‘Boko Haram[1]'; the Resurgence
Boko Haram[1]'; the Resurgence
Boko Haram[1]'; the Resurgence
Boko Haram;the Resurgence
(Abdulrahman Mele)
9th September 2010
If there is anything that hinders the Nigerian government from being able to contain and eliminate security threats such as the one currently posed by remnants of the radical religious sect in Maiduguri, it is the attitude of not tolerating criticism of its policies and the proclivity to pretend there are no problems when there are glaring evidence of such problems. For as long as the government will not accept people's views regarding its policies and look for genuine public opinion genuine and not ones gathered from people randomly picked by those around the political leaders it will be a grave mistake to think that the prevailing security crises in the state will abate.
It is just mysterious how the Nigerian governments always underestimate threats; MEND has made it clear it will set off bombs in the Capital Abuja on the 50th Anniversary celebrations day and indeed it set off two car bombs which resulted in the death in 12 innocent people. And in Maiduguri, a man speaking to BBC Hausa service claiming to be a member of the fanatical militant group has made it clear they are at war with the government and would do anything to avenge the killing of its members least year. In an earlier video, the group's second-in command has remarked that "it will be fallacious for those in power to think that they can go away with the killings that tool place in July last year and sit in the comforts of their rooms drinking cold water".
In a previous piece, I argued that the Nigerian Government's stature of not accepting criticism and its constant habit of pretending nothing is wrong when in fact everything is going wrong will not help this country walk out of its problems which are increasingly becoming lucid. After the crises in Maiduguri which claimed about a thousand lives, we were told the group responsible had been totally incapacitated; after clamours over some glaring evidence of extrajudicial executions that emerged after the crises, we were told those responsible had been arrested and would be brought to book; after the release of a video allegedly showing its second in command vowing they would take revenge, we were told the video was a fake. Consequently the public's fear, though mistakenly, seem to have been allayed.
And indeed we had fallen into a slumber and were reawakened by yet more attacks and killings by members of the so-called Boko Haram' sect. barely a month after the first anniversary of its suicidal uprising, members of the notorious extremist group had attacked the main prison in Bauchi state and released over 700 inmates including hundreds of its detained members. And in Maiduguri several policemen and village heads had been attacked and many killed by alleged members of the sect. What most people made of the latest incident is that remnants of the sect are resurfacing and carrying out revenge killing for part played by the police and village heads in crushing the July 2009 uprising.
Although the State has taken what it believes is the best security measures to curb the insurgent's activities, most people in town are decrying the manner in which the measures are being implemented. The ban on the use of motorcycles after six, and subsequently after four in the evening observably has a great disadvantage that seems to have been ignored. Thousands of people have been consequently forced to reconsider their lifestyles which inevitably cause them lots of economic disaster. The average man in Maiduguri for instance does not have a car and most drive to and from work and school either on their own bikes or commercial ones. While it makes sense to curb the movement of commercial motorcycles in order to fish out the perpetrators of these heinous crimes who often use motorcycles, the amount of suffering as a result should not be overlooked. Just a day before the decision to start the 4pm ban on motorcycle movement, the fanatics attacked with cars in the early hours of the night and more lives were lost.
A remarkable aspect of Nigeria's contemporary problem is evident when one observes with adequate keenness the way in which the Nigerian society is continually being polarised between the ruling elite on one hand who live on what the media heavily censored says and the masses of people on the other hand who have relatively lesser access to this media but are well fed with true news of what is going on around them day in day out.
A case of this could be made out of the recent happenings in Maiduguri whereby people are crying fowl of mistreatment, molestation and constrained living while the ruling alite and a few around them hail the security measures it is taking in curbing the insurgence and criminal activities of the fanatical group (Boko Haram).
People are constantly complaining of being stopped at road block and their vehicles searched when in fact nothing suspicious has been discovered in such searches. Besides it causes undue hardship to people's normal living and this makes streets disserted as early as ten in the night. Many commentators believe these long hours of quietness in the night could facilitate the activities of these criminals. [Reconsider well]
On the 6th of October 2010 the prevailing insecurity looming over the state claimed a higher target; the former Chairman of the ruling party in the state was assassinated in cold blood in his house in the early hours of the night. Naturally, all fingers of blame would point on Boko Haram but many people could not understand why these militants would chose someone like Awana Ngala knowing clearly he is not in the ruling calibre and was not instrumental in any aspect of the war that crashed them back in July 2009. Many people now believe his killing has everything to do with politics. There is widespread rumour that he is the current Governor's choice for the gubernatorial candidacy of the ruling party.
As the days drag on, more people are targeted and killed. The chief of police of one of the police stations destroyed during the June 2009 mayhem was killed in his house. Another guarding the residence of the State House of Assembly Speaker was shot and severely injured; he missed death by an inch. Meanwhile more rumour spread across the town, as is the tradition here and this aggrevates public fear and the complexity of the situation. There are false allegations of attacks and assassinations that never took place. Nonetheless, the general picture is gloomy and there is no tangible indication that the problem can be contained given the measures currently in place. While the security forces apply one form of tactic or the other, everybody around seem to suggest something else.
But then the general public, it is supposed, cannot tell the state and security forces what to do. It goes to say, naturally, that they are experts and know just what to do and how to do it and that nobody can or dare tell them what to do or how. However, it will not always be ideal to discard the suggestions of the general public. Many believe the solution to this problem is a matter of intensive investigation and not that of intensive show of force by the State. Many are silently suggesting that instead of security forces being stationed in full combat-ready outfit, brandishing heavy weapons on the highway while the killings are always taking place in the narrow street allays and outskirts of the town, it will make better sense if plain-clothed security men are dispatched into all nooks and crannies of the town. And then modern investigations rely heavily on information and communication. So far, communication gadgets are not a considerable part of the measures taken by the Nigerian government in curbing this hike in insecurity.
In a nutshell, the following points could be drawn form a consensus of the opinions expressed by the people which could facilitate this struggle against the murderous militants in the State;
Reduce the number of checkpoints on the highways because there are no likely targets on the main ways,
Increase the number of security outposts in the nooks and crannies of the town because the targets of these extremists are scattered across the town,
Make good use of sophisticated communication gadgets because this is what aids crime detection in modern times,
Restore public confidence in security forces because people still see Operation Flush as agents of suppression to ensure this let members of the security operation desist from indulging themselves in anything that has nothing to do with their assignment,
The Police and Military authorities at the top should watch out to ensure that their men do not torture and molest civilians and suspects in the operation and previous cases relating to these should be investigated,
Keep open eyes on suspicious places where these fanatics are likely to attack (Residences of Village/Ward Heads, major politicians, residences of police and other security officers, and police stations). The fanatics have always make it clear that they are after members of the Police force and the clergy who preach against their ideology and well as village and ward heads who facilitated the detection and arrests of their members especially after the major uprising last year,
Get formal informants (secretly) from amongst the people who would have phone numbers of officers in the security outposts in each ward so they could alert them whenever something suspicious occurs.
But then it is never easy to put personal observations such as this into public consideration for obvious reasons. Reflection of public opinion in state policy is traditionally poor in Nigeria and then ours is not the sort of society public opinion and beliefs are built on facts and logic. It is one in which rumours and illogical conclusions forms the foundation of popular belief and public views. This however is a result of several factors. Notable of them is the high level of illiteracy, absence of reliable and unbiased media that will say precisely what is going on, lack of civic society institutions that promote freedom of expression and the lack of proper implementation of the Freedom of Information act that was passed into law in 2005. This very poor atmosphere makes the entrenchment of a good and cordial relationship between the State and the general public impossible.
On so many instances, our leaders make hastily sensitive remarks that have devastating negative impacts on the general public. Anytime new laws and regulations were enacted, people have interpretations to them that are quite contrary to what the state intends to achieve by enacting them. But then it is the fault of our leaders who seemingly have little regard to public opinion. Nigeria is one of the countries in the modern world in which there is absolutely no channel through which the general public can air its views and complaints. Anytime something is done by the State, people sit in the sidewalks and condemn it largely because there is nothing else they can do about it. If the political leaders call for public opinion they chose the very wrong people and these people are well aware of the fact that the leader will never accept dissent, so they say what they believe will suite him and endorse his opinion.
Consequently, people are held aback in fear, suspicion and mistrust of state agents. Nobody seems prepared to share information with the security forces for fear that the state cannot protect them should they be identified by the fanatics as helping the government. Or sometimes there is the belief that a little semblance to members of the sect will land one in trouble.
As the days go on, people are becoming increasingly frustrated with the whole situation; to confirm this, take a ride in a taxi or bus and raise the issue of the current security measures being taken. Or start the conversation in a market place or other public gathering where members of the elite class are not present. If you belong to the elite class however, you might never realise just how infuriated the general public has become. This is the new form of polarisation that is threatening this country and unfortunately only a tiny part of the population realises this.
It is time Nigeria should reconsider its security system and make fundamental changes to curb current crises and prepare for ones that would likely rise in the future. There is gross ineptness in the system which unfortunately those in power would always dispute as is the case anytime the state is criticised of doing something wrongly. The proclivity to underrate problems has become pandemic and a major causal factor to most of Nigeria's security problems in recent years. A major step in solving the prevailing security problem, therefore, should inevitably include a reconsideration of this stance.
In the whole of this situation, bold questions need to be asked and investigated by the authorities. In the process of implementing security measures, are the interest of the general public considered and protected? And then What measures did the state put in place to ensure the protection of lives and properties of innocent people who might be caught in the crossfire? This ought to be our major concern. It will be a great disaster if we sacrificed human rights on the alter of fighting terrorism.
Drew Barrymore in 'Going the Distance' Play 'Snow Lemmings' on r4 dsi Uses All About Total Knee Replacement How To Be Sure You Are Getting A Proper Fish Oil Dosage--every Day How to warm up your voice Japanese voiceover Facts about Skid loader How to leash train a dog Letting Agents Can Help You Find Property To Rent In Manchester What Everyone Should Know about Protecting Their Eyes Trampoline Sizes: 5 Things You Should Keep in Mind How To Make A Pinata? What Are The Types Of Tumbler Locks?