For the first time in four years, the Shehu of Borno… presided over the durbar in Maiduguri. 

ON Tuesday, May 14, 2013, President Goodluck Jonathan took the extraordinary measure of invoking the provisions of Section 305, sub-section 1 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, to declare a state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states. Three months on, the military and security establishments are celebrating that they have substantially met the President’s directive to restore normally in the area.

IN a nationwide broadcast, President Jonathan declared that, “the activities of insurgents and terrorists have been reprehensible, causing fear among our citizens and a near-breakdown of law and order in parts of the country, especially the North. We have taken robust steps to unravel and address the root causes of these crises, but it would appear that there is a systematic effort by insurgents and terrorists to destabilize the Nigerian State and test our collective resolve.

   “The activities of the Boko Haram sect are not just militancy or criminality but rebellion and insurgency by terrorist groups, which pose a very serious threat to national unity and territorial integrity. Already, some parts of Borno State have been taken over by groups whose allegiance is to different flags and ideologies. These terrorists and insurgents seem determined to establish control and authority over parts of our beloved nation and to progressively overwhelm the rest of the country. 

   “In many places, they have destroyed the Nigerian flag and other symbols of state authority and in their place, hoisted strange flags suggesting the exercise of alternative sovereignty. They have murdered innocent citizens and state officials. They have set houses ablaze and taken women and children as hostages. These actions amount to a declaration of war and a deliberate attempt to undermine the authority of the Nigerian State and threaten her territorial integrity. As a responsible government, we will not tolerate this.”

   Indeed, by the time the emergency rule was declared, 14 of the 27 local councils in Borno had fallen to the Boko Haram insurgents. And to demonstrate the urgency of the declaration, the operation took off in earnest within 24 hours of the directive. The Nigerian military, in conjunction with the Nigeria Police, Department of State Security (DSS) and other security agencies, moved in their special forces to the three states. 

   The military deployed massive troops and equipment from the three Services – Army, Navy and Air Force. While the Army supplied the bulk of ground troops with own equipment, the Air Force and Navy supplied own personnel, aircraft and other necessary equipment. The Police, DSS and other agencies also contributed equipment and personnel.

   Their first task was sealing the common borders the three affected states share with Cameroun, Chad and Niger. They then dominated the border communities, which had become the operational bases for terrorist training, insurgencies and other criminal activities against Nigeria. This is because Borno, the major base of Boko Haram, has border with Niger, Chad and Cameroun while Yobe and Adamawa share border with Cameroun.

   Having dislodged the insurgents from their recruiting and training bases in Sambisa forest and New Marte, equipment and weapons were recovered from them. They included rockets, locally fabricated weapon accessories, large number of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and its raw materials, rockets and rocket launchers, laptops, mobile telephone sets, mobile communication equipment for shooting and posting online videos, vehicles of different brands, tailoring equipment – apparently for producing fake military uniforms – and several vehicles destroyed by the terrorists as they retreated from the camp.

   Specifically, the weapons included eight AK47 assault rifles, one G3 rifle, nine AK47 magazines, one rocket propelled grenade charger, five rocket propelled grenade, three FMC magazines, one G3 magazines, 14 IEDs and 166 rounds of 7.62mm Special. Others were three 35mm Bazooka, 34 rounds of 5.56mm, 1,740 rounds of .303 inch, 10 rounds of 7.62 NATO, a round of .50mm, a dane gun, a locally made pistol and two mega phones. Also found in the camps were “strange and bizarre objects” such as several used and unused condoms, charms and amulets of various shapes, syringes, test tubes and hand gloves.

   After dislodging the insurgents from their recruiting and training bases, the troops shifted operations to the cities, especially Bulabulin Nganaram, Aljajeri and Fluja in the Maiduguri metropolis. In the Bulabulin area in Maiduguri, the troops discovered vast network of underground tunnels connecting houses and many bunkers, some which could accommodate over 100 persons. Various weapons were also discovered in the same area. Various radio recordings of terrorists’ messages of Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, were also discovered in his parents-in-law’s house.

   According to the Director of Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, “the mandate of Mr. President to the forces involves the destruction of all terrorist camp/bases, apprehension of perpetrators and bringing them to justice. This mandate has been substantially achieved with destructions of terrorists’ strongholds and bases. In the process, many captives of the terrorists, especially women and children, were freed from the camps as their captors fled in disarray. Many women and minors were rescued and handed over to their families by the JTF. 

   “A number of terrorists have been apprehended by the special forces. Many of them have also died in the battle with the forces. Various resources, including trained military police dogs, facilitated the arrest of insurgents who tried to infiltrate the cities after being dislodged from their bases at the outset of the operation. 

   “Cordon and Search Operations have started enjoying tremendous cooperation of locals. Several terrorists, including their foreign members, are being tracked down. Key terrorists, especially those in the cadre of Amir, as well as those helping their renewed mobilization and recruitment of minors, are being hunted.

   “There has been greater collaboration in the operational area by all the defence and security agencies. Before the emergency, markets were closed. Now, there is substantial resuscitation and revival of social and economic life. There are now increased commercial activities as banks, markets and other public places have been opened and are in business. There is restoration of peace; the needs of people affected are being taken care of by agencies of government, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). 

   “The rate of bombing outside the three states has dropped. But until we kill or arrest the last member of the terror sect, we will keep on working to meet the tenets of the Presidential mandate. And this has been a solely Nigerian operation, no help has come in terms of resources or personnel and we have not asked for any. It has been a purely Nigerian operation.”

   Indeed, the military’s claim of success in the fight against the terror sect may not be misplaced. Following positive indications for peace, the Defence Headquarters last month authorised the restoration of GSM services in the three states, having been cut on May 14, 2013. And for the first time in four years, the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Garbai Ibn El-Kanemi, presided over the durbar in Maiduguri. 

   The spectacular display of royal horsemanship and colourful procession usually staged to mark Sallah festivities had not been held for four years due to the Boko Haram insurgency. The Shehu was himself attacked by a suicide bomber during Friday prayers last year. Though he escaped unhurt, four people were killed in the attack. But for the first time in years, thousands of people, who relocated to other parts of the country because of the violence, returned home with their families and attended this year’s Eid-el Fitr prayers.

   In fact, there was a large turnout of people at various Eid grounds. For the first time since 2009, many residents of the Maiduguri metropolis returned to their deserted homes and shops in areas worse affected by the crisis. Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, while addressing guests at a luncheon he organised at the Government House in Maiduguri, commended the efforts of the military Joint Task Force (JTF) and the “civilian JTF,” which led to the smooth celebration of Eid-el-Fitr.   

   According to Shettima, “it was unfortunate that hundreds of residents have been killed, property worth hundreds of millions of naira, including over 800 public secondary and primary school classrooms, have been destroyed across the state. Though the state has encountered serious damage, we as government will not be deterred by the activities of terrorists as we will soon renovate all the public structures destroyed by the Boko Haram sect in the state.

   “We will continue to support security agencies with our scarce resources in the fight against terrorism. We as government will never forget the effort of the JTF, ‘civilian JTF’, the media and of course all peace-loving people of Borno State for their untiring support, prayers and concern on how to end terrorist activities in our dear state and the country in general.

   “It is the collective efforts and support we received from all and sundry that led to the successful and peaceful celebration of Sallah and we urge everybody to continue to pray for the sustenance of peace in our state and country.”

   Much as the military operation has largely succeeded, it has not come without hiccups. Despite the efforts of the troops under the emergency, there had been slip-ups as the insurgents have continued perpetuating violence. For instance, on July 6, Boko Haram terrorists attacked a boarding school in Yobe State, killing at least 27 children and a teacher. Survivors explained that the militants came to the school with containers full of gasoline and set the school on fire. Many children were burnt alive, while those who tried to escape were shot by the attackers. 

   There have been subsequent clashes between youth vigilance forces and members of the Islamist terror group, in which dozens of youths were killed. The insurgents also attacked and killed at least 20 people and injured dozens of by-standers, mostly fishermen and traders. Later on, five members of the vigilance group were killed when Boko Haram gunmen ambushed the youths’ convoy that was transporting two terrorists, who had previously been arrested. 

   Early this month, there were multiple bomb explosions in a predominantly Christian neighbourhood of Sabon Gari in Kano, in which at least 15 people were killed. As well, scores of military and other security forces have been killed in the operation. 

   Unfortunately, there have been discordant tunes from the political arena. Initially, there was almost a full national support for the emergency declaration until politics crept in, with the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) immediately advising the National Assembly to reject it. 

   Its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said his party “hereby rejects the declaration of emergency rule in the three states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, and we call on the National Assembly to also reject it and not allow itself to be used to rubber-stamp a declaration that is largely cosmetic. If the declaration of a state of emergency in 15 local government areas in four states in 2011 has not curbed the activities of the insurgents, why extend such measure to other areas? If the use of force in the affected states has failed to curtail the activities of the insurgents, why send in more troops?”

   However, ACN’s partner, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), hailed it, noting: “We need to rally round the President in this trying period. We pray that with this action, peace will eventually return to the states. However, it is gratifying that the President did not behave like a former President who removed the political structures when he declared a state of emergency in some states. The action of President Jonathan has shown that the choice made by the people through the ballot would not be denied them. May God help our country.” The ACN would later recant and support the declaration.

   Meanwhile, former military Head of State and presidential candidate in the 2003, 2007 and 2011 elections, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), strongly opposed the declaration. For him, President Jonathan failed from the outset in addressing the security situation in the country. Buhari, who featured as “Guest of the Week” of Kaduna-based Liberty Radio, said the war against the Boko Haram sect was a gross injustice against the North.

   “Unlike the special treatment given to the Niger Delta militants by the Federal Government, the Boko Haram members were being killed and their houses demolished,” he said. “The state of emergency was not the best way to address insurgency in the three affected states and the country in general. Government cannot kill all the Boko Haram members. Government should rather arrest and prosecute the members. They should only be killed when they say clearly that they wage war against their country, like what happened during the civil war.

   “And even during the civil war, we that fought in the war were given a copy of code of conduct book, which guided us against killing innocent people. In Bama and Baga towns, military personnel were reported to have been engaged in extortion and sometimes molesting of women. And because a soldier was killed in Baga, the whole town was sacked by the military. This is not the best way military should have acted when they were sent to restore law and order in a town. How can a responsible government allow its people to be killed in this way?”

   Also, the friction between President Jonathan’s administration and the House of Representatives reared its head as the House moved to revoke the powers of the President in spending the statutory allocations of the three states and local councils under emergency rule in executing the mandate. 

   After approving the full details of the declaration as requested by the President, a member, Ibrahim El-Sudi, sponsored a motion in which the House passed a resolution to delete Section 3(2)(e) of the emergency powers (general regulations), which granted powers to the President to spend funds of the states under emergency rule as he considers desirable. Nevertheless, the amendment did not receive the concurrence of the Senate and so died a natural death.

   In addition, the Federal Government faced pressures from both within and outside the country. On its part, Amnesty International said the “Nigerian authorities must not use the state of emergency imposed in the North of the country as an excuse to commit human rights violations. Issues of national security and the state of emergency do not give the military carte blanche to do whatever they want.” The organisation’s Deputy Director for Africa, Ms Lucy Freeman, added that, “the onus is on the state to prove that they are not using an emergency as justification to run roughshod over people’s human rights.”

   Amnesty International claimed that in the last three years, it has documented grave human rights violations committed by security forces in their response to Boko Haram, including extra-judicial executions, enforced disappearances, indiscriminate torching of civilian housing and arbitrary detention. Accusing the government of using the declaration to execute “mass arrests,” especially in Borno State, it regretted that “detainees continue to be denied access to lawyers and families and are not being charged with any crime or brought before a court.” 

   It added: “Many people have spent more than a year in military detention without being tried or even charged with any crime. Others have simply disappeared. Individuals in military vehicles have been depositing bodies on an almost daily basis at mortuaries in the town. The government does not appear to carry out any investigation into these deaths, and has not released any information pertaining to those deceased and deposited at the mortuaries.”

   Effects of the Bama incident, in which the fire-fight between the Special Forces and the terrorists resulted in deaths and destruction of parts of the town, continued to reverberate during emergency operations. The Qatar-based international news network, Al-Jazeera, carried a report accusing the Nigerian military of perpetuating human rights abuses. But Presidential Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, described the alleged rights abuses as “fabricated,” as the Nigerian security forces on the ground “had been carrying out the directive by the President and had adhered to the rules of engagement while carrying out their assignments.”

   He noted: “While we welcome an open interrogation of government’s activities, we reject any attempt to exploit the security situation in the North East to malign, discredit or otherwise undermine the country’s efforts by other surreptitious means. There can be no doubt that the Al Jazeera report of May 31 is in very bad taste.”

   Defence spokesman, Olukolade, added: “The forces in this operation are quite conversant with the rules of engagement. Constant monitoring is ongoing to ensure there is no violation and where there is, to instantly investigate and punish perpetrators. Nigerians and our friends abroad must realize that the security operations were necessitated by the need to secure and restore the rights of Nigerian citizens who were being abused by the activities of terrorist, who have not only violated Nigeria’s sovereignty, but have committed mindless atrocities against citizens, and there is no way such abuse, lawlessness and hate ideology could be encouraged or allowed to continue. 

   “While the forces will remain accountable, the prying eyes on various activists should equally focus on the unending and condemnable atrocities of terrorists rather than desperately trying to play to the gallery by seeking evidence to indict the forces of non-existent human rights abuses. The forces are not on any revenge mission but purely on a mission to restore law and order.

   “The misinformation in terms of reporting human rights issues has been enormous and more mischievous than real. Attempt to set subjective standards in rating compliance with human rights here is unfair and should be condemned. Our citizens should beware of running errands for those whose motive on our nation’s integrity and security remains suspect.”

   Olukolade noted that the prosecution of the terrorists has its own challenges, stating: “The attention and zeal to indict this operation on issues of human rights should also note the peculiarity of the situation in relation to the infrastructural capacity for managing the insurgents. Lawyers are not taking briefs on cases involving Boko Haram detainees; no judge is ready to take their cases. And they have burnt down the prisons where they could be detained, which is why they are being held in detention centres. So, there is no institution to facilitate the 24-hour release of the detainees even after investigations.”

   But as a source told The Guardian in Abuja, “what will bring the Boko Haram insurgency to its final end does not lie only in military success, it also lies in non-military measures. Look, the failure of governance and the declining influence of traditional and religious institutions contributed to the blossoming of Boko Haram terrorism. The military’s role is not an end in itself. Its job is to weaken or destroy the Boko Haram insurgents enough that they quickly opt for the path of peace. 

   “And while this is going on, the various tiers of government should provide quick impact projects needed to win the hearts of the people. The Federal Government should show the political will to prosecute all individuals linked with terror activities in the country, without fear or favour. Most importantly, Nigerians should see the war against terror as their own, it is not a task only for the military and para-military forces. We must help through reporting to the authorities any unusual movement, activity or lifestyle.”

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Posted in Nigerian Newspapers. A DisNaija.Com network.

Source: Guardian Newspaper

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