Nightmare of The Jihadists – By Arnold A. Alalibo

Posted by admin Arnold Alalibo, Articles, Boko Haram, Columnists, NNP Columnists Friday, October 17th, 2014

By Arnold A. Alalibo | NNP | October 18, 2014 – In the last few months,the insurgent group, Boko Haram, has become a nightmare. It has metamorphosed from a blood-thirsty killing machine, kidnapper of women, bomber of places of worship, markets and motor parks, to a clear and dangerous threat to the territorial integrity of our country.

This is evident in its seizure and occupation of Gwoza and Madagali; its bid to take Gamboru Ngala; its assault on Bama and environs and, of course, its complete capture of the Mobile Police Training College. The exploits of the insurgents have gone beyond comprehension and constitute a poke in the eye of the military and the nation at large.

In the foregoing occupied towns and villages, the terrorists have already hoisted their flags and proclaimed a caliphate in the mold of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). These ISIS Islamic jihadists shock the world daily with their brutal, bizarre massacres and sensational beheadings.

I am at a loss as are many other Nigerians on how things suddenly got to this sorry state. The general impression and inevitable conclusion is that the military has so far treated Boko Haram with reprehensible levity even though it is their primary task to protect Nigerians and the nation’s territories.

The primary task of the armed forces as clearly stated in our constitution is to protect and defend our territorial integrity. But has the military done that in this case? Has it performed to the expectations of Nigerians? Opinions as to how the military has performed in the current war vary.

There are those who think the military has been compromised and infiltrated by the insurgents. Another group believes the soldiers are too unfit, poorly trained and ill-equipped to be of much use in this fight. The third group is optimistic that the military is only having a slow start and therefore should be allowed time to put its acts together.

For purposes of this piece, let me go with the assumption of the third group. Is there a thing as gradual start in a war situation? How are we sure that by the time they would want to take off from their slow start, they won’t be grounded by the fire power of the insurgents? There is absolutely no need for a slow beginning in an important war of this nature.

The military has been given all it needs to perform at least for the moment. The declaration of a state of emergency in the three states of the North East was to provide an enabling atmosphere for them to effectively fight the terrorists. The emergency was renewed despite objections by opinion leaders of the North East.

Also, in addition to increased budgets for Defence in the last few years, an emergency loan of $1 billion is being accessed for more equipment. More purchases will be made in the course of the war. So, what else does the military want? What does it need to guarantee an aggressive start of the war? Much as I don’t claim that our soldiers have all it takes to prosecute this war, appreciable commitment and patriotic zeal would have made a difference.

On the other hand, President Goodluck Jonathan appears to be on a crossroads on this Boko Haram matter. He doesn’t look keen on moving firmly against the insurgents perhaps in order to avert being accused of committing genocide. His soft-glove approach to the problem projects him as feckless and indecisive.
What has become clear in this whole saga is that the President must eschew ambivalence and be pellucid and unequivocal and urgently do the needful.

Jonathan must ignore pressures and do what is right for Nigeria. He has to understand that the economic cost of the war is already running into trillions to the detriment of the economy.

Unarguably, in situations like this, the President will be inundated with advice. Since excuses are not acceptable for failure in this regard, he has to weigh the quality of advice he gets from his security team and not hesitate to change any of them where necessary.

It won’t be out of place if some of the field commanders in the North East are changed in order to check the many reports of controversies, poor morale, confusion and uncertainty, coupled with allegations of treason, mutiny and cowardice.

We have to work hard to keep the good name the Nigerian military has earned since the 1960s when it performed well in Congo in the United Nations peace-keeping efforts in that country. Since then our military has won accolades and has been widely acknowledged globally.

The federal government must demonstrate the will required to confront this
insurgency that questions its authority and ability to secure the nation. The military, on its part, has to redirect itself and discover the secret that once made it a force to reckon with in Africa.wp_posts