The nation has been recording a litany of dark days and mourning as Boko Haram Islamists heartlessly engaged in the killing of several innocent pupils when they attacked the Federal Government College in Buni Yadi, Yobe State. The attackers reportedly arrived at the college at about 2am when the pupils were already asleep. During the encounter, they set locked hostels on fire, before shooting and slitting the throats of those who tried to climb out of the windows while some were said to have been burnt alive in which 40 houses, hostels, classrooms and staff quarters were razed down.
This national calamity and a few others that happened thereafter show that there is need to urgently to appraise and curb the activities of this notorious group that kills people as if human life is nothing. This can no longer be tolerated. There has been so much confusion and apprehension about this faceless group, which is glaringly driven solely by an exclusive, strange and queer religious ideology.
Who are they really fighting? Is it government? Is it Western education alone, which they say is evil? Could it be politicians who do not reason their own way in view of the fact that they dictate the tune of the sound in the polity? They could go on and on. Nobody really knows. But then, why on earth will a sane individual invade a school and attack young and innocent children while asleep? With this latest massacre, many people have concluded that all known effort by the government to bring lasting solution to the crisis might have been deadlocked. Wait a minute, what does Boko Haram really want? Honestly, I have tried to justify why they could decide to go this militant, but I am at a crossroad.
How much has the sect been able to achieve with the so many people innocent souls sent to their early graves? Will somebody, please, tell me what is sensible or what could be the justification for the dastardly killing of secondary school children? Are they the ones preventing Boko Haram from getting better deal form the powers-that-be? When a few amongst them were caught a few months ago, on terror allegation, were the victims responsible for the calamity that befell them? Were they the ones who commandeered the Joint Task Force to fish them out of their hideouts with the aid of offensive, assault weapons and ammunition?
At a time, the spokesman of Boko Haram had attempted to allude why the hostilities against the Nigerian people had been intensified. Or, were we told on a good authority that the founder of the sect was meant to be shot dead by law enforcement agents when he was captured alive? So, were the innocent children in Yobe murdered in atonement for the extra-judicial murder of their leader, Yusuf? Or, were the various public offices attacked by the sect, such as the United Nations Building in Abuja, harbouring state agents that had launched war against enemies of peace in the society? I still find it shocking and unbelievable that students could be brutally slaughtered in their sleep just like that. I think this is a murder too many. An honest advice that I want to give members of Boko Haram is that Nigerians are completely tired of their prolonged and horrifying attacks on many hapless fellows that remained unprotected by their government, which has failed, as a constitutional matter and obligation to protect lives and property.
Raising a similar red alert a few days ago, was the embattled governor of Borno State, Kashim Shetima, who raised an alarm when he met with President Goodluck Jonathan after another horror attack on his state and expressed concern that our army was less equipped and poorly motivated than the enemy they were meant to curtail. Without mincing words, anyone who has followed events in the North-East would know that the governor had actually stated the truth. Rather than see this as a wake-up call, what did we and Shetima get order than a bashing from Mr. President’s spokesman. Must we continue this way?
While every form of illegality and criminality should be discouraged in their totality, I don’t believe, however, that the final solution to the menace of Boko Haram lies in the exchange of gun, I sincerely believe that genuine resolution of the impasse should be through negotiation while the deployment of troop cannot be ruled out. Therefore, the first step in this direction is to allow the two parties to have a common ground to discuss and sort out issues. This approach should be able to bring the lasting peace that we have all be yearning and praying for but without further delay, Boko Haram members should drop their guns – which have not been helpful at all – and opt for the peace option because human life is too precious to be wasted.
On a final note, it should be realized that all the agitations by Boko Haram – either real or speculated may not be attainable – in view of the plural nature of our society. It most likely to be a tall dream to achieve, therefore, killing innocent people in the name of any form of religion, doctrine of philosophy is completely not justifiable. Boko Haram maybe surely a product of perceived injustice within the system. That is the more reason while it should be at the front burner of discussion the proposed National Conference offered by the Jonathan administration, by sending its representatives to pour out their minds. Until then, these killings must stop now!
Kupoluyi wrote from Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta.
