It takes two to begin a war and many to put it to an end. It takes lesser time and people to fuel hatred but requires many hairsplitting brains and negotiations to erase old hatreds. War is like an idea; no matter how long it takes to sip through the lab where it is generated, once it diffuses out it becomes a philosophy of the market place. Boko Haram as an ideology to propagate Islam enjoys the massive support of all Muslims, denials notwithstanding. This is a fact every Nigerian must underscore in the proffering solution to the current social political challenges posed by the sect’s activities.
Boko Haram as a terrorist group to fight Christianity and political creation to actualize northern agenda is faceless. It is beginning to elude those who created it. Although, our governing system permitted conditions that made the insurrection possible it is good to note that the system has not made all Nigerians terrorists. Boko Haram is religious with political tap roots in socio-political fallouts of Arab revolution across Nigeria border especially the Libyan revolution.
If patience is a virtue, Nigerians do not have it. Typical of us, many Nigerians madly expect miracle from its government in the fight against Boko Haram. At various times in various conferences, the arguments have been that Nigeria government is not doing enough to uproot Boko Haram. Fingers have always been pointed to unconfirmed intelligence reports which said to have identified the sponsors of the sect. The argument is that government is demonstrating an obvious lack of political will to confront the big heads in the report. A contradictory argument is that government has allowed the sect so that the north will used it to destroy itself since the founders never foresaw the side effect it will have on the northern unity and economy.
However, most annoyingly is the criticism leveled against the military Joint Task Force. Quite a number of critics still harbour doubts on the ability of JTF to win the war against terrorism in the manner they are going about it. These critics point to the increasing intensity of terrorist actions despite the arrest of key members of the sect and other celebrated breakthroughs. They have gone as far as describing the taskforce as ill trained and equipped, complacent, and compromising. Others have even branded them pro-Boko Haram. Granted that some officers in Nigeria army or police have at many times lent religious and ideological sympathy to the sect, these accusations are weighty. It is generalizing and demoralizing.
As plausible as these may appear, there is a caveat. The fight against Boko Haram is not a fight against a standing army. Fighting a standing army requires only a shooting spree to rout the enemy army and to this end, victory is always close depending on the capacity of weaponry. Sad enough, Boko Haram is at once a faceless terrorist organisation with suicide terrorist technique and operates in an environment where government habitually misbehaves. The corruption in public and private sectors is a good public relation booster for the sect to continually recruit volunteers. Boko Haram speaks ‘message-of-no-words’, one sees their actions and not the actors, their manifestations but hardly the operations. Nigeria army is fighting invisible enemies.
When we demand quick victory, we betray short-sightedness. Take for instance, America with its best acclaimed intelligence and state of the art military technology has not contained terror. At a point, America under George Bush thought war on terror could be won with a snap of fingers. When it invaded Iraq and Afghanistan it learnt its lessons and ceased talking about War on terror but chose to label it instead with ‘Long War’. Despite fighting Taliban, a terrorist organisation with governmental organs and army with proudly notable officers and commanders, America has its litany of failures. Besides, Pakistan is another living memory. The country has co-lived with sectarian attacks for more than a decade and to the total insult of Pakistani strong intelligence unit, Osama bin Laden pleasured for 9 years in the conjugal beds of his virgins in a castle built behind its military barracks.
The war against menaces of Boko Haram is a long war. The Nigeria army deserves a lot of commendations in the fight despite the sabotage of some its officers. In the past, shipments of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) have been intercepted and seized and at various times in different locations bombs have been detected and detonated by the army and police; bomb factories have been discovered and raided at various locations in the country with suspects arrested and handed over for prosecution.
Again, it is difficult to fight with an enemy who is willing to die. Boko Haram’s strategy of using suicide bombing reaps multiple successes for the sect. In fidelity to natural instinct of self-defense, one should not expect miracle against army of men who are willing to lay down their lives for the cause they stand for. The war against Boko Haram should not be left alone to the army or police. It demands total vigilance of all Nigerians. The war is gradual as perpetrators keeping changing strategies.
If we continually tongue-lash the military as we do we risk killing the fighting spirit of our military and even dissuading others from accepting to serve in the crisis-ridden regions. Not many of those criticizing are willing to join the army or allow their children or relations to be part of task force operating in the Boko Haram’s strongholds. There is no doubt that these worthy sons and daughters have really demonstrated uncommon courage more than service chiefs who sit at the comfort of their offices cooking up tactics and giving briefing to the press. The power to curb Boko Haram menaces may not be dictated by time table drawn up in the Aso Rock by politicians, service chiefs or armchair policy analysts.
At the critical moment of a country that has no respect for its citizens, these men and women in the military standing their feet to defend the indefensible project called Nigeria in the dusty regions of Maiduguri and Damaturu, cold gripped city of Jos, sunny streets of Kano and Kaduna, are the unsung heroes of our challenge. We owe them respect, general goodwill, support and appreciation for their pledge of loyalty to our fatherland. They do not deserve our criticisms.
