At Camp Zairo in the heartland of the adorned and the dreaded Sambisa Forest, Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, while declaring the 2017 Army Small Arms Championship ceremony opened, said,” Based on President Muhammadu Buhari’s announcement, the Sambisa Forest became deceased or dead, if you like, at about 1:35pm on Thursday, the 22nd of December, 2016. Three months since its demise, for me, today marks the official ‘funeral’ of the Sambisa Forest. I, Kashim Shettima, is proud to have witnessed this ‘funeral’ and I congratulate all of us for being witnesses to the triumph of good over evil.
“I join well meaning Nigerians to congratulate our President/Commander in Chief, Muhammadu Buhari. I congratulate our distinguish Minister of Defence; I congratulate our service chiefs particularly the Gallant Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai. I congratulate the giant with small looks, Major General Leo Irabor, Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole. I congratulate all commanding officers and our patriotic soldiers at the battle front, who fought and recorded a major victory in our work in progress. The people of Borno State will forever remain grateful to everyone who contributed or contributing to the liberation of Borno State from the deadly hands of terror.
The fall of Sambisa is both symbolic and memorable and this is why as a government, we are taking steps to preserve the history behind the fall of Sambisa Forest and to spectacularly document the roles played by everyone from the Commander in Chief, our service chiefs, commanders of troops and our soldiers
“By this bold and creative decision to hold the Nigerian Army Small Arms Championship right here, I do not have the slightest doubt, that the fate of notorious Sambisa is totally sealed. Our military has changed the use of Sambisa from being a point where attacks on Nigeria and Nigerians were being coordinated by terrorists, to a new point where soldiers are trained to become excellent shooters, whose precision is to defend Nigeria and Nigerians.
“The fall of Sambisa is both symbolic and memorable and this is why as a government, we are taking steps to preserve the history behind the fall of Sambisa Forest and to spectacularly document the roles played by everyone from the Commander in Chief, our service chiefs, commanders of troops and our soldiers. Very soon, the Borno State Government will respectfully request for partnership with the Federal Ministry of Defence and the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture towards working together to construct a National Museum that we might call SAMBISA FALL & INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH CENTRE, for the purpose of documenting all de-classified information, to preserve valuable materials recovered by the military in relation to the fight against Boko Haram. Importantly also, our aim is to document responses by successive political and military leadership and the eventual fall of Sambisa forest under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“We hope that such a Museum will become a global custodian of information and valuable materials on issues relating to the Boko Haram and the role played by the Nigerian Military and multinational forces. We will propose that the museum should have a HALL OF FALLEN HEROES which should bear names and pictures of notable officers and men of the Nigerian Army, Air Force, Navy, Police, DSS, all para-military agencies, the Civilian JTF and hunters who paid the supreme price in helping to free us from the Boko Haram. We will also propose that the museum should have a HALL OF FAME to document the patriotic contributions of leaders like President Muhammadu Buhari, our current service chiefs, past and present military and other security heads and commanders of troops who meritoriously served within and outside the northeast in the fight against the Boko Haram.
“We will propose that the museum should have a MEMORIAL HALL that would permanently bear names of notable civilians killed by insurgents. The whole idea is to preserve history so that we keep memories alive, so that we celebrate our heroes and most importantly, for us and the future generation to learn from the unfortunate Boko Haram experience.
“On our part, ladies and gentlemen, the Borno State Government will from this year (2017) to declare the 22nd December of every year, as SAMBISA MEMORIAL DAY. This day which will be marked as public holiday in Borno State for the purpose of celebrating the strength and victory of our armed forces; for the purpose of remembering victims of the Boko Haram insurgency and families they left behind. And also, for the purpose of remembering members of Nigerian Armed Forces and volunteers who gave their lives in the course of fighting the Boko Haram in Borno State.”
In the next forthnight, being December 22, 2018 the celebration of Sambisa Memorial Day comes up in Borno going by the declaration of Governor Kashim. The conquest of Camp Zairo, the Headquarters of Boko Haram sect and its Central Military Command by the Nigerian military is significant for reasons. The conquest demystified the myth that Boko Haram headquarters is impregnable. The feat is an assertion of the supremacy of a superior force over a rat –tag army. By this victory, the Nigerian military reinforced its confidence on the Nigerian nation as well as membership of the armed forces. Internationally, the nation’s military gained further recognition as the dependable and formidable force. Since the conquest of Sambisa, the insurgents remained scattered in their operations though still posing threat.
No doubt, the nation’s military has done Nigerians proud. All the hitherto Local Government Council areas held by the terrorists have been liberated and the insurgents are in disarray. Therefore, there is need to celebrate the conquest of Sambisa as this has impacted positively on the operations of the Nigerian military as against the debit side of the insurgents.
However from history and experience the devil will not give up easily in a battle. The conquest of Camp Zairo is indeed a watershed in the war against the insurgency. The capture or defeat of the terrorists at Camp Zairo is the end of an era and at the same time the beginning of another. With the intense heat on the insurgents by the military, they were forced to abandon their headquarters into various directions on the prowl as giving up easily is not in their dictionary.
Remember I Peter 5:8 which says “Be self – controlled and alert, your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” This is the current status of the insurgency war as the terrorists have been flushed out of Camp Zairo and are still on the prowl here and there, especially, in Borno State, the epi-centre of the terror war.
The re-insurgence of the terror war, the suicide bombing, attacks of soft targets and now military base or posts is true to type of the antics of the terrorists, the drowning ones craving for possible recognition and luck. The recent attacks on villages, military posts, base, the latest being Metele are evidence on ground of the nefarious activities of man inhumanity to man.
It is gratifying to note that the sudden upsurge of the insurgency in Borno State in particular is engaging the serious attention and rapid response, especially from the Federal Government and the military. With the change of venue of the 2018 Chief of Army Staff Conference from Benin to Maiduguri and opening of the Conference by President Muhammadu Buhari in Maiduguri penultimate week, a message has been clearly sent to the insurgents or trouble makers that bleak future awaits them. The powerful address to the troops in Maiduguri and the message of solidarity, goodwill and incentives contained in the presidential address stand a morale booster to the soldiers. In addition the latest directive of the President Buhari to Chief of Defence Staff General Gabriel Olonisakin and Chief of Army Staff Lt General Tukur Buratai to move to Maiduguri for operational purposes is instructive.
Apart from the goodies pledged by the authorities to the soldiers in the war front, there is need for the military to be proactive in its planning and operation. There is need to set in motion always pre-emptying moves to forestall the plans of the enemies. Permanent defensive disposition most time is not a good war strategy. Besides, the military or the security agencies involved in this war must critically examine themselves to fish out the enemies within the fold. This reminds one of the question twittered by Ahmed Sakilda, the said negotiator of President Jonathan’s administration, on the release of the abducted Chibok school girls who said and asked “The Nigerian Army soldiers are better trained than the Boko Haram insurgents, but wondered how come about 70 per cent of the arms used by the insurgents are said to have come from the Nigerian Armoury?” A food for thought for the concerned.
Moving further, the Nigerian Army had on occasions in statements indicted some elite, especially politicians in the Northeast and Borno State in particular of frustrating efforts to end the insurgency for their self-centeredness. On the other hand, some Nigerians have blamed the continued terror war on the bad eggs in the military who are said to be prolonging the insurgency for commercial purpose.
We should not be in haste to dismiss the assertion of former President Goodluck Jonathan who said that there were Boko Haram members in his government. Only recently, the erstwhile Director General of the Directorate of the State Security Service , Mallam Lawal Daura, pointed out that in the process of negotiating for the freedom of the abducted Dapchi school girls from their captors, there were some government officials who tried to frustrate their efforts. The question is: where do we place the allegiance of such officials?
The insurgency has lasted almost a decade with no end in sight and complications more manifest. The more we look the less we see. The questions now pricking and provoking are: How long can we continue in this deadly war that shows no sign of abating? Who are the sponsors of this heinous crime? Who will not let go Boko Haram?
To win this war, we all must be involved one way on the other in collaboration with the military. Time to go back to the drawing board and find out where things went wrong and fix them. Blame game will take us nowhere but ultimate destruction. Besides, it is imperative to fully mobilise the military in all ramifications for total onslaught on the terror gang. Serious intelligence gathering is imperative.
Remember as we celebrate the Sambisa Memorial Day, the greatest, which is the total liquidation of the insurgency, is still a race not yet won.
Victor Izekor, is a journalist, public affairs analyst and writes @ victorizekor@gmail.com.
