Although the Islamist terrorist group, the Boko Haram, released 82 Chibok girls in its custody, penultimate week, after a protracted negotiation with the federal government, the gesture has not resulted in the expected positive groundswell. Given the subsequent spate of attacks, killings and suicide bombings, it boggles the mind to note that the group’s madness has intensified compared to the lull that prevailed after the fall of the dreaded Sambisa Forest.
This development has confounded many Nigerians who are now wondering whether the group has actually been decimated as claimed by the federal government a few months back.
In April 2014, about 300 girls were abducted from their school in Chibok, Borno state. The government of the day, led by Goodluck Jonathan, initially denied the abduction until the international community expressed outrage and began to draw the attention of the entire world and the Nigerian government to that horror. A local pressure group, the BringBackOurGirls hashtag group, further pressured and prompted the government to act.
The All Progressives Congress (APC), led by Muhammadu Buhari, made the defeat of Boko Haram and the release of the girls a campaign signpost. And true to its promise, material and human resources were mobilised and deployed to that effect upon coming to power. The Nigerian military moved in swiftly, recorded successes on all fronts and losses of key fighters and officers, in order to dislodge the insurgents. The hitherto impregnable fortress of the insurgent, the Sambisa Forest, was overrun by the government forces.
Nonetheless, the militants continued their attacks on soft targets and those ones that catch their fancy without any let or hindrance, using mostly underage girls to execute their dastardly acts. The federal government has been quick to explain that the criminal elements were almost on their knees hence their desperation to hold on to the last straw as a way to convince the populace that they are far from being decimated. This is still not acceptable.
The release of 21 girls in October last year and the recent release of 82 others have tremendously rekindled confidence in the government and restored credibility to the process. According to reports, their freedom was effected after a swap deal. Some Boko Haram commanders in custody were also set free in the spirit of the agreement.
It is, however, disheartening to note that attacks by Boko Haram have exacerbated since the deal. In a recent video, a faction of the group, which apparently did not sanction the deal, threatened to attack Abuja.
The British and US governments recently released “credible information” that the terrorists were “planning” to attack or abduct foreign nationals serving as aid workers in the North-East axis.
Worrisome, however, is the revelation that some of the girls in another video reaffirmed their allegiance to the group. This has confirmed the fears in several quarters that the girls had not only been radicalised but they are also being used to perpetrate the group’s nefarious operations. It has further fueled the fear that the Boko Haram is still very much around us.
Only last weekend, there was intense fighting, exchange of fire between the deadly group and the Nigerian Army. While on a clearance mission in Chikun Gudu, Tumbuma Karami and Tumbuma Baba, the troops came under fire from fleeing terrorists, leaving 40 people seriously wounded in Musa/Askira Uba Local Government Area.
In addition to this series of clashes, Boko Haram was said to have attacked Dalori-1 camp and beheaded some IDPs, while 10 others who ran into the insurgents during a hunting expedition are also believed to have been killed. The victims were also members of a volunteer group known as civilian JTF.
The clashes and killings, coming shortly after the negotiated settlement that led to the release of a large number of girls, are an indication of something sinister, which raises more questions than answers. Since the insurgents are already split down the line and are mutually suspicious of one another, the possibility of scuttling the negotiation and intensifying the war is becoming apparent.
Are there hopes of the remaining girls coming out of captivity now that there appears to be rivalries among various groups? Have we really defeated Boko Haram?
The Nigerian public might never know the truth, but we urge all hands to be on deck in this onerous task ahead. The war is not over and there is no point deceiving ourselves.
Much as we commend the military for their efforts, we urge them to be more vigilant now than ever before. We also appeal to the insurgents to sheathe their swords and embrace dialogue and reconciliation. If al-Qaeda was not able to defeat the US, Taliban had been dislodged from Afghanistan and ISIS is being hunted all over the world, it is not likely that Boko Haram can win the war in the North-East, and no ideological conviction is worth the lives of innocent Nigerians.
