The gruesome attack at the Federal Government College Buni Yadi, Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State by gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram terrorists, once again reinforced the palpable despair that there seems to be no end to the sorrow, tears and blood flowing in the country. No fewer than 39 students were murdered and at least 24 structures were also razed during the attack that was carried out in the wee hours of Tuesday. Two days later, the group killed another 37 people in Adamawa state. Meanwhile, two explosions in Maiduguri on Saturday left 50 more people dead, most of them children. This is horrendous and unacceptable in a country with a government. Nigeria is wailing and bleeding profusely. As commander-in-chief, the President bears ultimate responsibility to save Nigeria from terrorism. The nation has reached saturation point in the mindless slaughter and bloodletting and the killings must stop; enough is enough!
It is very unfortunate that a killing field has become the catch-phrase to describe northern Nigeria, where terrorists continue to unleash mayhem in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States. Schools, colleges, markets, churches, mosques and other soft targets have borne the brunt of the senseless killings despite the state of emergency declared last May to counter the insurgency. The expectation then, was that a strong military presence and firmer action would bring peace to the region. Alas, the terrorists have responded with a change of tactics too. Under pressure from the operations of the Joint Task Forces (JTF) in the affected areas, they moved away from the well policed urban centers, avoided pitched battles with security forces, and focused on soft targets in the rural areas.
The height of Boko Haram’s daring was the brazen attack on the Air Force Base in Maiduguri, which shut-down Borno state for about 24 hours, during which the insurgents inflicted so much damage, including destruction of five aircraft, police stations and the killing of several people. This was an attack on the Nigerian state. Not only did it question the state of operational preparedness and alertness of the troops enforcing the state of emergency in the area, but also spread fear among an already traumatized civilian population. Interestingly, the Benue State capital, Markurdi is the tactical base of the Nigerian Air Force. The base, equipped with technology that covers a radius including the war center in the North East, ought to have picked up the attack before it happened. It was, therefore, embarrassing to see the terrorists capture the northeastern part of the country, not very far from Markurdi, while the military appeared unable to deal with the situation. This is worrisome and inexcusable.
It is perhaps trite to say that never in the history of Nigeria have there been acts more shocking in violence and cruelty than the carnage that Boko Haram continues to perpetrate. It is, therefore, appropriate to say that never has there been a greater need for the government to re-assert its authority over the territory called Nigeria and assure all citizens of safety in their country. Credible figures for casualties have been difficult to obtain, but the UN’s Humanitarian Office (OCHA) said as of January 2014, 51% of the over 10,000 deaths and 290,002 internally displaced in the three states under emergency rule were children. According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the population in Borno – the epicenter of the conflict and where Boko Haram was founded – has been the hardest-hit, with 189,318 displaced. In Yobe, the figure was 71,491, and in Adamawa, 29,193.
The magnitude of the carnage is an indictment of the Federal government, which appears helpless over the situation. This highlights some fundamental issues. First, there seems to be a leadership vacuum not only within the military operation, but also nationally. When the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces is missing in action in the face of unprecedented domestic inadequacies, including excruciating security breaches, it is difficult, if not impossible, to expect total loyalty and commitment from the troops, who are being traumatized by the exploits of the insurgents.
Moreover, the military lacks an adequate leadership structure; and this is not just about the appalling absence of a single, unified command structure to lead the operations, but also the lack of effective coordination, which manifests in the issuance of different, and at times contradictory reports on the military operation by various security agencies. It is clear that there is no cohesion in command due to regrettable and unnecessary inter-service rivalry. Consequently, no one knows who is leading the war. The need for coordination and a central command cannot be over-emphasized, as well as the need to equip the troops with sophisticated weapons, that puts them at an advantage in combat.
Finally, the importance of winning the minds and hearts of the affected communities has become more than just an urgent strategic imperative. These terrorists live freely among the people, and it is mind-boggling that amidst the overwhelming terror, people would rather resign themselves to the violence than report the terrorists amongst them. What is preventing people from volunteering intelligence? Is this a lack of confidence in the government? The consequences of this popular indifference manifests in the willingness of the local population to allow the terrorists free passage in a manner injurious to the counter-insurgency efforts. There is equally a suspicion that certain actors are there for profiteering. For this set of actors, the longer the crisis, the better. Above all, the nation’s porous borders compound the maneuverability of the insurgents.
Given these shortfalls, certain measures must be taken. Equipping the troops for better performance must be fast-tracked, while transnational cooperation with Nigeria’s neighbors must be concretized and made operational to cut off the rear guard of the terrorists. What the times call for is a comprehensive overhaul of the war strategy, including a clear command structure answerable directly to the President. No doubt, the snowballing activities of the terrorists have negatively impacted Nigeria’s image and, logically, hampered the inflow of direct foreign investment. While the government claims to be doing much to end the carnage, the endless killings indicate the efforts are not enough.
Presidential spokesman, Doyin Okupe merely stated the obvious when he said that the nation is at war. What is better known but not said is that the nation is not winning the war. The latest round of killings is fuelling anxiety whether the war against Boko Haram would ever be won. This is where history beckons on the President. Jonathan must understand that though the war against terror would not be a quick-fix, it is winnable; and win he must. He can book a place in history by defeating the terrorists, or allow his focus to be polluted by the politics of 2015 and thereby inherit, in one fell swoop, the stigma as the president who presided over the disintegration of Nigeria. That is a danger he must avoid because that would attract a harsh judgment by history.
