By Yemi Adebowale
When Boko Haram struck in Chibok, Borno State, nine days ago, four people were killed, 22 women/two men abducted and 110 buildings razed. Yes, 110 buildings were razed in Kawtakare, Korohuma and Pemi communities in Chibok, and this is according to official figures. The terrorists were able to burn such a large number of buildings because they were in the local government for almost a whole day, unhindered. They also went from house to house cherry-picking women. The most painful about this persistent attack of Chibok by terrorists is that this town is home to the Nigerian Army’s 28 Task Force Brigade. These soldiers have not hindered the terrorists.
Within just the first 29 days of this New Year, Chibok LG was attacked three times by the terrorists. On January 3, six soldiers and a civilian were killed when the guerrillas attacked a military base in Kuda, Chibok. After leaving the military base, the attackers burnt 40 houses in the village and then looted the community’s food and livestock.
Boko Haram returned to Chibok LG on January 14 and inflicted pain on residents of Kautikari village. As usual, they spent over two hours moving from house to house in the community. Three people were killed and scores of buildings razed.
Some of the schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram in 2014 at a boarding secondary school in Chibok are yet to be found. Over 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped back then. Notwithstanding, attacks, killings and abduction have continued in this town for seven years. For how long shall these people continue to bury their loved ones? The hapless people of Chibok have obviously given up on the Nigerian state that persistently fails to protect them.
Last Monday, Governor Babagana Zulum was in Chibok to shed tears. He also interfaced with heads of security agencies and discussed breaches and ways to improve security in Chibok communities. This is the same Zulum that earlier refused to list Chibok LG as one of the unsafe areas in the state. This time around, Zulum was a bit honest to admit that four local government areas – Biu, Askira, Chibok and Damboa – were faced with serial attacks from Boko Haram and ISWAP. It is not enough for Zulum to shed tears. The Borno Governor should put pressure on President Muhammadu Buhari to clear the terrorists in the state. He should confront the President with the truth; that 20 of the 27 local governments in the state are not safe.
Those genuinely interested in decapitating Boko Haram and ISWAP persistently contend that the Nigerian Army is doing its best in this war, but this best is not enough to end terrorism. This is the truth Zulum must key into and put pressure on the federal government to do the needful. The truth is that Nigeria must seek help from developed countries. We need foreign military contractors to end this war against Boko Haram and ISWAP. Technology, modern equipment and quality manpower are required in modern warfare. Our gallant military lacks these.
The developed world now fights enemies with drones and pin-point missiles. It is still not happening in Nigeria. The United States did not step into Libyan soil to fire the missile that destroyed Muammar Gaddafi. A U.S. predator-drone operated from a base near Las Vegas fired the first missiles at fleeing Gaddafi’s convoy, hitting its target about three kilometres west of Sirte. This is the modern warfare I’m talking about. Nigeria must hire foreign military contractors, who will come with their equipment and manpower to decapitate Boko Haram.
The alternative is to approach leaders of the United States and its European allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), to help clear terrorists in Nigeria as they did in the middle-east, decapitating al Qaeda and Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who delivered a special address (virtually) at the just concluded World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, made an appeal that was close to this suggestion of mine.
Osinbajo declared: “It is imperative for the international community to make more robust interventions to clear terrorists from Africa just as it did in the Middle East and other parts of the world. The United Nations Security Council must find unanimity in working with and assisting African countries to eradicate the menace of terrorism in the continent once and for all.”
The Buhari government should go beyond Osinbajo’s appeal on behalf of the entire African continent. If this government is genuinely interested in ending terrorism, it should directly approach the US and its NATO allies, to help clear the terrorists in Nigeria.
The Nigerian government must end its pretenses of having decapitated Boko Haram and ISWAP, and face the terror challenges squarely. It was good that the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Nigeria punched a big hole in the charades last week. The Head of the office, Martin Griffiths, professed that Boko Haram, and its offshoot, the Islamic State West Africa Province, “are still very, very dangerous and very threatening.”
Griffiths thereafter urged the world not to take attention away from the insurgency-ravaged North-east Nigeria, noting that the region needs not less than $1billion in aid this year. According to him, “the funds are needed to provide food and health care for the millions of people displaced and to those who remain in their homes but are vulnerable to attacks.”
The UN official also told the world not to forget the continuing devastation being caused by the terrorists that had killed several thousands of residents and displaced millions: “This is a very different kind of operation and very difficult also to deter … a grave, clear and present danger, obviously, to the people and a priority for the government. The world needs to remember this is a tragedy that needs to be sorted out.”
Griffiths is indeed a friend of Nigeria. His intervention, done in good faith, is highly commendable. I hope the Buhari government will digest his blunt assessment of the strength of the terrorists in the North-east and act appropriately. Boko Haram and ISWAP are still, daily, sending scores of Nigerians to early graves.
I just ran into some statistics showing that in the first 11 months of 2020 alone, there were a total of 142 attacks by Boko Haram or ISWAP in the three North Eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, making an average of 13 incidents a month.
Of these 142 events, 17 ended with no fatalities while at least 1,606 people were killed in the 125 fatal incidents. This bloodshed must end.
Originally published at Thisday