Hope for a new dawn (II): Tackling insecurity

The Boko Haram insurgency that sprouted in this country in 2009 dwarfed all other security problems that this country has had for many decades since the civil war.Luckily, the massive military offensive undertaken in the North East since March with the collaboration of our neighbours Chad, Cameroon and Niger Republic has substantially degraded the insurgents’ […]

The Boko Haram insurgency that sprouted in this country in 2009 dwarfed all other security problems that this country has had for many decades since the civil war.
Luckily, the massive military offensive undertaken in the North East since March with the collaboration of our neighbours Chad, Cameroon and Niger Republic has substantially degraded the insurgents’ fighting capacity and has freed most of the territory under their control. Ongoing military operations in the Sambisa Forest are further degrading the insurgents’ assets. Yet, recent suicide bomb attacks in Yobe State as well as attacks on Maiduguri and other towns indicate that the insurgents are not totally defeated. Their blood-thirsty leader Shekau is yet to be caught and more than 200 Chibok school girls are yet to be rescued even though the military has so far rescued hundreds of women and children from insurgents’ camps. 
Eradicating Boko Haram once and for all should therefore be at the top of Buhari’s priorities. Luckily, the president-elect said in his recent interview with Media Trust editors in Daura that tackling insecurity will be his administration’s number one priority. There are two issues immediately related to this. One is the involvement of regional forces that have helped greatly to corner Boko Haram and cut off its supply routes as well as defeat them in battle. The other is the involvement of foreign “advisers and technicians” in the North East. Buhari recently lamented the latter’s involvement in the war but we urge him not to rush to a hasty decision and to wait and review the situation when he takes over. It is very important to sustain the gains of the recent military operation which has saved thousands of lives in the region and beyond.
Meanwhile, there are millions of people displaced by the insurgency who are yearning for resettlement and reconstruction of their communities. This is urgent before it sows the seeds of another crisis down the road. The Buhari regime should make their resettlement a top national priority and should seek international help to rebuild their destroyed homes, schools, hospitals and means of livelihood. After Boko Haram is defeated, Buhari should initiate a national program of soul searching to ensure that violent religious extremism is kept in check. The vexing issue of child street beggars should also be eradicated. Also, Buhari should evolve a long term plan to restore the capacity of the nation’s armed forces and other security agencies to nip violent groups in the bud anytime they rear their heads here. 
Outgoing National Security Adviser Colonel Sambo Dasuki recently warned that Niger Delta militancy could resurface. Buhari must work hard and wisely to avert this. Some of the former militants recently asked for a continuation of their amnesty program and well as NDDC and Niger Delta Ministry. These are not impossible demands to meet. What we cannot advocate is the continued bribing of ex-militants with billions of naira in poorly-conceived contracts as has been the practice in recent years.
Clashes between farmers and nomadic pastoralists became a full scale war in Benue State last year. In many other states such as Zamfara, Kaduna, and Plateau and Nasarawa cattle rustling is a serious problem, often leading to reprisal attacks on villages and communities. Buhari must evolve a long term plan to prevent this problem from worsening due to increased land and population pressure. While highway robbery appears to have declined in recent years due to improved police mobility, communications and weaponry an even worse menace manifested itself in the form of kidnapping. Youths in many parts of the country now see kidnapping as an easy route to overnight riches. Under Buhari the police and other security agencies must evolve the most effective means to halt kidnapping for ransom. Related to all these problems is the proliferation of small arms which helped to facilitate and compound all the other crimes.
High crime rate in our society is of course related to the dire economic situation in the country. This could easily worsen if state and Federal governments are not paying salaries. While it will take time for Buhari to get a proper handle on the economic situation, he must grapple with insecurity otherwise it will make long term economic prospects very bleak.