President Muhammadu Buhari has shown unprecedented level of concern over the spate of bombings that rocked the capital city of Abuja last week in what appeared to be the desperate return of dastardly attacks by despairing terrorists as the gallant security forces close in on them.
He had personally signed the statement in which he had unequivocally denounced the renewed violence in Abuja, Maiduguri and Yola, describing them as reprehensible attempt to plunge the country into grief when its citizens were happily marking the fifty-fifth independence anniversary.
Besides, he had also personally visited the victims of the blasts at the National Hospital, Abuja and commiserated with them in a most passionate and moving manner which produced deep emotional reaction from the relatives of the victims.
In a tone heavily loaded with profound disquiet and sorrow, President Buhari asserted that the attacks have really exposed the faces of the perpetrators of mayhem in the country.
He pointed out the conflict was not ideological or religious but an unacceptable act between the forces of peace and order as well as the evil forces of killings and obliteration. Therefore, the modalities of executing these cowardly attacks against innocent and defenselesscitizens expose the real faces of the planners and their relationship with the heartless perpetrators of these heinous crimes.
With that deplorable development the security forces and other local authorities have been directed to maintain extra vigilance in all parts of the country to forestall future attacks just as the President has reiterated that the armed forces had been empowered to crush the retreating Boko Haram insurgents.
Nigerians have noted with remarkable glee, the successes being recorded by Buhari administration in its fight against all forms of terror and are confident that Boko Haram dissidents will meet their waterloo by the end of this year.
The security services are now increasing the measure of their investigation and scrutiny of the fleeing terrorists from their beleaguered enclave where the security forces had laid siege, with the hovering planes of the air forces constantly hitting them hard. To reciprocate the good deeds by the security forces in ridding the society of the escaping terrorists, the local populace is also mounting intensive vigilante activity to block the escape routes of the overwhelmed terrorists. Nigerians should therefore not despair or give in to the ineffectual blackmail of the terrorists who are in the throes of death.
The tactics of the drowning Boko Haram insurgents was to instill fear and anxiety in the minds of Nigerians by targeting objects outside the main theatre of conflict in the northeast region so as to persuade the citizens to believe that they could hold the country to ransom and blackmail the government into submission. Nigerians should, therefore, not be misled by such antics that target innocent and defenseless civilians so as to create a false impression in the minds of the people that the Boko Haram elements are pervasive and seemingly present everywhere throughout the federation.
In fact, the Boko Haram dissidents have refused to acknowledge the fact that they are being methodically and thoroughly defeated by the new offensive adopted by the Buhari administration and it is just a matter of time before they are decisively thrashed.Presently the Boko Haram forces are in utter disarray, scattered by the superior fire-power of the security forces, running helter-skelter from one town to another which they had previously devastated, seeking a refuge thatwill never materialize.
The terrorists have already suffered massive territorial losses while the effective blockade of their weapons and material supply lines had already reduced their operational capabilities in terms of direct confrontation with the counter terrorism forces.
What is happening within the pregnable camps of the terrorists which are now vulnerable and open to attack is last minute resistance in a desperate move to deceive the world that they were invincible and quite capable of launching deadly attacks on susceptible and weak civilian targets. That, however, was being deterred by the rigorous and steadfast execution of strategies introduced by the Buhari administration and Nigerians were convinced by the genuineness of his intention to see the happy end of terrorism within the shortest time possible.
It is important also for all Nigerians to be extra watchful and cautious about the movement of strange people in their midst because terrorists can exploit their slightest ignorance.They should also try to understand the behavior, appearances and crafty moves of suicide bombers into unsuspecting crowds of people.
Now that the cat was let out of the bag by the series of dastardly attacks on innocent citizens as the government was rising up against all forms of banditry and terrorism. That was a clear pointer of the confrontational attitude by the very forces that do not wish the government well and which also try desperately to bring it down through every conceivable evil means. May God protect Nigeria and its leaders from the evil machination of these dark forces and expose their true identity for all to see and loathe.
