How to Tackle Terrorism in Nigeria: Part 1 Please accept my humble sympathies fellow Nigerians if you have been so unlucky to be at the receiving end of a demonic onslaught against innocent and defenseless citizens by a devilish Radical Islamist Sect called Boko Haram whose only mission seems to destroy the peace and harmony of the Nigerian state. I am not a security expert, but I’m sensible enough to read the hand writing on the wall and analyze a critical situation that must not be left unchecked. Just in case the federal government and other security agencies are looking for ideas on how to tackle the menace of terrorism, I’m freely offering advice here and hope it will be listened to or some of the ideas found useful. Even so this is my little contribution to national security so feel free to join in this discussion. Let us brainstorm and find ways to make Nigeria safer or where that is not possible for us to divide and go our separate ways in the most peaceful and progressive way possible although the true motive of Boko Haram is Political and I will explain this later under how to tackle terrorism. Emerging as a radical fundamentalist Islamic sect in 2002 the group which at one time was dubbed the Nigerian Taliban for their similar ideological stand against anything western has certainly gone beyond its boundaries as a sect seeking to make their religious practices the order of the day in their musliim dominated Northern Nigeria. To my mind, just as the Taliban in Afghanistan used Islam as a tool to oppress and intimidate all manner of dissent and still promote global terrorism by harbouring al-qaeda just as Al-shabbab in Somalia that went as far as prescribing death sentences on Somali citizens caught watching football matches in the last world cup – South Africa 2010 – these groups will make life unbearable if they are given political power which is clearly what they want pretending instead to be out to purify Islam and make the purest form of Islamic practice through Sharia to be the order of the day. From time in memorial this sect has said anything western is anti- Islamic and therefore devilish and should be destroyed. You will recall when in 2008/2009 without provocation this group suddenly attacked police stations across northern Nigeria, destroying properties and killing policemen for no just reason in states such as Bauchi, Borno, Gombe and Kano. The police responded by rounding up their members and summarily executing them. The world screamed blue murder, and we all agreed but come 2010, the group’s untouched members regrouped and have become more daring and dangerous killing anyone it hates and usually for the flimsiest of reasons. For instance killing a prominent politician – a governorship candidate of ANPP – who openly criticized them, a Muslim cleric was not spared either. A journalist with NTA and several other minor assassinations as well. Carrying out bomb blasts against Western Institutions such as the United Nations in Abuja and the Police head quarters in Abuja (after the IGP called Boko Haram a bunch of minor criminals who pose no real threat to national security), attacking relaxation joints such as suya joints, Mammy Markets in Barracks, churches and INEC offices. What does Boko Haram really want? From the way they operate it is quite clear they are ought to undermine the government of Nigeria by accomplishing the following; 1. Spread fear across the length and Breadth of Northern Nigeria especially among the political elite and gain relevance in the process. This is seen by the fact that they will assassinate anyone who publicly criticizes or offends them e.g foiled assassination attempt on Hafiz Ringim and assassination of ANPP governorship candidate in Borno State. 2. Turn the people against the Federal Government by undermining the efficiency of security agencies. They always brag about being able to strike whenever and wherever they want and claiming that they are stronger than our security agencies. 3. Trivialize national issues into religious crisis. Claiming that attacks against Christians are reprisals for killings and cannibalism against Muslims in Northern Nigeria. Yet they also killed a lot of Muslims in Kano recently and telling all Muslims living in the South to relocate to the North and Vice Versa or face death. 4. Promote anarchy by causing confusion and widespread panic. They have no clearly defined targets anywhere there is a public gathering is a potential target. Churches, relaxation spots, government offices, INEC and other government parastatals, Security agencies such as police, army, immigration and their base stations, Mammy Markets and sometimes attacking people by the roadside. 5. Gaining political leverage for their cause. Claiming that more deaths and carnage will be inflicted on Nigeria firstly implies that there will be potential breakdown of law and order leading to declaration of state of emergency and curfews which weakens the state governments further and drives more attention to their demands. This makes them seem more powerful than they really are. Summary Clearly nothing from what they want to achieve is Islamic, so trying to dialogue with them is a waste of time and they would only agree to do so if they are losing the battle for now they don’t seem to be and hence have turned down requests for dialogue and even amnesty. Therefore the battle is best handled in a Bosom-for-tat manner. Citizens should be security conscious and give useful information to the police even if we don’t like the police right now they are our friends at least compared to Boko Haram. End of Part 1
Posted on: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 09:00:46 +0000
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