Before now, Nigeria repeatedly played “big-brother” to fellow African countries, providing them with state-of-art weapons and machineries to help tackle insurrection in these countries. However, Nigeria has been unable to successfully tackle the Boko Haram insurgency that it has overtimes been plagued with. Several strategies have been put in place by the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, yet, these sets of people still continue to perpetuate their evil acts through incessant bombings in the North-East.
The former administration of Goodluck Jonathan fought tooth and nail to combat these terrorists, but there seemed to be no positive change and improvements in this regard, with these individuals launching fresh attacks on innocent citizens of the country.
Boko Haram grew out of a largely peaceful anti-corruption movement led by Islamic preacher, Mohammed Yusuf in North-East Nigeria, turning violent only after his death in police custody in 2009. United Nations designated Boko Haram an Al-Queda linked group in a move designed to shut down any overseas funding and support. Analysts believe the sanctions are largely symbolic, with little or no proven operational links with overseas extremists, despite Boko Haram’s leader, Abubakar Shekau praising Jihadi leaders. The group’s operations have also been largely confined to Nigeria’s North-East where it is thought to have financed its operations mainly through bank robberies, kidnappings and extortions. Some of their arms’ supplies come in via smuggling routes from Libya through Sahel countries, but Boko Haram has also regularly seized weapons and hardware from the Nigerian military. The Nigeria Security Network of Analysts said; “Nigeria’s North-East was ‘on the brink’ of coming under Boko Haram control, which could see parts of Cameroon being overrun and spark a humanitarian crisis. Nigeria has repeatedly played up what it says is the regional aspect of the insurgency, blaming fighters overseas funding for the violence”.
It is no hidden fact that the Boko Haram insurgents are well-equipped. However, that does not in any way make them unconquerable or unable to be defeated. If the military can be fully equipped with the needed equipment, materials, and machinery to combat the insurgency, they will definitely overcome these insurgents. Nigerian soldiers deployed to the North-East region have several times complained that the terrorists are better armed with high-powered assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and even armored personnel carriers. Therefore, how can these military personnel’s make significant progress and success in tackling the insurgency when those they are fighting are better armed than they are.
Richard Engel noted; “insurgencies are easy to make and hard to stop. Only a few ingredients need to combine to create an insurgency, like oxygen and fire, they’re very common and mix all too often. The recipe is simply a legitimate grievance against a state, a state that refuses to compromise, a quorum of angry people, and easy access to weapons”.
These sets of terrorists have brought untold hardship to the lives of many, rendering several orphans, childless, fatherless, motherless, burning several alive, destroying the homes of many, as well as their communities. From time immemorial, this sect has said that anything western is anti-Islamic and therefore should be destroyed. They have attacked several churches, mosques, killed so many Christians, Muslims, youth corpers, men, women, youths and children, even prominent figures. A governorship candidate of the ANPP who openly criticized them and their actions of killing innocent citizens was later killed by the sect; a journalist who works with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) was killed by the sect as well. There was also a bombing of the United Nations Office in Abuja, the police headquarters in Abuja after the Inspector General of Police (IGP) called the Boko Haram a bunch of minor criminals who pose no real threat to national security. They’ve also launched an attack on Mammy markets in Barracks, relaxation spots and INEC offices across the federation. They aim to spread fear across Northern Nigeria, especially among the political elites and gain relevance in the process, they as well want to turn the people against the federal government by undermining the efficiency of security agencies, trivialize national issues into religious crisis (claiming that attacks against Christians are reprisals for killings and cannibalism against Muslims in Northern Nigeria. Yet, they also killed a lot Muslims in Kano state, telling Muslims living in the South to relocate to the North and vice versa or face death penalty),  promote anarchy by causing confusion and widespread panic, gaining political leverage for their cause. Claiming that more deaths will be inflicted on Nigeria implies that there will be potential breakdown of law and order leading to declaration of state of emergency and curfews which weakens the state governments further and drives more attention to their demands. This makes them seem more powerful than they really are.
Several countries have been faced with terrorism; hence, Nigeria is certainly not the first to be experiencing such problem and these countries were able to successfully tackle these terrorists. Hence, Nigeria can as well tackle Boko Haram insurgency in the country if the government can take the right steps and principles. Boko Haram have wreaked havoc on many lives and properties, hence, negotiation with them is certainly not an option in tackling these insurgents. These people have destroyed lives; hence, justice should not be tempered with mercy when dealing with them.
It is also laudable that the present leadership of President Buhari has set to tackle insurgency in the country with the various strategies put in place to combat the insurgents. On assumption in office, the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo went to visit some of the families of those that were killed by the Boko Haram insurgents as well the internally displaced persons. Hence, with the heart to put a stop to terrorism in Nigeria, there will certainly be an improvement in this regards.
Stuart Bowen once said; “what’s happened is that an incessant, an insidious insurgency has repeatedly attacked the key infrastructure targets, reducing outputs”. Hence, insurgency negatively affects the overall development of a nation, and Nigeria as a country has been adversely affected by insurgency. Firstly, in the past, Nigeria seemed immune against terrorism, and they have several times aided other countries in countering terrorism. Hence, the Boko Haram insurgency Nigeria is presently faced which has proven to the international community that Nigeria is prone to terrorism and terrorist attacks. Secondly, the revenue that should be used to carry out other massive developments in the country will be used for the purchase of equipments, top-notch arms, weapons, machineries and the likes that will aid the tackling of the insurgency in the country.
Therefore, insurgency in the country needs to be tackled urgently and those sponsoring these insurgents need to be made to face the wrath of the law, as these sponsors have played a major role in the rise of insurgency in the country because without these sponsors, the Boko Haram insurgents cannot purchase the high-tech arms and ammunitions used in killing people.
In addition, all hands need to be on deck, everyone should be security-conscious, alert and vigilant, and report any suspected case of breach of security to the nearest police or relevant security agency. Also, government at all levels (federal, state, and local), irrespective of party affiliations and differences in ideologies should come together in order to tackle insurgency in the country. For these terrorists in the country to be combated, those embedded with the responsibility to do so should come together despite their various ideas and counsels , in order to be able to successfully deal with the issue of terrorism in the country.
Also, the government, particularly the federal government needs to be uptight in her duty and responsibility of providing security for the nation. Security agents embodied with the duty and responsibility of safeguarding lives and properties should execute their duties with all diligence and servitude. Military personnels put in charge of combating these insurgents should be fully equipped for the task. United will always stand, therefore, if the security personnels are united and come together to tackle terrorism in the country, it will indeed be a thing of the past in Nigeria.
We can as a nation defeat Boko Haram insurgents, we can once more prove that we are true giants of Africa, we can conquer terrorism in the country and prove to foreign nations that the will and power to unitedly conquer storms and hurdles lies with us.
However, there are certain steps the government and relevant bodies need to take in order to combat Boko Haram insurgency in the country.
GET VALUABLE INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSURGENTS: – Security agencies embodied with the responsibility of tackling insurgency in the country should obtain vital information about the insurgents as these information will aid their work. Also, getting vital information such as on the whereabouts of these insurgents, their modes of operation, and many more are indeed crucial for combating these sets of people. These security agents should round up Boko Haram members and interrogate the lower members so as to obtain credible information about their operations.
IDENTIFY AND PROSECUTE THEIR SPONSORS AND LEADERS: – The Boko Haram sect are able to have a smooth operation as a result of their sponsors and leaders. These sponsors are like the actors behind the scene, they do the underground work of financing these insurgents and providing them with the weapons and machineries. Hence, for insurgency in the country to be tackled, their sponsors need to first of all be identified and brought to book.
Identifying, prosecuting and killing these terrorists’ leaders and sponsors is a tactic that works very well because many terrorist groups operate on a one-to-many basis meaning that the death of their leaders weakens their network and efficiency. Their sponsors and leaders are cowards and do not want to die, hence, once they start dying, the tide begins to change.
DEPLOY AND EQUIP MORE SOLDIERS TO AFFECTED AREAS: – Deploying and equipping more soldiers to communities that have overtimes been affected by these insurgents in indeed an important way and method to tackle insurgency in the country. The government needs to deploy soldiers to patrol areas where these terrorists have operated with so much impunity. Maiduguri is calmer today, because of the reports of JTF, the sect have shifted base to Chad and Cameroon from where they infiltrate the country and carry out their attacks.
USE AIRSTRIKES TO ATTACK THEIR BASES AND HIDE-OUTS:- Using air strikes to launch attacks on the hideouts of these insurgents is certainly a way of scaring them away and as well combating them. With the defence budget, the government should be able to buy a few drones and attack helicopters to deal with them.
CITIZENS NEED TO BECOME MORE VIGILANT: – Citizens need to be security-conscious, vigilant and watchful and as well inform the police whenever they see or hear something suspicious.
DIALOGUING IS NOT AN OPTION: – Boko Haram insurgents are terrorists, and so, dialoguing with them should not be an option at all. Dialoguing with them will only create more compounded problems as it will embolden them and give them more reasons to launch further attacks on innocent citizens of the country.
MORE COOPERATION IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY: – There should be greater and improved cooperation between Nigeria and other foreign nations in the international community so as to gain the needed support and assistance in dealing with these terrorists.
THE GOVERNMENT HAS A ROLE TO PLAY: – The government has a huge and major role to play in combating Boko Haram insurgency in the country. Just like Peter Drucker noted; “effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results not attributes”. Therefore, the three tiers of government need to come together to deal with this issue.
Boko Haram insurgents pose a threat to national security. Hence, for Nigeria and Nigerians to be free from the scourge of Boko Haram, this issue should be tackled with the right strategies and effective principles.