President Jonathan was quick to silence those who want
the same treatment to be given to Boko Haram, as it was done for the Niger
Delta militants.They are different kettle of fish.While the agitation of the Niger
Delta militants was for a reasonable control of their oil resources and draw
attention to decades of oil spills that had caused environmental degradation,
therefore, depriving them of their fish and farming space; Boko Haram has no
clear cut agitation, and their aims of enforcing Sharia law in the country go
against the constitutional law.
Will amnesty, if granted, work? Won’t it embolden other
section of the country to start making similar agitations, with the hope of
getting amnesty? Observers said serial killers,bombers and criminals,who have
caused so much agonies to the people deserve no amnesty ,saying the Niger Delta
militants were not killing except in a very few occasions; they were only
kidnapping for money and blowing up oil installations. To the Niger Delta
militants, whose cause was not religious, human lives were more respected and
valued.
Jumbo Budgetary allocation
to Security-Can it be the magic wand?
In an attempt to intensify the security situation in the
country, Federal Government voted,in the 2012 budget,a whooping sum of
N921.91billion for security. The question many have been asking is that will
this huge allocation quell the Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast region?
Observers asked what that will do to crippling youth unemployment,poverty and
illiteracy that are all holding sway in that troubled region. Many believe this;
will not improve the security situation in the country,as it will end up in
private purses. Many are asking if there is any sense in voting such a huge sum
to security when the root causes of insecurity have not been well-addressed.They
asked what the monthly security votes have achieved in the nation’s security
situation.They believe that the huge sum should have been invested in job and
opportunity creation for the nation’steeming and unemployed youths.To best
ameliorate insecurity,especially Boko Haram,the roots of insecurity rather than
the symptoms, would have been better addressed.The general consensus is that
the huge budgetary allocation to security in this year’s budget,would have been
invested in job creation,poverty eradication and in curbing illiteracy that
make the youths of the northeast and Nigeria as a whole, prone to be used as
instruments of terrorism. They asked that what
has the daily spending of N2b on security last year has achieved for the
country: suicide bombings and countless of bombings? What would the proposed security
and defence spending of N3b daily in 2012 achieve for the country, when the
youths are grossly unemployed, with over 113 million citizens live below
poverty line?
Foreign Assistance- from
America, Britain and others-Can it stop Boko Haram insurgency?
Following several coordinated attacks,especially the ones
that claimed the lives of over 200 in Kano and Bauchi, the US-Nigeria Bi-national
Commission has focused attention on the modalities to tackle the increasing
waves of terrorist attacks perpetrated in the northern part of Nigeria by the
Islamic sect, the Boko Haram.
The US Deputy Assistant Secretary, Mr.
William Fitzgerald, who led US military and intelligence officials to the
meeting recently offered to help Nigeria in the fight against terrorism, he said:
‘’I bring on behalf of the US government, the deepest condolences on the
heinous attacks that has taken place during the past few days first in Kano and
then in Bauchi State. We deplore swiftly the reign of terror that has existed
in the north of the country for many months. And we stand with you to work
together to find a way to bring peace to the north’’.
In the same vein, the British government through its Deputy
High Commissioner, Mr. Giles Lever, said in Kaduna recently,’’ The attacks were
sickening and barbaric. To kill these many people in the name of some political
dispute or religious dispute or whatever the agenda is, it’s just wrong. It’s
quite unacceptable and is causing suffering to innocent people and so we
condemn the attacks unreservedly. We considered ourselves and hope to be
friends with Nigeria in good times and bad times and we are willing to work
closely with the Nigerian government, to help the Nigeria authorities to combat
this menace of terrorism’’.
Good and encouraging as these willing offers
sound,observers said the bulk of finding
a lasting solution to Boko Haram activities in the country lies basically on Nigerian government and not
on foreign assistance. Dr.Jacob Arise, a public relations consultant in Abuja,
warned:‘’We don’t need foreign assistance now.What we need is a strong
political will and readiness to end Boko Haram Insurgency, by eradicating
poverty and unemployment. Anything short of this will rather aggravated the
already worsened insurgency’’ .Also, the growing consensus corroborated what
Mr. Jacob submitted.
The confusing development is: if military operation could not
stop the growing terrorism;dialogue may not as envisaged; huge allocation to
security may,as usual, end up in private purses,as in the case of whooping
annual security votes;and amnesty cannot be granted to Boko Haram, as it has no
genuine cause or agenda, and the promised foreign assistance from the US and
the UK is not enough to bring the fleeing peace back to Nigeria and the North. Then,
what exactly will help stop this continued insurgency in the country? The best
antidote to stopping Boko Haram insurgency is social/economic justice.
In painting the gloomy picture of the on-going injustices in
the country,former Kaduna State governor,Col Abubakar Umar said: ‘’The economic
situation in the country is bad,in the North;it is worst.The incessant violent
attacks in the North are functions of economic injustice where more than 80 per
cent of the populace is not sure of three meals a day.The gap between the rich
and the poor is widening daily.The Almajiris, who have no opportunity of
acquiring western education, are willing tools in the hands of miscreants,
unleashing terror on the society. The unemployed youths have resorted to
violence in expressing their grievances. Some of them have taken to drugs out
of frustration. They can do anything under the influence of drugs. It’s
unfortunate that we are not addressing the issues that are undermining the
national security. The political class is not sensitive to the plight of the
people. There is no transparency in governance. Less than 20 per cent of the
country’s population controls the nation’s wealth. The other 80 per cent are wallowing
in abject poverty. The few rich flaunt their ill-gotten wealth with impunity.’’
The foregoing excerpts really paint the picture of the
nation’s security problems. The growing consensus is that there are social and
economic injustices in the country;there is absence of equitable distribution
of wealth in the land.The commonwealth is well concentrated in the hands of the
few.While the poor are dying of poverty; the rich are living in ill-gotten affluence
and luxury.There is gross insensitivity in the land.While political
office-holders are feeding fat on the collective patrimony;the populace is
lacking the basic necessities of life,hence the Boko Haram
insurgency.Mr.President spends N922million, annually on feeding when over 113
million Nigerians spendless than $2 per day.State governors drive numerous
expensive,padded, tinted and air-conditioned cars,courtesy of the tax-payers’
money,while the masses cannot afford to eat once in a day.
There is oppression;there is a growing servitude and poverty
in the country.Youths,after the rigours and sufferings in school,cannot still
get employed.Employment in Nigeria goes to the highest bidders and the
well-connected.Youths are living in frustration,with their numerous dreams die
and never come to fruition .State governor earn more than the US president. Imo
State Governor,RochasOkorocha, recently informed Nigerians that state
governments earn monthly security votes of N6b, besides allocation.Why should
some live in poverty,lacking the basic needs of life while only a few keep
cornering the commonwealth?This is the cause of Intractable Boko Haram
insurgency-social and economic injustices.And in bringing normalcy to these
troubled states,governments-federal and states,especially,state governments from
the North should stand to address these growing injustices and decades of
oppression of the masses.These states lack development; their people are dying
in poverty and diseases that would have been cured if functional hospitals
exist.
The prolonged Boko Haram activities, which have for years,
appear unsolved, stands on a tripod: poverty, unemployment and illiteracy. It
is when all these are addressed; it is when social and economic injustices are
brought to the northeast and Nigeria, by extension, this fatal insurgency will
continue.
The NSA, Andrew Azazi, recently informed that the government
was considering broadening efforts beyond pure security measures-including
addressing northern economic grievances.
To win the battle against Boko Haram,governments must invest on
the youths,with a robust attention to youth of the north; must come up with
waste and corruption checking mechanisms in government.Northern leaders should
be taught that leadership is strictly for service;for the uplift of the downtrodden
and not for personal aggrandizement.The northern states are the places where poverty
and life-threatening diseases holdsway most.While northerners should learn to
blame the Federal Government less; the bulk of the blame lies on the northern
political leaders-the serving and former leaders of north extraction.
For
the message of peace,unity and oneness, to sink properly in the Boko Haram, the
issues of social and economic injustices must be first addressed-this is the
only surviving antidote; a lasting masterstroke to the prolonged deadly Boko Haram
incessant bombings,without which the crisis will continue festering and may
lead to either another civil war or the United States’ earlier predicted
disintegration
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