Boko Haram: Unending bloodletting bloodletting What an age of unremitting blood fest: from What an age of unremitting blood fest: from Kano to Borno to Sokoto, there is no letting Kano to Borno to Sokoto, there is no letting up as the Boko Haram insurgents up as the Boko Haram insurgents remorselessly re-enact themselves with a remorselessly re-enact themselves with a confetti of body bags and broken limbs. No confetti of body bags and broken limbs. No week seems to pass now without a report of week seems to pass now without a report of a bloody attack in one part of the North. Last a bloody attack in one part of the North. Last Sunday, the sect struck at a mosque in Sunday, the sect struck at a mosque in Konduga, outskirts of Maiduguri, capital of Konduga, outskirts of Maiduguri, capital of Borno State. The worshippers had come Borno State. The worshippers had come under a massive gun assault in the midst of under a massive gun assault in the midst of prayers with no fewer than 40 people killed prayers with no fewer than 40 people killed and several injured. The attackers were said and several injured. The attackers were said to have been decked in army fatigues. to have been decked in army fatigues. Boko Haram also scored a big hit in Kano, Boko Haram also scored a big hit in Kano, July 29 when it let off multiply explosions July 29 when it let off multiply explosions killing about 45 persons. On Saturday, July killing about 45 persons. On Saturday, July 27, about 22 were killed in Dawashi and 27, about 22 were killed in Dawashi and Mainok in Borno State. Though the activities Mainok in Borno State. Though the activities of the sect came to limelight in 2009, it has of the sect came to limelight in 2009, it has been engaged in near full scale war with the been engaged in near full scale war with the Nigerian military with the imposition of state Nigerian military with the imposition of state of emergency in the states of Borno, Yobe of emergency in the states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa on May 14. There was and Adamawa on May 14. There was massive deployment of troops to these massive deployment of troops to these Northeast states and environs which led to Northeast states and environs which led to initial successes upon the routing of the initial successes upon the routing of the insurgents. But it may have turned out that insurgents. But it may have turned out that what was won was a pyrrhic victory. The what was won was a pyrrhic victory. The insurgents have continued to prove invincible insurgents have continued to prove invincible by regrouping and striking through guerrilla by regrouping and striking through guerrilla Fighting a phantom, moving enemy must be Fighting a phantom, moving enemy must be trying for even the best army in the world; trying for even the best army in the world; and grappling with an environment of and grappling with an environment of possible sabotage, blacklegs and fifth possible sabotage, blacklegs and fifth columnists would be daunting to say the columnists would be daunting to say the least. Then again, fighting rebels without any least. Then again, fighting rebels without any concrete cause beyond the espousal of hate, concrete cause beyond the espousal of hate, bigotry and half-baked religious mantras is bigotry and half-baked religious mantras is outright daunting. So throwing more soldiers outright daunting. So throwing more soldiers at them as we seem to have done so far will at them as we seem to have done so far will only prolong and muddy the war. The war only prolong and muddy the war. The war must be prosecuted more at the realm of must be prosecuted more at the realm of mind games and gadgets; we seek mind games and gadgets; we seek advantages through telecommunications, advantages through telecommunications, surveillance and air power. We must be able surveillance and air power. We must be able to profile them, pre-empt them, second-to profile them, pre-empt them, second-guess them and rout them. We must develop guess them and rout them. We must develop highly rapid response capabilities. But most highly rapid response capabilities. But most importantly, the military top hierarchy cannot importantly, the military top hierarchy cannot afford to take nary a nap, as the ‘boys’ would afford to take nary a nap, as the ‘boys’ would seize any opportunity to pull surprises. seize any opportunity to pull surprises. Now that it has become obvious that the Now that it has become obvious that the terrorists are largely cross border elements terrorists are largely cross border elements who are enjoying enormous foreign support, who are enjoying enormous foreign support, every Nigerian must stand up to support the every Nigerian must stand up to support the effort to chase them back where they cam effort to chase them back where they cam from. Sunday’s attack on worshippers in a from. Sunday’s attack on worshippers in a Mosque in Konduga must be the first direct, Mosque in Konduga must be the first direct, premeditated assault on Muslims. It only premeditated assault on Muslims. It only proves that the group is desperate and seeks proves that the group is desperate and seeks to make some quick and notable gains, it to make some quick and notable gains, it wants to maintain a semblance of wants to maintain a semblance of invincibility. As it stands most of the North of invincibility. As it stands most of the North of Nigeria has been devastated by the activities Nigeria has been devastated by the activities of this violent Islamists. Apart from bombings of this violent Islamists. Apart from bombings and gunfights, there are also armed and gunfights, there are also armed robberies, kidnappings and the destruction of robberies, kidnappings and the destruction of the school system among other government the school system among other government infrastructure. infrastructure. For the North of Nigeria which was lagging For the North of Nigeria which was lagging behind the rest of the country, the Boko behind the rest of the country, the Boko Haram carnage will take decades and huge Haram carnage will take decades and huge funding to put to order. While we chase the funding to put to order. While we chase the destroyers over the hills and across the destroyers over the hills and across the waters, are we ready to join other members of waters, are we ready to join other members of the world community to begin to do things the world community to begin to do things the proper way? Are we ready to begin to the proper way? Are we ready to begin to attend to the conditions precedent to these attend to the conditions precedent to these crises? Like curbing corruption, implementing crises? Like curbing corruption, implementing our budgets faithfully so that its impact will our budgets faithfully so that its impact will be felt down to the lowest individual in the be felt down to the lowest individual in the society? If we do not enact a radical change society? If we do not enact a radical change in the manner we run our country, we will in the manner we run our country, we will always be dogged by challenges such as always be dogged by challenges such as Boko Haram, kidnappings and all such vices. Boko Haram, kidnappings and all such vices. We may never be able to stop this cycle of We may never be able to stop this cycle of bloodletting. bloodletting.
Posted on: Fri, 16 Aug 2013 20:23:09 +0000
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