BY: IFEANYI IZEZE<\/p>\n
The narrative is common knowledge that ten years ago, in July 2009
\nprecisely, Nigeria\u2019s security forces swooped in on what was then a
\nrelatively little-known Islamic group in the north east of the country.
\nAt the time, that group\u2019s focus was preaching, although it believed
\nal-Qaeda\u2019s path would bring Nigerian Muslims out of their abyss by
\nliving a Taliban lifestyle. The joint security clampdown led to the
\ndeath of scores of its members, including the leader and cleric,
\nMuhammed Yusuf. As a result, the man who succeeded him, Abubakar Shekau,
\nvowed to revenge the killing of their leader and members and a merciless
\nbloody campaign ensued.<\/p>\n
As said by an analyst, Matthew Page, Associate Fellow with the
\nLondon-based international affairs group Chatham House, in his comment:
\n\u201cBoko Haram is a very decentralized group, which contrasts with other
\njihadist groups that are tightly organized. Boko Haram doesn\u2019t have
\nmuch in the way of coherent strategy and focus, yet they have defied the
\nodds and survived.\u201d<\/p>\n
At times, government\u2019s sincerity in addressing the menace of the group
\nlooks suspicious and this has been responsible for the allegations
\nwhether right or wrong that some politicians and top military officers
\nmay clandestinely be fuelling the activities of the group for pecuniary
\nreasons.<\/p>\n
It is on record that the Nigerian military personnel at the forefront
\nin the fight against this extremist group are deliberately neglected to
\nweaken or rather demoralise them. All these support the allegations of
\ncomplicity and the Nigerian Army High Command is not telling us
\neverything there is to this now cancerous Boko Haram menace in the
\nnorthern parts of the country.<\/p>\n
Whether anybody wants to hear this or not, the recent spate of violence
\nvisited on Nigerians in the Northwest cannot be denied of being a
\nmetamorph of the Boko Haram menace in the Northeast. Call them
\n\u201cbandits\u201d or \u201ccattle rustlers\u201d from hell, we know they are a
\ndetachment of the same people operating in the northeast but probably
\ndislodged by the military campaign of the \u201cOperation Lafia Dole\u201d.<\/p>\n
Several observers both foreign and local have alleged that certain
\nNigerian officials are profiting from the unrest via corruption and have
\nlittle interest in ending the bloodshed. Do we need an outsider to tell
\nus that the Nigerian government\/Army has been ineffective in combating
\nBoko Haram, largely as a result of insincerity and corruption? Thus,
\ndespite serial claims that the armed group has been \u201ctechnically
\ndefeated\u201d the Nigerian Army still struggles to contain the violence.<\/p>\n
Today, a decade since it was almost wiped out, Boko Haram has an
\nestimated 6,000 fighters [1] broken into two factions. The larger and
\nmore sophisticated group claimed to be affiliated with the so-called
\nIslamic State and known as Islamic State in West Africa Province
\n(ISWAP). The smaller and cruder faction is led by the notorious Abubakar
\nShekau [2] and is called _Jama\u2019at Ahl al-Sunnah li-l-Dawah wa-l-Jihad_
\n(JAS).<\/p>\n
IS BOKO HARAM’S LEADER DEAD? INSANE? NEITHER?<\/p>\n
Why is understanding Boko Haram so hard? Because the Nigerian terrorist
\ngroup is led by a vicious, cunning enigm…<\/p>\n
Whether our military is wining the fight against these insurgents or not
\nis even a lesser issue in this entire Boko Haram conspiracy. The main
\ncause of concern to every genuine patriotic Nigerian should actually be
\nthe ongoing Nigerian government\/Army policy of not only de-radicalising
\nand rehabilitating the so called repentant terrorists but automatically
\nre-engaging them into the Nigerian military. There is a big problem
\nthere!<\/p>\n
The commentary on \u201cRoots Tv\u201d that was widely shared on the Utube and
\nacross several other social media platforms cannot but jolt any
\nconcerned Nigerian into thinking deep on the way our political leaders
\nincluding the leadership of the Nigerian Army have handled this Boko
\nHaram issue making the insurgents now look as if they have become
\n\u201comnipotent and omnipresent.\u201d<\/p>\n
Agreeing with the worries expressed by the \u201cRoots Tv\u201d commentator,
\nit is very crucial we do a recap here: As said in the broadcast, \u201cWhat
\nNigerian army is doing is simply recycling insurgency. It is easier for
\nyou to rehabilitate somebody who is mentally derailed either as a result
\nof drugs abuse or from any other factor. It is easier to rehabilitate
\nand redefine his mindset and make him a better person and re-engage him
\ninto the society.<\/p>\n
\u201cA terrorist is an extremist; he is doing all his doing not based on
\nhow much you are giving him or whatever he is going to gain. He is an
\nextremist that can sacrifice even his life and still thinks what he is
\ndoing is to the glory of God almighty.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now let\u2019s look at it from where we are coming from as a nation of
\npeople: Once upon a time we had Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) and these
\npeople terrorised the South-West and the government dislodged them
\nbecause of the excesses in their activities. They were never seen as
\npotentials to be re-engaged into the Nigerian Army.<\/p>\n
We had Bakasi Boys in the South East, they were also pushed away by the
\nNigerian security and their activities banned. They were never seen as
\npotentials to be re-engaged into the Nigerian military.<\/p>\n
We also had the Niger Delta militants under different franchise- MEND,
\nAvengers and the rest of them. Though they were given amnesty by the
\nfederal government but these young men who displayed the potentiality to
\ndislodge the Nigerian military joint taskforce and confronted them
\nheadlong in so many instances were never seen as potentials to be
\nre-engaged into the Nigerian military.<\/p>\n
MEND never killed a single innocent person, never threw bombs in
\nmarkets, churches\/mosques, bus stops etc. They made their grouse clearly
\nknown at the onset that they were protesting the marginalisation of the
\nregion that produces the oil wealth that has been carrying the entire
\nnation for decades. Yet, two of their leaders are currently serving life
\nsentence in prison.<\/p>\n
The recent one is IPOB whose members were dislodged and even proscribed
\nby the Nigerian government and most of them are still in detention. This
\ngroup of persons have never been seen as potentials that will be
\nrehabilitated and engaged into the Nigerian military.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow, here we have confirmed terrorists and unrepentant mass
\nmurderers; people who have seen the Nigerian military to be their number
\none enemies; people who have come out headlong to confront Nigerian army
\nkilling them and other innocent people, they will just go and say they
\nhave surrendered and the next thing Nigerian Army and the government
\naside the billions of dollars being spent on security because of this
\nBoko Haram will go and again pay more money rehabilitating them and the
\nworst of it engage them into the Nigerian military.<\/p>\n
This is the real danger: In the next 10-20 years we will have thousands
\nof Boko Haram terrorists in our Nigerian military and what else does
\nthis mean if not \u201crecycling insurgency.\u201d So what the Military High
\nCommand is encouraging is that if you want to join the Nigerian
\nmilitary, simply go and join Boko Haram first, after one or two months
\nsurrender yourself and the Nigerian military will carry you to do what
\nthey call rehabilitation after which engage you straightaway, that\u2019s
\nwhat it means.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, this country has more than enough vibrant and able youths who
\nwant to join the Nigerian army but the opportunity is not given to them
\nbut here are terrorists being given automatic ticket to join the
\nNigerian Army.<\/p>\n
What is so important that will make these terrorists officers of the
\nNigerian military? There is danger that lies ahead and let Nigerians
\nincluding the docile leaders of the various ethnic groups see this and
\nwake up and speak up now that there\u2019s time.<\/p>\n
Is this not multiplying insecurity and terrorism in the land? This is
\ndangerous for this nation and except all Nigerians in unison speak up
\nagainst this ugly trend now, when the problem will start manifesting,
\nwhat we are seeing in the North East will be a child\u2019s play. God Bless
\nNigeria!<\/p>\n
(IFEANYI IZEZE:\u00a0IIZEZE@YAHOO.COM<\/a>; 234-8033043009)<\/p>\n