President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent order to his security chiefs to step up efforts to secure the country shows that tackling insecurity is still top on the agenda of government.
He backed up his resolve to arrest the worsening banditry again when he told troops under Operation Sharan Daji and Diran Mikiya to “be as ruthless as humanly possible” in putting down criminality. More than three years after he took over the reins of government, with an assurance to address rampant insecurity, living in Nigeria is becoming more precarious.
All over the land, people are confronted with pervasive insecurity. Death has become commonplace, even when the country is not in a full-scale war. The sight of mass killings no longer evokes any sense of shock or abhorrence.
Sadly, things have deteriorated to a level where kidnapping is no longer limited to the South but the entire country. When kidnappers are not abducting hundreds of schoolgirls from their school premises, they are making away with busloads of travellers. As cross-border bandits are out killing in their dozens, food insecurity looms because farmers are either being killed or those displaced are afraid of returning to continue with their cherished vocation. Yet, there is no let-up in armed robbery.
While militancy, a major security threat in the oil-producing Niger Delta region, has receded remarkably, herdsmen killings have grown in scope and intensity. Yet, none of the security challenges is as enduring and intractable as the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East. What initially started as a band of ragtag radical Islamists calling for the adoption of Sharia in the northern states has matured into a formidable fighting force, daring the nation for the past nine years. It is now a security threat comparable to al-Shabaab, al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. As such, it can only be tackled the way IS and al-Qaeda are being tackled – by a global consensus.
It is not surprising that the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, lamented the same day that Buhari gave his orders to security chiefs that signals from the epicentre of the counterinsurgency campaign remained disturbing. Boko Haram has indeed proved to be a hydra-headed monster mainly because of the manner in which the security forces have been approaching the campaign, which weighs more heavily towards the conventional warfare.
Although the heavy bombardments of the Islamists’ known enclaves have yielded positive results, with the reclaiming of territory hitherto controlled by them, it should by now be clear that the deployment of intelligence remains the best way of handing them a permanent defeat. It is disturbing that almost three years after the Islamists were deemed “technically defeated” by the government, they are still mustering enough strength to launch deadly attacks on military bases.
An understanding of their mode of operation would reveal that the extremists usually go underground when under heavy attacks, which is why the President thought that they had been technically defeated. As soon as the heat is off, they launch themselves back in a more deadly fashion, which is the reason for their recent audacious attacks.
In one of such attacks that the AFP said lasted for four hours, the terrorists overran the 81 Division Forward Brigade at the village of Jilli in Geidam Local Government Area of Yobe State last month. “The base had 734 troops. Currently the commander of the base and 63 soldiers have made it to Geidam (60 kilometres away) while the remaining 670 are being expected,” the report said, quoting a military source. Significantly, the attack was coming two days after 23 soldiers went missing following an ambush in which the military also reportedly lost several vehicles. What other evidence does one need of a resurgent Boko Haram?
While it is possible for the extremists to relocate in some neighbouring countries, their operational mode, however, suggests they have strong links within Nigeria. Sniffing out these links can only happen through intelligence. If intelligence-led approach had been adopted, by now Abubakar Shekau and many of his commanders would probably have been nabbed. This would have hastened the ending of the seemingly interminable war. This is one of the reasons why IS and al-Qaeda are now powers on the decline.
For instance, the account of some of the rescued Dapchi schoolgirls, of how Leah Sharibu, the only girl still left in captivity, and two of her friends had managed to escape from Boko Haram enclave but were returned after three days by those they thought could aid their escape confirms that the Islamists enjoy some local sympathy. If Boko Haram could enjoy the confidence of the local population, why can’t the Nigerian security forces also cultivate such a relationship in order to fish out the extremists?
Besides, Nigeria needs to take care of the welfare of the troops. Not only should they be paid all their entitlements while out there defending their fatherland, they should also be well equipped to be able to repel the forces of terror. Issues that should lead to soldiers protesting or scampering away from battlefield should be avoided. If soldiers have overstayed their appointed time, they should be replaced with fresh blood to avoid fatigue setting in.
At this stage too, it is very important to collaborate with neighbouring countries and even global powers to end the war. There is no way the war can be won when the terrorists know that they can find a solace in Niger Republic or Cameroon once they are chased out of Nigeria. If the Iraqis and Syrians could seek help, especially as the war against terror transcends borders, why should Nigeria not do the same?
But, above all, to win the war against Boko Haram, the government has to win the war of the mind. Most of the people conscripted by the terrorists are brainwashed to believe they are fighting for God and would go straight to heaven if they die in the process. This is the most difficult aspect of the war to fight. This is why many people travelled from all parts of the world to fight for IS. Until the government and religious leaders are able to counter it effectively, only very little progress can be made in the war against terror.
