The headlines have been abashed with the news of the attack on innocent students of the Federal Government College, Buni-Yadi, by the dreaded Boko Haram insurgents. The incident which occurred in Yobe State, one of the states where emergency rule is effect can best be described a national tragedy.
Sadly, the only offence of the children was that they were Nigerians who believed in the importance of acquiring western education. The females who were spared, were threatened to be killed if they do not abandon their educational pursuit and get married.
Before this development, about 20 girls were abducted at Konduga village, to be coerced into marriage. Though many still doubt the military’s claim to have rescued the girls.
The Yobe massacre seems to be a taunt at the president, who barely a day before the latest incident, extended another olive branch by stating that the government was still open to constructive dialogue with the sect. He urged the sect to table their grievances before the Federal Government so that a lasting solution to the insurgency can be achieved. The seeming courteous gesture was made at International Seminar on the Imperatives of the Observance of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Norms in Internal Security Operations in Abuja.
With the latest strike, the insurgents simply sent a strong message that they are not interested in any peace or dialogue. In the light of the attack on scores of innocent students, the government should realize that this not a sect that wants its olive branch. It is high time this menace is dealt with decisively and promptly; the foot dragging must stop. The sect has shown that it means business, nothing short of absolute destruction is their goal.
When the former American president, George Bush Jnr said America does not negotiate with terrorists, he knew what he was talking about. The rate at which the insurgency is threatening peace of the nation and all hands must be on deck to tackle it before it goes beyond even the military’s control. All that the armed forces needs to win this war must be given to them; financial, moral, technical assistance must not be jettisoned on the altar of corruption. A clear and total victory is what is needed in this case so that the people of Nigeria can breathe a sigh of relief!
Despite what others may think, I believe that the presence of the military has reduced the spate of attacks and the hold of the insurgents, because without them, the situation would unarguably have been worse. But the military also has to act within the purviews of the rule of engagement in avoiding a situation whereby it may be brought to book over unlawful killings, one of which exacerbated the insurgency with the death of the group’s leader, Malam Yusuf Mohammed.
Recently, Mohammed Adoke, the attorney-general of the federation, while commending the roles of members of the armed forces and other law enforcement agencies in containing terrorism in the country, urged them to comply with relevant human rights and international humanitarian laws and norms during internal security operations. He made the appeal against the backdrop that some communities were awarded billions of Naira as damages against Nigeria by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
In all of these, the militarization of the country is alarming. The National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd) testified to the startling and worrisome fact when he said armed forces have been deployed in 32 out of the 36 states of the federation to check security challenges. Assuring that efforts are being made to tackle Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast, he stated that the Federal Government will encourage troops to observe human rights, rules of engagement and international humanitarian law norms.
It unfortunate that the military had to take over the internal policing in various states, and to this end, government should ensure the police are adequately trained, funded and motivated to take up their statutory responsibilities. This anomaly must to be corrected as the military has no business in the internal affairs of the country. Otherwise, what happens when we need the military for its real duties of protecting our territorial integrity from external aggressions when they have been stretched thin for internal purposes?
Finally, I believed there should be no reason to compel security agencies under threat to observe human right and rules of engagement when dealing with enemies that are brutal and callous in their murderous exploits on innocent girls, students and ordinary citizens. It is an undeniable fact that military intervention sometimes attracts negative reactions from affected communities, but political rhetoric and damning statements should not deter our security men in waging the war against terrorism.
Adewumi Adedoyin Sapele Street, Garki, Abuja. Ladyznigh0589@yahoo.com
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