Important Questions on Boko Haram
by Prof. Ahmad Isah Harun
Before some northern groups give Igbos an ultimatum to leave the north, they suppose to end boko haram project which seems to be stage-managed by some beneficiaries that seem to include military officials, governor, Emirs in Maiduguri, politicians in Maiduguri, and some perceived rich men in Maiduguri.
The northern groups should travel to Maiduguri (if they can) to assess certain facts, so that they will understand the shareholders in boko haram project. Before I list my observations, I want you to understand that I am not a victim of the press and so my observations are based on the true situation in Maiduguri which I assessed from my visits to University of Maiduguri three times in three academic sessions (2014/2015, 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 academic sessions). My observations are as follows:
A. The governor is busy buying the houses and properties of the terrorized citizens inside Maiduguri with virtually no effort towards helping the helpless but injecting political thugs into civilian JTF in order to serve him and not the people of Maiduguri.
B. The military officials have taken over all trades of cows, sheep, donkeys and other foodstuff as only their agent’s truckloads are allow to pass road blocks unhindered and also truckloads of their accomplices, otherwise the truckloads of ordinary citizens will be attacked by boko haram. So how is the defeated boko haram differentiating between which truckloads to attack? So by implication, citizens of Maiduguri are deprived of their normal trading activities. Are they military officials in Maiduguri to seize trade or fight insurgency?
C. Why were the military commanded to stop fighting when they get closer to sambisa for two weeks, and when they were commanded to continue later, they entered sambisa and met no Boko Haram fighters but only women and children and yet claim victory? Why were the press busy telling lies about this? Who stopped the military for two weeks to give room for boko haram fighters to leave sambisa camp?
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D. Why are the Emirs, governor, politicians and other rich men inside Maiduguri silent about these dastard developments? Who created communication gap between the realities in Maiduguri and other parts of Nigeria? And yet government have being pumping money to military officials to curb insurgency without accountability.
E. Are the military collecting their correct salaries and allowances as and when due? There were records of protest by the wives of young military officers about non payment of allowance. So who is causing danger to the lives of the actual soldiers fighting in the field? How could the perceived defeated boko haram put military on the defensive?
F. It is a common Knowledge that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (former Vice President) with cooperation of Adamawa State government, single handedly hired local hunters to deal with boko haram issue in Adamawa State, and they succeeded in liberating Adamawa State from the grip of insurgency. How many rich men like Atiku Abubakar do they have in Maiduguri, and what is wrong with them and the Borno State governor that they could not do same? Just one reason: they are accomplices and also beneficiaries from the boko haram project.
G. I was in University of Maiduguri on Wednesday (8th June, 2017) when boko haram launched an attack on Maiduguri city around 6-6:30pm and they exchanged fire with military and later ran away in the usual dramatic way. The attack happened despite locals reporting warning the army of the terrorists three hours ahead, but they said the security men did nothing.
This attack coincided with the visit of the Acting President that is scheduled to visit Maiduguri on Thursday (8th June, 2017). Is this not a stage-managed attack to compel the Acting President to release more money for the a stage-managed crisis? Why is money so important at the expense of innocent human lives? Who told boko haram that the Acting President is coming? And how could there be a security break barely 24hours to the visit of the Acting President and yet no one is held responsible for that? Is this not a classical vendetta against the sovereignty of Nigeria?
So from the foregoing, you could see that there is more work to do in the north than chasing Igbos out of the north. This can be achieved by mounting pressure on the government to remove the governor of Borno State, remove the military officials and summon them and other accomplices to justice without fear or favor. And finally declare State of emergency in Borno State to protect the citizens of Borno State. The boko haram will disappear by itself. This seem to be the only available option, rather than wasting time and indirectly helping sponsors of Kanu to achieve their dreams.
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