By Ide Owodiong-Idemeko
“Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee”. – John Donne For the umpteenth time, our sense of humanity and tranquility as a nation was indignantly shattered by the news that Boko Haram had attacked and killed 59 students at the Federal Government College, BuniYadi, Yobe state. This unfortunate incident occurred on the night of February 25th, 2014.
The BundiYadi killings are another painful, barbaric, cowardly and avoidable massacre in the litany of murderous blood baths connected to the terrorists; another painful reminder of the reality of the state of our nation; the latitude, nature and impact of the security challenges we face as individuals and generally as a nation.
On July 6, 2013, the same group attacked and killed at least 41 children and one teacher at Mamudo Government Secondary School in Yobe State. At about 1:00 a.m. on 29th September 2013 Boko Haram entered the male dormitory in the College of Agriculture in Gujba, Yobe State, killing 44 students and teachers; the list appears endless, the sect has left a trail of sorrows, tears and blood on each and every path it has set foot on!
We, the National Association of Seadogs, Pyrates Confraternity condemn these mass murders in the strictest of terms; they are dastardly, barbaric and cowardly!
Alas! These wasted souls are sons and daughters, sisters and brothers, nephews and nieces of bona fide Nigerians! Our hope is their untimely, painful and avoidable deaths may not be lost on us individually and collectively and end up as another national statistic.
We commend the current redoubling of efforts by the federal government to contain this insurgency. The current drive by the Senate to use inter-party collaboration as a bridge towards building and strengthening the political will to tackle this menace is also heart-warming. We are however worried about insinuations that security check points in some of these areas were called off before the attacks.
Such insinuations can damage the trust that is gradually building up between military personnel on restoration mission and the local community. We urge the Federal government to fully investigate this rumour, make public its findings and if confirmed to be true, ensure that the full extent of the law is brought to bear on any individual or group found culpable.
It is also worthy for mention that the response to the attacks were lacklustre, if not lame! There is no evidence that counter offensive measures were attempted or efforts were made to rescue the children from an attack of such magnitude which lasted several hours. The security agencies must do more, both in terms of preventive intervention and quick rescue/ counter-offensive.
However, as a nation, we must consider quick wins and low-hanging-fruits to foreclose this harvest of deaths. In addition to the military measures already being put in place by government, we suggest, among other things, a mass campaign aimed at taking safety and security awareness and low-intensity responses to the grass roots, especially in the communities most prone to terrorist attacks.
Increased collaborations and intelligence sharing between the federal and state governments will also enhance capacity for preventive intervention. The war against Boko Haram is not peculiar to Northern Nigeria; it is a war for the very soul of Nigeria. Unless we come together to win it, the assertion that “Nigeria must never, ever disintegrate” will remain a platitude.
Furthermore, it is open secret that the number of regular and anti-riot Policemen who keep guard in private residences of politicians and moneybags have for long constituted a drag on the personnel available for statutory policing duties. These dangerous times require that these men be withdrawn and posted to guard schools and similar public institutions in the volatile states. Where provision of base level police protection at the schools will genuinely put a strain on the police institution, the schools may be shut down until normalcy returns to the region. It is courage that stoops to conquer.
While we condemn in all aspects, the wanton and barbaric killings, we however call on the Boko Haram group to reconsider its modus operandi and engage in more acceptable and civilized means of advancing its grievances. No society accepts the slaughtering of innocent lives let alone children in their sleep. It is unacceptable, condemnable and barbaric, and it can certainly not win the cause, no matter how genuine it may be.
Engagement in dialogue is therefore the best and only option to adopt. We urge the group to take up the option of dialogue with the federal government and stop the wanton destruction of innocent lives.
No Nigerian life should be so cheaply and easily brought to an end; the time to act is now!
Owodiong-Idemeko, NAS Capoon, wrote from Abuja. Email: [email protected]
