With no intention of trivialising the ongoing war against terror elements and their faceless backers, I can boldly affirm that we are just inches away from ending the ugly reign of Ababukar Shekau and his team of criminals. These criminals are daily losing several of their men to brutal, coordinated and sustained offensive launched by our military and other security officers in different encounters. The recent call on the Federal government for a prisoner swap deal as condition for freeing the abducted Chibok school girls suggested by Boko Haram is to get more men to replace its men killed by military operatives. Unfortunately for these confused and depraved minds, Nigerians rose in one voice to urge government not to give such evil thought attention at all. These guys are only marking time. They have lost everything-their peace, consciousness, mind, men and other valuables- to dangerous offensive launched by our military men.
Nigerians have since come to terms with the obvious but often manipulated fact that terrorists are our common enemies that we must all fight against. You cannot be romancing someone who doesn’t mean well for. Why support, endure or tolerate people whose stock in trade is to visit terror on innocent citizens? Shekau and his men have since overstepped their bounds. Nigerians are not only sick and tired of these rascals, but can’t wait to completely get them banished from wherever they are operating from. Cowards they are, and cowards they’ll remain until our military men end their inglorious reign in Nigeria. We need not surf the internet or search too far to get information on the number of men the Boko Haram group has so far lost.
Our military men have since taken the battle to their domain. Hardly a day passes that Shekau doesn’t get to lose key of his men during shootouts with our troops. This daily victory against these beasts in human clothing won’t cease until they lay down their arms. The little success Shekau and his men recorded has since faded away. Their resolve to take their evil activities to other parts of the country is an indication that the north east which used to be their base was no longer safe for them. They just couldn’t stand the fire-power of our military men in the north east. These guys try daily, though unsuccessfully to plant spurious information in the media just to announce their presence or seek for undue attention. That cheap ploy or dummy always falls flat on its face. It couldn’t achieve much. Even the once-in-a while videos purportedly released by this group hasn’t achieved its evil aim of heating up the system or causing tension in the country.
This group made several largely unsuccessful efforts to use a few mainstream media and social network platforms to spread lies, rumours and falsehood just to cause tension in the land. Thankfully, that has since changed, as media managers and practitioners have rather chosen to pitch their tenth with the people. Expectedly, Shekau and his men are good at going the extra mile to announce their ugly presence, but unfortunately for them, all their game plans keep failing by the day.
Beyond realising that these guys are not our friends, it is instructive that we use everything within our reach to chase them out forever. They definitely have no reason occupying a space on our land. Nigerians are not terrorists. We are very humane, loving, hospitable, accommodating and amazing people. An average Nigerian dreads danger. So, I cannot imagine a Nigerian wrapping himself with IEDs to take his own life and those of others. These elements are not our products. Let us all rise in defence of our people and country. Our sovereignty is too precious an asset to be toyed with or surrendered to illiterates, rascals and sick minds.
We need to support our security men in whatever way possible for them to discharge their duties effectively. They really need our encouragement daily. They have sacrificed everything for the sake of Nigeria and Nigerians. Many of these soldiers have literarily parted ways with their respective families since the war against insurgency took a frightening dimension recently. Some have died in the process while others are nursing life-threatening injuries. We recently received shocking news of a number of soldiers ambushed and killed on their way to the Sambisa forest in Borno. These guys cannot win the battle all alone. Apart from feeding them with useful information on clandestine activities of troublemakers in their communities, we must also remember them in our prayers daily.
We all have distinct roles to play in the war against insurgency. While our military men are doing their best in the battle field to chase away our enemies, we are also expected to volunteer useful information to aid their work. We shouldn’t condemn them. Rather we should learn to celebrate and broadcast their daily achievements. Let’s give them that moral support. The media should make efforts to refrain from casting sensational headlines. These rogues celebrate each time the media promotes or highlights their attacks or activities.
It is no doubt a must-win battle. We have gone a long way to surrender to these animals. Nigeria is God’s own country. We have absolute confidence in God. We are God’s children. Too loved, favoured and cherished to be abandoned by God. All critical stakeholders must rise up to occasion. Nothing should be spared in this must-win battle. Government, security establishments, media, faith-based, youth-based and non-governmental organisations must redouble efforts. God bless us all.
Laraban Saleh salelabaran@yahoo.com Abuja
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