By Emmanuel Onwubiko
Few weeks back, Nigerians were greeted with the story that Sambisa
forests- the notorious enclaves of the armed Islamists of Boko Haram have
been leveled down and that the rebel fighters responsible for some 30,000
killings have escaped.
Incredibly, President Muhammadu Buhari was shown in the media joyfully
receiving what was referred to as the Islamic State flag of the
terror-mastermind with ‘nine lives’ Abubakar Shekau.
A copy of the Hadiths was reportedly also recovered and handed over to
President Buhari just as the copy was said to be the personnel copy of the
terrorist-in-chief Abubakar Shekau.
Whilst Nigerians debated the relevance or otherwise of this symbolic flag
handing over ceremony in Aso Rock between the Commander-in –Chief of
Nigerian Armed Forces and the Chief of Army Staff, the boko haram kingpin
surreptitiously released a video recording on the internet where upon he
rubbished the claims of the military to have displaced them from their
stronghold.
Abubakar Shekau also promised more devastating bombing campaign.
The Nigerian authority dismissed the video recording of Abubakar Shekau as
propaganda but boko haram terrorists have since then sent out over half a
dozen suicide bombers to three key North East States of Borno, Yobe and
Adamawa.
There have been increased spikes in attacks targeting military
institutions with over 16 bodies of soldiers and a senior military Officer
reportedly recovered in the gashigar area of Borno state. Scores of armed
terrorists were also gunned down.
The explosions in Adamawa which claimed several lives were blamed on boko
haram terrorists who reportedly invaded Madagali local government from
that wing of Sambisa forests. Which Sambisa forests, one may ask?
The Madagali Council Chairman answered by saying that the bombers
emerged from Sambisa forests which are the same enclaves from which the
terrorists were said to have been displaced.
To be very fair to the Army, considerable damage has been unleashed on the
the so called ‘camp zero’ inside Sambisa forests. At least Lieutenant
General Tukur Buratai didn’t mince words in revealing to Daily Trust about
the extensive damages the Armyinflicted on the armed terrorists. But there
are lingering doubts on the logic behind the declaration of victory made
by politicians in Abuja based on the recent verifiable exploits of the
soldiers.
Whereas President Buhari was reported as claiming that boko haram
terrorists have been defeated following the exploits of the Nigerian
Military in the Sambisa forests, the dare-devil attacks of these
terrorists since after their reported defeat may have compelled a rethink
in a very fundamental way within the Presidency.
Only few days back, the media again reported what looked like a
recantation of the victory song by President Buhari who was said to have
agreed that the final onslaught against the terrorists can only be
achieved when the Chibok girls are all recovered.
Recently,one of the abducted girls sauntered into a military facility in
the North East with her six month old baby.
The Civil campaigners known as Bring Back Our girls have reportedly
accused the Nigerian government of abandoning the search for the remaining
dozens of School girls kidnapped over a thousand days by the armed terror
gang of Boko haram from their school in Chibok village in Southern Borno
State.
That rebuke earned them an invitation to hop into a military aircraft for
an adventurous flight around the vast expanse of land known as Sambisa
forests. The trip originally planned for Monday January 16 2017 is being
worked out.
But something sinister happened in this Monday when the verification
flight ride to Sambisa forests by soldiers and Bring back our girls
campaigners was planned to take off from Abuja.
On the morning of Monday January 16th 2017, a 7- year old suicide bomber
sent by boko haram struck at the University of Maiduguri whilst students
and lecturers were praying in the mosque.
This latest bomb explosion in the citadel of learning in Maiduguri, Borno
State took the life of a University Professor and many other victims.
The students have also raised alarm regarding their safety following what
they termed as lack of freedom to exit their hostels.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) was seen clearing the
debris of this latest bomb explosion just as they were spotted moving out
several body bags of suspected causalities.
President Buhari has already condemned the latest round of bomb explosions
and named Boko Haram as irreligious people with scant respect for citadel
of worship and learning.
A number of issues need to be addressed in our collective national search
for an end to these circles of deaths being waged by these terrorists.
First, the military is doing a fantastic job. There is no doubt about
that. The military has also suffered enormous casualties of professionally
trained soldiers.
Only on January 15th 2017 when the nation marked the Armed Forces
Remembrance Day, the three segments of the Armed Forces recalled with
shock their losses in terms of precious lives and manpower.
The Nigerian airforce symbolically narrated that it has spent millions of
gallons of the elusive aviation fuel to power their military jets in the
last one year in their coordinated bombing attacks against bojo Haram
terrorists.
Secondly, the civilian victims of these unwarranted terror campaign is
increasing in number just as the number of internally displaced persons
has witnessed astronomic rise but sadly, the mismanagement of the fund for
the assistance of these victims has denied the people the much needed
succor just as the top officials of the current government implicated in
the scam have remained untouchable. The Secretary to the Federal
government Mr Babachir Lawal indicted over alleged disappearance of N2
billion of Terror victims support fund is still croozing around as a top
government officials even as President Buhari is yet to act on the Senate
far reaching indictment.
Importantly, there seems to be an unusual interest among the federal
government officials to circulate propaganda materials in the media to
paint the impression that the war on terror is almost won. This propaganda
is a scam.
The absence of honesty in the dissemination of information emanating from
the theatre of the Counter terror was is unfortunate.
The heads of information in the Nigerian ministry of information are so
much in a hurry to play up partisan politics with serious issue of
national security.
If only the minister of information can take little time to read the
phenomenal book titled “You have a brain: A teen’s guide to T.H.I.H.K
B.I.G” authored by the American Brain Surgeon Dr. Ben Carson, perhaps they
could have a rethink.
In the Chapter Fifteen of this beautiful book, the author narrated the
essence of honesty even in smaller things and indeed in bigger affairs.
Ben Carson after narrating an encounter he and his sibling had when they
stole the candy bars hidden by their aunt who is said to be so generous to
a fault called for total respect to the principle of honesty.
He had written thus: “Curtis and I each took one, ate the candy bars, and
carefully disposed of the wrappers. I never knew how Aunt Jean found out…”
The long and short of these stories are that when eventually they were
found out for stealing these candy bars, they showed a high sense of
remorse and there and then decided to be honest in every of their
dealings with their aunt and uncle.
Dr. Ben Carson encapsulated their encounters with both their Aunt and
Mother thus: “The implied message being that if we had spent just a little
bit of time thinking surely we would have come to a different conclusion
and behaved differently. While mother wanted us to recognize how our
behavior had demonstrated ingratitude towards our Aunt, the primary
message about honesty came through loud and clear.”
The above lessons apply to Nigerians in our dealings with the government
on these whole issues of counter terror war.
Many a times, we have been told tales that sounded so unbelievable
regarding the exploits of the government in waging the war on terror, but
we the people have swallowed these ‘sweet’ pills of falsehood hook, line
and sinker, hoping and believing that the government officials will on
their own discover the embarrassing lack of value and respect in dishing
out lies to the citizenry, but the litany of lies keeps expanding in leaps
and bounds. The continuous bomb explosions by Boko Haram terrorists are
clear evidence that the soft tissues of lies from the government isn’t
working.
Above all, the government has never been honest with prosecuting the mass
murderers known as boko haram terrorists but has shown unbelievable
penchant in releasing the suspected members of this terror gang.
Sadly, each passing episode of release of these terror suspects has come
with reported cases of bomb explosion but the justice ministry of Nigeria
has failed till date to begin vigorous prosecution of these terrorists who
have killed over 30,000 Nigerians.
What is responsible for the lack of honesty in prosecuting these
terrorists is shocking and disappointing to all discerning minds.
Sadly, the Nigeria Army just released another batch of terror suspects
only on January 15th 2017 and on the morning of January 16th 2017, a
7-year old suicide bomber was sent to the university of Maiduguri by the
terror masterminds and the result is the high number of casualties
including the life of a Professor of that citadel of higher learning.
How sad!
The media report of the release of the latest bunch of boko haram terror
suspects says that: “It is being done as part of the Armed Forces
Remembrance Day celebration, and that the Nigerian Army on Sunday
released 257 suspected Boko Haram members who were in detention to the
Borno State government.”
“The detainees – comprised of men, women and children – were released to
the Borno State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Usman Durkwa, during a ceremony at
the Ramat Square in Maiduguri.”
“Handing over the detainees, the head of the military’s counter-insurgency
operation in the North East (Operation Lafiya Dole) , Maj. Gen. Lucky
Irabor, said the 257 Boko Haram detainees had been screened and found to
be clean.”
“He said, “After screening them, we found them clean, but we will ensure
that they are monitored even after the release. The Army Day celebration
have afforded us opportunity to free them to mark the occasion.” What
independent forensic screening certified these suspects free of
culpability?
The whole counter terror war will remain a perpetual drama of politics
except and unless the Federal Attorney General and Minister of Justice
takes concrete, verifiable and transparent prosecutorial measures to bring
the masterminds of the nearly five year old terror campaign to trial.
The International Crimes Courts in The Hague, Netherland should also pay
closer attention to this apathy on this current government to prosecute
terrorists.
The most honest thing to be done is to invite the United Nations to
Investigate these whole stories of boko haram terrorists so a clearer
picture is painted and the characters responsible are brought to account
in accordance with our laws or with the international laws.
*Emmanuel Onwubiko is head of Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria
and can be reached @ www.emmanuelonwubiko.com