FG Should Sincerely Reappraise Tactics against Boko Haram

RingTrue by Yemi Adebowale; yemi.adebowale@thisdaylive.com; 07013940521 (text only)

The killing of seven people on Tuesday in Izgeki village and Izghe market near Sambisa forest, in Gwoza (Borno State) and the attack on the nearby village of Nchiha are clear signs that the war against Boko Haram is not going on well. Of course, the death of over 60 Nigerians in multiple bomb blasts by Boko Haram in Maiduguri and Adamawa State last December is still fresh in our memories. The Buhari administration has failed the nation in this war against the terrorists. In the last eight months under Buhari’s watch, the terrorists have killed almost 2000 Nigerians. This is unprecedented in the history of this country.

We are clearly not winning the war. The Jonathan administration made significant strides in degrading the capacity of the terrorists. The truth be told, the war against Boko Haram was handed over to Buhari in a better shape. The terrorists had been pushed to Sambisa forest by the time Goodluck Jonathan handed over to Buhari. This administration could not sustain the momentum and it should be honest about this. This war can’t be won with deceit and propaganda. If we are going to make any progress, this administration has to be honest in all ramifications. Our gallant soldiers are doing their best, but unfortunately, their best is just not enough.

This talk about “technically” defeating Boko Haram is preposterous.  Where is Shekau’s head and where are the Chibok girls? If indeed, the war had been won, it would be visible to all. Buhari himself stated during his inauguration that the war could not be said to have been won without the rescue of the abducted schoolgirls. Just as the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Adewale Martins stated recently, the Federal Government must not give the populace a false sense of assurance that all was well, when indeed there was still much to be done in safeguarding the lives and properties of Nigerians. “It is obvious that the government needs to take more proactive steps in ensuring that these sect members are completely decimated and rendered incapable of causing more havoc in the land. While it is true that some successes have been recorded by the nation’s security agencies in recent times, it is also obvious that the war against terrorism is far from over,” stated Most Rev. Martins.

Again, this deceit by the government that Boko Haram is now attacking soft targets is all propaganda. The terrorists have on many occasions ambushed our troops and killed them. Not many will forget in a hurry the recent ambush and killing of soldiers in Mairari. Four soldiers died in the attack.

For the BringBackOurGirls campaigners, they have finally seen the obvious hypocrisy of the Buhari administration in this war against Boko Haram. After months of deceit, Buhari confirmed that there was no intelligence report to show that the abducted 219 Chibok schoolgirls were alive and in one place. Many were hugely disappointed. The BringBackOurGirls coalition was on point when it said the President’s comment exposed the lack of intelligence gathering capacity of the Department of State Services and other security agencies. The Chairman, Chibok Community in Abuja, Tsambido Abana, expressed shock at the President’s comment, stating that the government had been telling lies about rescuing the abducted girls. He revealed that he slumped on hearing that the security forces had no information on the girls’ location. Let me state clearly that Nigerians will continue to hold Buhari accountable for the missing girls until they are rescued and reunited with their families as promised.

Boko Haram suicide bombings must not continue. The war is not only about stopping Boko Haram from holding territories. It is also about reducing suicide bombings drastically. Buhari should be prepared to answer pertinent questions regarding this war: How much equipment has he procured for the military in the last seven months?  What have we achieved with the Multi-National Joint Task Force arrangement? Why are we not hiring foreign military experts? The President and his security team must be honest enough to admit that they are not doing well in this war. It is pertinent for them to meet and reappraise their strategies.  The MNJTF is obviously not working. The terrorists are still moving across borders with ease as seen from the damages being done. It is clear that some of our neighbouring countries see this war as an opportunity to milk Nigerians. So, we should be thinking about prosecuting the war without MNJTF. We should be investing more in technology and intelligence gathering. Above all, we should be thinking about hiring the best brains from anywhere in the world to prosecute this war. The ultimate aim is to decapitate Boko Haram.

THISDAY