THE BOKO HARAM CEASEFIRE SCAM The speculation that the ceasefire deal between the Federal Government and the Boko Haram religious fundamentalists was nothing but a trickery has at long last been officially confirmed. The Deputy Director of Public Relations in the Department of State Security (DSS), Marilyn Ogar on Tuesday, December 16, 2014 paraded seven men who, she said, claimed to be Boko Haram commanders and organised a fake ceasefire negotiation with the government. According to her, the men collected millions of naira from the Federal Government for the make-believe while giving the impression that they were members of the sect who were favourably disposed to a ceasefire agreement. She stated that the ceasefire fraudsters were part of a well-orchestrated plan to spread falsehood and undermine the efforts of the Federal Government to end terrorism in the country. After the consummation of the fake deal, it was the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, who gleefully announced the ceasefire. To the consternation of Nigerians, however, what followed was not a cessation but an escalation of hostilities by the insurgents. Nigerians may never know the human and material cost of the brutal onslaught launched by the religious fanatics immediately after the announcement of the ceasefire when the troops on the frontline might have dropped their guard. At different times, the government has succumbed to the persistent pressure to negotiate with the violent sect. The oft-repeated argument is that the government should listen to their grievances because all conflicts eventually end at the negotiating table. The salient fact that has always been ignored by those who subscribe to this line of reasoning is that Boko Haram is a band of terrorists who do not accept the fundamental principles that regulate life in a modern society. The government has bent over backwards to constitute committees to explore avenues for peace, but the group has remained adamant and implacable. This has given rise to the alternative viewpoint that the government should bring to bear the full weight of its military might on the insurgents. What has been rather amazing is that the terrorists in their confrontation with a professional army have, most of the time, been on the offensive. The sect that was initially wreaking havoc only with improvised explosive devices has since expanded the scope of its operation by attacking and capturing swathes of territories. At a time, it was reported to have 16 local government areas under its control in the three north-eastern states it has made its theatre of operation. It has been invading communities and abducting both males and females. Nigerians are still hoping against hope that the more than 200 Chibok school girls will one day breathe the air of freedom. The setbacks have been attributed to inter-agency rivalry and other lapses in the mode of operation of the military. Even soldiers’ wives have had to stage demonstrations to demand the provision of adequate equipment for their husbands to confront the insurgents. While it has for long been apparent that the so-called ceasefire deal was another failed attempt to negotiate with Boko Haram, the arrest and parade of the characters who masterminded the non-event has shown that the entire exercise was a scam. One major source of amazement is that the Federal Government, in spite of the number of intelligence agencies at its disposal, could be so easily hoodwinked into such a costly error on such a serious issue. The DSS spokesperson said the arrest of the seven suspects followed an intensive investigation launched by her organisation into the allegation by self-styled Australian negotiator, Stephen Davis that former Governor of Borno State, Ali Modu Sheriff and former Chief of Army Staff, General Azubuike Ihejirika were sponsors of Boko Haram. If an attempt to impugn the integrity of two prominent Nigerian citizens prompted the DSS to operate with such a ruthless efficiency, what stopped it from doing likewise on a critical issue that affected the security of Nigeria. Should the organisation not have subjected the fake Boko Haram commanders to close monitoring before and during the negotiations? The discovery by the DSS that the Australian and his collaborators are part of several local and international groups whose objective is “to make merchandise of the Boko Haram insurgency through concocted and fabricated stories” can be likened to medicine after death. If this discovery had been made at the appropriate time and put at the disposal of the government, the costly and embarrassing error of negotiating with fake Boko Haram commanders would have been avoided. The inability to see through the cloak of deception woven by the scammers is a failure of intelligence and a sad reflection on the competence of those who represented the government at the negotiating table. It is surprising that even the government negotiators could not smell a rat. Their gullibility from the level of primary contacts to the consummation of the deal should be a source of worry to the people in authority. Nigerian Tribune
Posted on: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 01:11:46 +0000