The drawbacks to Nigeria’s war against Boko Haram/ISWAP have always been ineptitude, unending falsehood and corruption by security agents. The security chiefs, whose opinions and actions could have helped this country to tackle terrorism, have become merchants of lies, rolling out imaginary security achievements. This is why killings and abductions by terrorists have become a daily occurrence with no part of Nigeria spared.
The war is also being drawn back by the ineptness, endless falsehood and corruption by many political leaders in affected states and at the federal level. Daily, scores of their citizens are killed by Boko Haram, yet, many of these political leaders are too timid to say the truth; too timid to confront those charged with the responsibility of taming terrorists. Many do not want to be seen disparaging the government at the centre, in order to sustain their personal gains.
The heart-wrenching scenarios painted above have been playing out in Boko Haram-dominated Borno State for almost 16 years. It has been very bad under Babagana Zulum as governor. This man has persistently been economical with the truth when it comes to Boko Haram’s influence and destructions. When Zulum decided to cry out last Tuesday, it was still laced with a huge lie. He lamented “the resurgence of Boko Haram in the state,” adding, “the renewed Boko Haram attacks and kidnappings in many communities, almost on a daily basis, without confrontation, signaled that Borno State is losing ground to the terrorists.”
Zulum grieved about the attacks on military formations in Wajirko (Sabon Gari) in Damboa Local Government; Wulgo in Gamboru Ngala; Izge in Gwoza Local Government, and killings of innocent civilians and security agents.
My anger with Zulum has to do with the use of the word “resurgence of attacks” during the “special expanded security meeting at the Government House, Maiduguri, on Tuesday. Which resurgence of attacks is he talking about? In the last 16 years, attacks by Boko Haram/ISWAP have never slowed down. Not even for one day in Borno State. The carnages have been pouring. Zulum truly knows the real meaning of the word “resurgence” but chose to be economical with the truth. Attacks have been persistent. This is the truth that must be told. So, Zulum’s talk of “revival” in attacks is balderdash.
Borno State, the epicenter of Boko Haram has never for one day stopped bleeding. The blood stains across Borno represent the crux of the matter. Perhaps, Zulum is having memory issues. I need to remind him of some of the deadly attacks in almost six years of his government. About 20 of the 27 LGAs in Borno State are still controlled by Boko Haram, with daily killings and abductions.
Abadam LGA, on the western coast of Lake Chad, remains a stronghold of terrorists. ISWAP has its headquarters at nearby Kamuya village, which is its largest camp in Lake Chad, about eight kilometres from Malam Fatori. All attacks on Malam Fatori are launched from Kamuya, a village ISWAP has fortified with mines and heavy weapons. Guzamala, Marte, Abadam and Mobbar LGAs remain killings fields. Attacks never slowed down. Zulum knows this.
The November 28, 2020 Koshobe village massacre is still fresh in my memory. On that day in Koshobe village, Jere district, Boko Haram killed 110 rice farmers on their farms.
I can’t forget how ISWAP fighters stormed Malam Fatori in Abadam LG, on November 2022, killing and maiming. Hundreds of houses were destroyed and scores of innocent Nigerians killed in that attack. An army base in Malam Fatori was also attacked with an undisclosed number of soldiers killed. The terrorists, who drove trucks fitted with machine guns, spent over 24 hours in Malam Fatori, committing atrocities unhindered. In that predawn attack on the base and the town, the jihadists hurled explosives to kill residents.
In September 2023, Boko Haram killed 10 farmers and abducted many others in Mafa Local Government Area of the state. In this same September 2023, a fresh graduate of the University of Maiduguri, Baba Alaji, was among three civilians killed when Boko Haram ambushed military vehicles escorting motorists along Gwoza-Limankara-Uvaha road.
In October 30, 2023 Boko Haram killed Sheikh Baba Goni Muktar Malumti, the Chief Imam of Jummat Central Mosque in Benisheikh town, the headquarters of Kaga Local Government Area of Borno State.
No doubt, the Zulum years have been blood-stained. Attacks by Boko Haram never slowed down for a day. The killings have been endless. So, he can’t be talking about “resurgence.” There was never a pause. This governor chose to follow the fraudulent narrative of the Buhari government that Boko Haram had been decapitated. My dear Zulum, conscience must always be nurtured by truth, in order to achieve positives.
Only the truth can set Borno State free from the servitude of Boko Haram. Zulum, I urge you to amend your ways and hug the truth. Borno State is fully in a mess and only foreign military contractors can salvage the situation. Zulum must start speaking truth to power. He must courageously confront the federal government and demand a change in the approach to fighting Boko Haram. This governor must stand up for what is right and tell people in charge of security what’s what.
Now, let’s flip to the failings of President Bola Tinubu, the Commander-in-Chief who promised to tame Boko Haram and all other terrorists. He said security shall top the priority of his administration “because neither prosperity nor justice can prevail amid insecurity and violence.” Tinubu has in 22 months failed to change the blood-spattered story of Borno State. Boko Haram terrorists have become emboldened and expanding territories with intense carnage. The terrorists run a government and collect taxes from the traumatised people. All the lies that the terrorists had been degraded must be pushed aside.
Tinubu has to look beyond our security agents if he truthfully wants to tame Boko Haram. Our gallant soldiers are doing their best but they need to be assisted. Our security chiefs won’t admit this because of ego and personal gains. We can all see the sloppy result of claims that the Nigerian military can do the job alone. Nigerians are sick and tired of being persistently told by security agents that they “have killed several terrorists and destroyed their enclaves.” Always the same old story from the military. It is followed by more vicious attacks by the same terrorists said to have been dismembered.
President Tinubu must show seriousness about tackling Boko Haram. Honestly, in the last 22 months, I have not seen any seriousness on his part on this. We can’t be doing the same thing for 16 years and expect a different result. Our security agents lack the capacity to monitor the movement of terrorists. Modern warfare is about technology. They lack the technology, manpower and equipment to end terrorism in Nigeria. Tinubu must seek help from countries with these abilities. This country needs help from climes that can provide these military necessities and manpower.
Mr. President has to provide a leadership that will swiftly end Boko Haram. He must fix insecurity. He must fulfill the commitment he made to Nigerians in his May 29, 2023 inaugural address to frontally and courageously tackle insecurity. A people-oriented government will seek help from anywhere to protect the people against terrorists. So, Tinubu should seek help from healthy climes. It is not a crime to have foreign military contractors joining a standing army to tame terrorists.
