BOKO HARAM - THE DEADLY TRAGEDY OF PERSISTING INSURGENCY The emerging tendency to consistently and successfully strike soft targets in the ongoing asymmetrical warfare between the Boko Haram Terrorist Organisation and the Nigerian State appears to be gradually settling into our National Subconscious as one of the “normal” occurrences in our daily travails as a nation. For the umpteenth time, our collective conscience as a nation is called to question by the November 10th 2014 Suicide Bomb Blast that reportedly killed 47 pupils and wounded over 79 others at the assembly ground of Government Science Technical School, Potiskum, Yobe State. Just like the previous attack and butchering of 59 defenceless school children which occurred on the night of February 25th, 2014 at the Federal Government College Buni Yadi, Yobe state, and the ones before it on July 6, 2013, when the Terrorist Group attacked and killed at least 41 children and 1 teacher at Mamudo Government Secondary School, Yobe State, and the one before it on 29th September 2013, when suspected gunmen from Boko Haram entered the male dormitory in the College of Agriculture in Gujba, Yobe State, Nigeria, killing at least 44 students and teachers; the Federal Government and its security apparatuses, the state government and their agencies have all condemned the killings and made feeble promises of how the wanton, barbaric and cowardly killings will not happen again, how they will “defeat Boko Haram and insurgency if elected for a second term in office”.What a sick joke! The National Association of Seadogs (Pyrates Confraternity) find these killings reprehensible to say the least and condemn in its entirety, this and all other acts of bloodletting, insurgency and mass murders which are threatening the corporate existence of our dear nation Nigeria. We condemn the Boko Haram Terrorist group for showing absolute disdain for the sanctity of human life whilst professing to be motivated by a maligned, ill-conceived belief that its actions seek to achieve a deluded purity for the twisted that follow its beliefs. It is worrisome enough to witness the currently frequent attack and gruesome murder of young school children by this group but of much deeper concern to us is the feebly mouthed assurances from Government and security agencies. It is deeply worrisome because as these rehashed and monotonous tales of “we will get them” are being aired, the Boko Haram terrorist organization is “conquering” territories inside Nigeria. Ostensibly, without a clear cut strategic response and action plan, the inglorious butchering of defenceless school children, young boys and girls, Nigeria’s sons and daughters will continue unabated. Gradually, these acts have become more frequent and their impact more gruesome. The sect has become more emboldened and daring owing to the feeble and uncoordinated responses of Government to each successive attack. What, we ask, is the perverted attraction for killing young people? Is this predicated on an affinity with attacking one of the most vulnerable categories of the citizenry? Is this twisted choice a spineless implementation of the “areas of least resistance approach”? We are afraid that these young people are gradually turning into gruesome statistics in death and numbers that are increasingly populating reports that will gather dust on shelves of government functionaries as well as the outside world. Is this what the lot of Nigerian children has become in this century of opportunities; the 21st Century? To live unsung and die without dignity? We believe that every right-thinking Nigerian will say a resounding No to those questions! Despite the limitations of what is known of government responses to curb the menace of Boko Haram owing to the sensitive nature of publicly circulating security information, NAS wishes to acknowledge the innovativeness of the “Safe Schools Initiative”.The Safe School’s Initiative is a tripartite program between the Federal Government, the Governors of North – Eastern States of Nigeria and International Community which offers three windows which include the rehabilitation, reconstruction and creating safe schools in the North - East States which are currently ravaged by insurgents. The programme also affords opportunity for indigent students of Northeastern extraction to be able to study on scholarships in other safer and more stable regions of the country.The Yobe State Government’s order to close down schools in the state may be a short-term plan to blunt the damage that has been wrought on the psyche of students in the state but it is by and large knee-jerk and reactionary.The approval granted the Federal Government by the Legislature to borrow USD $ 1 Billion (one billion United States dollars) to combat insurgency is laudable but we must be mindful that throwing money alone at the current problem will not make it go away. It is time to take a real hard look at the underlying socioeconomic factors that fuel this type of insurgency and dissidence in general; they are endemic poverty, illiteracy and unemployment. Nevertheless, we recognise and assert that Boko Haram’s activities are not motivated by any concern about the country’s socio-economic deficits but by a morbid, macabre philosophy anchored on murder and brigandage. The news of Nigerian Army fleeing from battle, more than once, is quite embarrassing to Nigeria as a nation. It has been widely reported that local hunters and “Civilian JTF” members repelled BH and killed 80 of the insurgents after Nigerian soldiers fled and left them to their fate! If accurate, these trends cast a huge shadow of doubt on the competence of the leadership of the Security Agencies to articulate and implement appropriate response strategies to combat this full-grown monster. Its not just bullets and guns alone because arms without strategy, including winning hearts and minds, is sure to fail. With the current shadow of doubt on the capacity of the current Service Chiefs to curb the menace of these savages, NAS calls for more practical accountability of their ability to achieve these objectives within a very short period failing which they should be removed! As a counter-insurgency measure aimed at tackling the terrorists at the grassroots, government should develop de-radicalisation programmes to counter the psychological components of the terrorist’s recruitment process. A policy that allows the security agencies to employ indigenes from the localities where these terrorist activities impact most will help harness local knowledge and engender buy-in and support from these local communities. All taken, as a nation, we must consider quick wins and low-hanging-fruits to foreclose this harvest of deaths. In addition to the military measures already being put in place by government, we suggest, among other things, a mass campaign aimed at taking safety and security awareness and low-intensity responses to the grass roots especially in the communities most prone to terrorist attacks. No society accepts the slaughtering of innocent lives let alone defenceless young people who are in legitimate quest for knowledge to make their future better. It is condemnable, barbaric and unjustifiable. The feeble assurances of government and its agencies are inadequate and unacceptable no matter how well intentioned. The security agencies must do more, both in terms of preventive intervention and quick rescue/ counter-offensive. A Nigerian child’s life should never be so cheaply and easily ended! Enough is enough!
Posted on: Sun, 16 Nov 2014 06:53:53 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015