Renewed attacks and killings by the Boko Haram, insurgents in the North East zone has fueled concerns that widely held notion that the dreaded invigorate sect has been neutralised need reassessment. They may have just gone on recess only to re-tool and re-launch their attacks in a manner that would hit their targets off-guard.
For instance, Gwoza, the once sleepy community in the region has remained a butt of attacks by the insurgents with relentless assaults recently. It is even reported that Gwoza known for its legendary hosting of policemen for their Police Mobile training has lost its steam as these attacks has forced the authorities to seek alternative grounds. Then, alumnae from that camp were proudly adorning memorabilia bearing such inscriptions as “proudly from Gwoza Hills, I was in Gwoza Hills” but all that have given way to a huge despair by both the people and those they once hosted. The serene environment that made Gwoza come as a national geographic landmark has given way to the desperation of the marauders.
The Governor whose state is at the epicenter of the B’Haram activities, Professor Babagana Zulum was quoted in various media recently in desperation, emphasising that the terrorists have taken over parts of the state where they have sacked communities without hindrance. Although his concerns were dismissed in some quarters as an alarmist posturing what soon followed justified his outcry. He called for a fresh reinforcement of security men and equipment to counter the rising force of the Boko Haram and other related terrorists.
Apart from the recent Gwoza attacks where scores of soldiers and civilians were hacked down by the intruders, several other incursions have left some top commanders of the military paying the supreme price largely due to the fact that the personnel were allegedly either ill-equipped or were caught off-guard. It is sad that we are losing our men.
In a succinct response, the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, expressed concern that insecurity outside the now entrenched Boko Haram was worsening, urging the government to pace up against these challenges which has spread to the North West and the North Central zones.
Though, not the first of its kind, the President and Commander-in-Chief Bola Tinubu has again given fresh marching orders to the military to subdue the attackers immediately.
In the aftermath of the attacks, the Emir of Gwoza, HRH Alhaji Mohammed Shehu Timta, expressed helplessness of the situation in his domain recently.
Another attack by the terrorists saw the death of a Nigerian Army Captain and a soldier in a midnight attack on Izge community in Gwoza Local Government just within the same period.
The government’s avowed commitment to fight insurgency is not new in the nation’s contemporary history since these insurgencies began. Matching the will power and zeal with the talk is imperative to forge a formidable front against these insurgents. Walking the talk should be uppermost to all stakeholders, we suggest.
With a renewed vigour and decisive push, these elements would have gone down as defeated but there appears to be a missing link somewhere. The military strategists also need to revisit global archives to understudy how this unconventional warfare can be crushed. Relying on experiences from other climes that have gone through similar experiences would not be out of place.
It is disconcerting that despite the display of repentant Boko Haram members often on national TVs and several media, sects of terror are still active and vicious in their escapades. There is every reason to jettison propaganda at this stage because the dire consequences of these onslaughts are glaring and cannot be glossed over.
