Insurgency: Bloody month of May claims 1,145 lives

Beginning on a grin note with a car bomb explosion in Nyanya in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on May Day, the month of May, which ended yesterday, was no doubt the most bloody since 2010 when Abubakar Shekau began his violent campaign. The bomb attack led to the death of 20 persons and opened […]

Beginning on a grin note with a car bomb explosion in Nyanya in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on May Day, the month of May, which ended yesterday, was no doubt the most bloody since 2010 when Abubakar Shekau began his violent campaign. The bomb attack led to the death of 20 persons and opened the floodgate for many other blasts and violent attacks throughout the month.
Data analysis by Sunday Trust revealed that at least 1,145 lives were lost in 42 violent attacks in the month of May, 2014. On the average, 37 people died every day in the passing month.  The report showed that 732 civilians were killed in the attacks, while 352 insurgents lost their lives. Security operatives who died in action were 61. Some 32 persons were reportedly injured in the violence that spread across nine states.  The states include Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Bauchi, and Jigawa. Others are Taraba, Plateau, Kano and the FCT.
The killings in the May alone were almost at par with the deaths recorded from January to March, 2014, a figure put at about 1,230. The death toll in the first three months was much higher than the number of deaths in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, where Al-Qaeda-style militancy has created serious insecurity. Though the death toll in these countries in May has not been compiled by our reporter, there are indications that the number of deaths in Nigeria is still much higher than what is obtainable in the three countries under reference.
The death toll in Nigeria is an irony because in May, 2014 President Goodluck Jonathan received promises of support from world powers and signed a deal with West African countries to tackle the insurgency headlong. The United States, United Kingdom, China, France, and Israel have reportedly begun to arrive the country with hitech equipment to, primarily, help in the search and rescue of close to 300 Chibok school girls, and lend a helping hand in the country’s fight against the insurgency.
The highest number of killings took place on May 5th in Gamboru, a community close to Nigeria’s border with Cameroon. On that day, some 315 persons were reportedly killed in a massive onslaught on the community by  Boko Haram fighters. There were reports that the death toll could be higher, as high as 600 lives, according to Senator Ahmed Khalifa Zanna, who hails from that part of Borno State. As it has been the fate of other villagers wherever the insurgents have wreaked havoc, there were reports that residents of Gamboru were left at the mercy of Boko Haram fighters, as soldiers were not there to defend them. It would not be the first that insurgents would attack Gamboru in Gamboru-Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State. The community has been at the receiving end of massive onslaughts, giving the impression that the local government is totally under their control, and those who resist them do so at their peril.
The second massive death toll was recorded in Jos, Plateau State on May 20. A car bomb explosion at the popular and heavily populated Jos Terminus left at least 122 persons dead. Though Boko Haram has not claimed responsibility for that attack, the bloody incident was similar to other such attacks in the FCT, which targeted heavily populated Nyanya motor parks. There was another attack on Bauchi Road in Jos on May 24, but the car bomb blast was denied the ‘glory’ of massive deaths after a very sensitive family frustrated the bomber’s scheme.
Apart from the attacks in the cities of Jos, Kano and FCT, most of the 42 bloody incidents took place in villages in Borno, Yobe, Bauchi, Jigawa, and Kaduna States.  It seems that the insurgents are engaged in a plot to sack villages, send surviving residents packing to city centres so that they could carve out a territory for themselves. For instance, after a recent attack on Amuda/Arbodo and Gurmishi villages in Gwoza and Marte, the insurgents were said to have hoisted their flag, declaring that they had made the Gwoza community their headquarters. In these villages, a total of 51 persons were reportedly killed, and over a hundred houses were razed down. Incidentally, the Emir of Gwoza, Alhaji Idrissa Timta, aged 72, was killed last Friday when the insurgents attacked Emirs from Borno who were travelling to Gombe to attend the funeral of the late Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Usman Shehu Abubakar, who died earlier last week. Another village that has suffered heavy casualty is Dalwa-Masuba in Damboa Local Government Area where over 40 persons were reportedly killed and the whole village was burnt down. (See table for a comprehensive death toll in many villages).
As it were, many soldiers and policemen were not spared in the attacks and deaths. The highest single deaths involving security operatives occurred on May 26 when the insurgents attacked Buni Yadi in Yobe State.  In the encounter, 18 soldiers and 15 policemen were killed in an attack that occurred at about 5.00pm. It was in this same town that some 59 students of Federal Government College, Buni Yadi were   slaughtered at night on February 25, 2014. Another town where soldiers recorded a high casualty figure was in Chibok in Borno State. On May 13, some 12 soldiers were ambushed at about 2.00am while returning to Maiduguri in obedience to an instruction from their commander. Because of the supposed indiscretion of the top military boss which led to the killings, there was mutiny in Maiduguri on May 14 when soldiers staged a protest, and one of them opened fire on the car of Major General Ahmed Mohammed, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army. Though the top military officer was unhurt, the authorities had to redeploy him from Maiduguri.
On the side of the insurgents, they suffered casualties, put at about 352. The highest was recorded in Rann in Kala Balge Local Government Area of Borno State, where it was reported that local fighters, on May13, disarmed Boko Haram insurgents and killed about 200 of them. In Bita/Jaji in Adamawa State, there was a report of a similar feat performed by local hunters who reportedly killed 90 insurgents who were traced to their hideout around that community. These death tolls were based on reports from sources in these communities. There was no independent confirmation of these exploits by local fighters against the sect. However, the sect did not come out to deny that they suffered such defeat in the hands of local fighters.
From the analysis by our reporter, there were, on the average, two attacks on every day in the month of May, if those that were never reported are taken into consideration. With the increase in attacks and death toll, and with the fact that the fate of close to 300 school girls abducted 48 days ago still hanging in the balance, it is feared that the insurgents may have developed a fresh strategy to execute their campaign against the people and institutions in Nigeria, now that the international community is intervening to help tackle the insecurity.
Dr Amaechi Nwokolo, who has done extensive study on Terrorism, told our reporter at the weekend that though the country is receiving help from foreign powers, it is vital to seek a soft approach to the fight. “As I’ve mentioned to you earlier, we need to find a way to reach out to Boko Haram,” Dr Nwokolo said. “You cannot overcome violence with violence. These sect members are ready to die. Death means nothing to them. It’s you and I who want to live. If you want to live, then reach out to them and make peace.”