If you are given the name “Aleto” in my Ora community of Owan West Local Government Council of Edo State, you are forewarned from the onset that for you to survive in this world, you must always run away from trouble anytime it beckons. In short, take to your heels when trouble comes knocking.
And so, when the insurgents humiliated, traumatised and agonised the people of Shuwari Balle community in Borno State, the inhabitants made their demand clear: “Compensate us and protect us, otherwise we will relocate,” they told the Chief Executive of the state who was on sympathy visit on their recent ordeal.
The deputy governor of Borno State, Alhaji Mamman Durkwa, was in the village in Jere Local Government Council area of Borno State to condole the people on the recent attack on the village by the terrorists resulting in death, sorrow, blood and lost of valuables.
Durkwa, who represented Governor Kashim Shettima, told the people that he was there to sympathise with them and as well assess the extent of damage for compensation. He urged the people to regard what happened as the act of God with a pledge that the government would come their aid. The inhabitants narrated their ordeals in the hands of the terrorists and called for immediate government aid and protection otherwise, they would relocate elsewhere. In the attack by the terrorists which has become a pattern of the re-insurgence of terror of recent 65 houses were razed down, 200 cows, 300 sheep and some goats were carted away while one disabled man was killed.
Of recent, suspected Boko Haram members have constituted menace through their harvest of attacks in various parts of Borno especially, in the periphery of Maiduguri, the state capital. The sudden onslaught has reawakened once more the almost forgotten nightmare of the tyranny and onslaught of the insurgents. Some stakeholders in Borno, including Governor Kashim Shettima and some legislators have expressed deep concern on the sudden change of tide which is gradually impairing on the emerging peace and systematic building of confidence of the people in the authorities. Irrespective of the magnitude of the attack, deaths, sorrow and blood are the resultant effects to the hitherto prevailing peace.
It is a vicious cycle of harrowing experience and an endless trauma. Take it or leave it, it is a case of “Monkey dey work baboon dey chop” as the terrorists effectively monitored, especially the farmers from the planting to harvest time when, with impunity and violence, they carted away their hard earned farm products leaving the farmers and the entire community or communities bared, bloody and in despair. This has been the bane especially now when the insurgents are scattered and have intensified their prowl on the people and
valuables.
It is however instructive that while on similar attacks the victims would demand for mostly compensation, this time in Shuwari Balle the people made it clear that where their security could no longer be guaranteed, they would relocate. This is indeed a challenge to the constituted authorities. The legitimacy of any government stands challenged or ceased at that point it could no longer assured or guarantee the safety or security of the citizens. These attacks and the negative effects have become too often to stand any modicum of sense. Today is Shuwari Balle village threatened to relocate, tomorrow it might be another community.
The inevitable question is: relocate to where when almost in most parts of Borno, everyone is a moving corpse as these demons of destruction could strike from nowhere as they are operating in a well known terrain. But do you blame a man who runs for safety when his present abode proved unsafe?
No doubt, the Federal Government of President Muhammadu Buhari has demonstrated the will power to fight the insurgency while Borno state administration of Kashim Shettima is complementing the federal efforts in this direction. There are positive results on ground to testify for progress made in this war against terror. All the local government councils hitherto held by the insurgents have been substantially degraded. The Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are gradually being returned to their original abode while the reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement programmme of the administration is steadily on track. Even the doubting Thomas cannot deny the fact that positive efforts and gains have been recorded in the war against the
insurgency.
However, the sudden intense attacks by the terrorists in various parts of Borno, especially in the villages and in the periphery of Maiduguri, the state capital is certainly an indication that all is not well in the current war against the insurgency. This becomes so disturbing as they do such with impunity and added violence. We hear of “the situation under control” after the mayhem and departure of the insurgents, with no one held liable or arrested. The sporadic attacks of the insurgents or terrorists have subjected the people to nights of sleeplessness and eyes wide-opened.
It is imperative for all stakeholders to forge a common front against this insidious onslaught from the traducers who appear to be hell bent in making lives unbearable for all. Security is everybody business. While the authorities adopt a carrot and stick approach in this wise, the security forces or agencies must live up to expectation by finishing the war as quickly as possible. Further delay continues to complicate the insurgency war in multi-dimensional forms or ways thus compounding the already confused situation.
In addition to current war strategies against Boko Haram, there is need to be pro-active by setting in motion always pre-empting forces to counter the insurgents war approach and tactics. Besides, there is the necessity for a well articulated information and intelligence gathering system to unveil the direction and pursuit of the enemies. Involvement of the trusted traditional institutions as well the locals is imperative especially the foot soldiers who are mostly the sons of the environment. Above all, there is need for constant evaluation of the prevailing circumstances to determine the way forward bearing in mind that the enemies are no
idiots.
If a community is forced to relocate as a result of the inability of the concerned authority or authorities to ensure its security, then, there is more trouble ahead. Another group or settlement discovering itself in such an unsafe environment lacking protection of the concerned might thought as well to relocate. If this continues, then we must have consciously or unconsciously allowed Boko Haram to dictate the pace of this war against the insurgency. Should this happen, then Nigeria will be the ultimate loser.
