BRING BACK
OUR GIRLS:
PROTECT THE INNOCENT
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| BRING BACK OUR GIRLS GROUP DURING A PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION WALK TO THE VILLA |
In 2006, Nigeria’s Department of State Security Service (DSS)
reported the possibility of a breakdown of law and order in the North-East
sub-region if the activities of Yusufiyya Movement remained unchecked. Little
was done to implement the report to its logical conclusion until the situation
snowballed to a catastrophic dimension in 2009 following the ‘gruesome murder’
of the sect’s leader allegedly on the order of the then Borno State governor,
Ali Modu Sheriff. It is the opinion of some analysts that lack of proper
investigation by security agencies into the killing of Yusufiyya Movement’s
leader triggered off revenge missions by members of his sect. It appears that the capacity of the sect for
revenge was underrated.
As the sect launched guerilla attacks on security formations, killing,
maiming security personnel and ransacking villages, government continued to underrate
their capacity despite genuine efforts by those with direct contacts with a
cross section of the sect’s leadership for possible solution. Some of the suggestions
proffered were utilized by the DSS that maintained high class professionalism
and proved its commitment to overcome the problem. Majority of arrests and
relative peace enjoyed in prone areas then were due to the efforts of DSS,
until the deployment of military personnel at a later date to complement their
efforts.
While Nigeria was under threat, the international community kept
silence erroneously believing the insurgency was an isolated local crisis as
the country’s leadership portrayed it until the worst happened, when over 270
innocent students were lured and kidnapped by the insurgents: an incident that
exposed the weakness of the government and security agencies in the prone areas.
Since 2009 when the sect launched its guerilla assault, it is yet to
be defeated despite several claims. But before the sect was engaged in full
scale battle, some of those with an inkling of their modus operandi had advised
government against declaration of a war. In his wisdom, the former Chief of
Army Staff, General Iherijika, declared a war against the insurgents, ignoring
the fact that they were already prepared for such an encounter having stock-piled
enough arms (some seized from police and military formations). Government was
alerted on their capability to stand the war, but that warning was ignored.
Government is being criticized in some quarters for not reaching out to those
with genuine contact with the sect leadership and for appointing wrong people
for the job of dealing with the insurgents that has not paid any dividend. In
most cases, expired administrators, politicians and retired security personnel
were entrusted with such an important assignment. The result of the lukewarm
attitude and mistrust of government is what Nigerians are witnessing with
regrets. Galtamari, Tanimu Turaki and General Ibrahim Sabo Committees appear to
have been put in place for mere administrative convenience. The various reports
have not yielded positive results. What were they meant to achieve? Were they
supposed to be mere waste of resources? It has been reported that certain
personalities that established the necessary contacts and built confidence with
the sect were ignored or denied audience with the Presidency for brainstorming
for a way out by those expected to act promptly, while others systematically
dodged from involvement for fear of their lives.
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| The spoke person of the group addressing top government officials during their visit to the presidency, demanding the government to rescue the Chibok girls |
Some Nigerians think that engaging the insurgents in a war was not
the best of ideas; others maintain that dialogue remains the only solution,
there are yet others whose only concern is for government to end Boko Haram
insurgency and free the Chibok girls irrespective of the method applied.
It is being rumoured in some
quarters that the major routes used by insurgents to smuggle arms into the
country were exposed for action and some of their training camps and corporate
headquarters located in the notorious Sambisa forest were identified, but no
action to flush them out was taken until
they established other hideouts and escape routes. If this rumour is true, then
Nigerians in general and the parents of the affected girls in particular have
cause to doubt the sincerity of government about tackling Boko Haram and
rescuing the Chibok girls.
The situation has continued to escalate and Nigerians are worried
about the safety of the girls as days run into weeks since their abduction.
President Jonathan should re-examine the composition of Nigeria’s security
agencies and his executive council for possible decisive action if safety of
lives and property means anything to his administration. Members of his
executive council from the North-East should be temporarily redeployed to the sub-region
to proffer immediate solution to the lingering problem as their own
contribution to nation building on a solid foundation of peace. As indigenes of
the region they should be familiar with happenings of the region and be able to
employ whatever strategy they deem best to bring normalcy to the region.
Nigeria was told by some foreign experts that poverty, under
development and massive unemployment including illiteracy were responsible for
the escalation of the insurgency and once tackled, the terrorists would be
defanged because their recruitment may no longer be enticing and gainful. As Nigerians continue to suffer in the hands
of Boko Haram, one wonders why it took the world so long to respond to the
challenge posed by terrorists. One wonders even more why the Northern States
Governors Forum remains inactive to supporting the efforts of the Federal
Government to crush the terrorists.
In 2011, NSGF appointed a committee to proffer solution to the
insurgency. The committee report obviously went the other way similar reports
went with the North-East left for Kashim Shettima, Ibrahim Geidam, Ibrahim
Dankwambo, Isa Yuguda, Murtala Nyako and Garba Umar to manage. Where then is
the northern brotherhood and solidarity? Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Zamfara
and Kogi have had their own bitter experiences to tell.
What role did the NSGF play to cool tempers and restore confidence in those
States? The antecedents of the forum once forced Governors Yuguda and Suswan to
suspend their membership to protect their integrity.
Today, the world is weeping along with parents, brothers, sisters
and relatives of the Chibok abducted female students now languishing in the
hands of terrorists. The world is imagining what the young innocent girls are
going through physically and psychologically in the hands of faithless beasts
masquerading as religious extremists. But is Nigeria doing everything possible
to ensure the safe return of the girls? Is the international community
sincerely involved in searching for the girls? As we join other sympathizers shedding tears
with intensified prayers for the immediate release of those innocent girls, we
reflect on the recent revelation by Amnesty International that Nigeria’s
security agencies had information four hours before the girls were wickedly
abducted and yet within those four hours, there was no positive action to
prevent the heinous crime. If Amnesty
was right, then Nigerians may well start preparing for self-defence. However,
security agencies have since debunked the report of Amnesty International.
Thank goodness, Nigerians can take solace in the fact that the
Jonathan administration has finally invited the international community for a
rescue operation. With their joint efforts rescue operation, Nigerians may soon
heave a sigh of relief from terrorism. The repercussion of Boko Haram
insurgency is that we have almost reached a point of no return in our ethnic,
regional and religious relations expected of a united people that fought a
civil war to remain united. Escalation
of corrupt practices, insincerity, selective justice and infrastructural
development and protection of identified suspected criminals are responsible
for the ugly situation we have found ourselves in. It is only by divine
intervention that Nigeria can bounce back as a united and prosperous country. So,
let all patriotic Nigerians join in the prayer to BRING BACK OUR GIRLS.
By Sanusi Muhammad
.JPG)
