With Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, lamenting that about two-third of the state is under the control of Boko Haram, there is the fear that citizens of the affected states in the northeast may be fast losing faith in the ability of the Nigerian nation to protect their lives and property
As the media is awash with the stories of recent insurgents’ attacks in the northeast, it is becoming clear by the day that the Boko Haram insurgency may be here to stay for a long while. It beats all imaginations as to what measure of seriousness and commitment our security agencies are putting into the task of ending the war.
In the advent of scores killed this week in the Gombe bomb blasts and the dastard horror in the latest video released by Boko Haram, wherein captured civilians were murdered in cold blood, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma – a former Chief of Army Staff as well as Minister for Defence has called for the immediate crushing of the insurgents. He regretted that the war against Boko Haram has taken too long. Incidentally, Danjuma is the chairman of the Fund Raising Committee for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP).
Like other well-meaning Nigerians, Danjuma’s concern can be appreciated from the backdrop of his experience as a high ranking military personnel and that of a patriot. Besides, Taraba (his home state) is in the northeast, bedeviled by the insurgency and where three states have been under a state-of-emergency. It is understandable why the former defence minister is urging the Federal Government to be more decisive in tackling Boko Haram by doing all it takes to crush the insurgents.
This Newspaper agrees with Danjuma in this call. We acknowledge that the insurgency is a national calamity and the headache of all Nigerians to bear, hence the need for citizen’s co-operation with the government to end the war. But the government on its part, needs to rethink its strategies and raise the campaign against the insurgents. As it is now, it is clear that the almost two years’ state-of-emergency, has not achieved the much needed peace and security in the three Northeast states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. The military does not seem to be on top of their game in this matter. This is coupled with the fact that the intelligence community has failed woefully to deliver on Boko Haram. That is why till date it is still elusive to pinpoint the sponsors and financiers of the Islamic fundamentalist group.
Given this scenario, for how long, therefore, will the insurgency continue to be with us? With barely 50 days to the general election and the insurgents still on rampage while most people in the troubled region are displaced, the question is, would there ever be election in the northeast come 2015? For whatever the answers are, there is need for government to assure Nigerians on its new measures and strategies being put in place to secure the peace in the troubled northeast region.
With Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, lamenting that about two-third of the state is under the control of Boko Haram, there is the fear that citizens of the affected states in the northeast may be fast loosing faith in the ability of the Nigerian nation to protect their lives and property.
Therefore we are of the view that there must be a way out. Government must as a matter of urgency unmask through the intelligence agencies, the sponsors and of course, financiers of the insurgents and bring them to book, no matter how highly placed they are, while the military on its part intensifies its onslaught against the insurgents. Above all, we must realise that our failure to make a stitch in time, has cost us much more than nine in this Boko Haram saga. Now is the time to do the needful; crush Boko Haram.
