Current Efforts on the War against Insurgency

Nigeria’s security agents have no doubt recorded a major breakthrough in the present war going on to fight Boko Haram insurgency in our country going by the recent capture of the suspected major master-minder and kingpin Chibok girls’ abduction, Babuji Ya’ari. It is believed that this arrest will put more lights to information that could aid in Nigeria in the war against terrorism.

Going by the statement of the Director of Defense Information, Maj-General Chris Olukolade, it was revealed that Babuji Ya’ari, the suspect, is a major intelligence operative of the dreaded Boko Haram sect and also the leader of a youth vigilance group Civilian JTF as it is popularly called, was the mastermind behind the abduction of over 200 female students from Government Secondary School, Chibok, that took place on April 14, 2014.

The defense chief claimed that the suspect, also a business man, was the brain behind the death of Emir of Gwoza, Idrissa Timta, by insurgents on May 30, 2014, combined with several attacks carried out on military formations and the several bomb explosions that has been rocking Maiduguri since 2011.

Maj-General Chris Olukolade also stated that confessions made by Ya’ari aided them in the arrest of some female members of the dreaded sect, including one Hafsat Bello, who is suspected to be the one in charge of paying insurgents that are on the payroll of Boko. Another female that was arrested was one Haj Kaka, Suspected to be a spy for the group and also an amourer.

With the arrest of Ya’ari and other major kingpins like these women, Nigerians will have no option but to applaud and commend the efforts of these security agents. These suspects are indeed very vital to the operations of Boko Haram. No doubt, we are getting results from the intensified effort of the security agencies on intelligence gathering. I will also want to use this opportunity to encourage the security agents not to relent in their efforts and I believe I speak the mind of many Nigerians as well. Because a mole was discovered in the Civilian JTF, the security agents should not relent in getting rid these moles in vigilance groups.

The suspects should be given the trial that they deserve as the law states and if they are found guilty, they should receive the full wrath of the law.  I am saying this with respect to the popular practice of suspected terrorist being arrested, detained, charged to court and after that we hear nothing of their stories again. The way government goes about handling cases of this nature is not encouraging at all. Looking at the past, we will take an example of the trial of suspects believed to be murderers of Bola Ige and others like Barnabas Igwe and wife, Harry Marshal and so on. All their cases were stalled and I don’t know when I heard the last of them. For God’s sake we are tired of the lackadaisical attitude of the Nigerian Judiciary to adjudication of criminal justice. It is this attitude I think is the cause of the high rate of corruption and criminal activities in the system.

This is why it will be encouraging if the trial of these suspects does not take the same path as its formers. Just arresting terrorist and putting them in detention is not just enough, they need to be tried without any secret political interference and if found guilty dance the tune that is accorded to the said crime. This is one way the government and the judiciary can prove to Nigerians that they are consistence in their fight against terrorism in Nigeria. Not only that, a good judgment will bring justice and closure to the families of blast victims and terrorist attacks.

Another jail break should not be a source of motivation for security agents before swinging into action. They should not also increase their efforts just because of the increased attacks of the insurgents rather they should continue until the insurgents are contained fully. I will also like to remind them that the war against terrorism in any country is won with great efforts and intelligence and not only by the massive deployment of troops. This is more reason why all hands must be on deck by not only the security agencies but also by Nigerians at large in providing information necessary to combat this evil.

Author Bio:

Ejike John is a writer, a blogger and a staff writer at Ejike Info Blog