My friend, where is Boko Haram?

The governors came in torrents but the few who did not believe in, or had a problem with, the northern governors forum stayed away. Prominent among those are Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State and Ibrahim Shehu Shema of Katsina for obvious reasons.What began in 2009 as a Harmattan fire that was eating the entire north […]

The governors came in torrents but the few who did not believe in, or had a problem with, the northern governors forum stayed away. Prominent among those are Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State and Ibrahim Shehu Shema of Katsina for obvious reasons.
What began in 2009 as a Harmattan fire that was eating the entire north has now been reduced to a scotched-earth war in the Northeast.  The gruesome killing of women, and children of school age and below, by a rag-tag army, that is more equipped and better motivated than the Nigerian army, has continued unchallenged. The indiscriminate mode of operation of the group continues to raze schools, markets, airports, motor-parks, churches and mosques. The casualty quotient has been as diverse as the scenes of the crime. If it is not Bama in the eastern-most part of the state, it is somewhere in the opposite direction.
Unfortunately the most hard-hit age group is the future generation of Nigerians. On both sides of the divide, Nigeria is the loser. If care is not taken, both the marauders and the victims will, in the future, become paralysed by the killing and the north will eventually be crippled socially, economically and spiritually.
Nobody seems to notice that this theatre of war which comes as a comprehensive destruction tablet to the region is eating the very fabrics of the country. How can a country develop if it continues to harbour a generation of blood thirsty youth? The situation has resulted in delirium as the orgy of violence remains the mainstay. Borno elders, who have been most affected by the unfortunate situation, because of the involvement of their children and the death of their spouses, once called for the withdrawal of the army from the region but they are now asking for more troops. When the governor, Kashim Shettima voiced his concerns to the president, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the military was aghast. But it is the same military that not twice, not thrice was caught deep in its slumber by the insurgents, whenever they proclaimed the Boo Haram as weakened and on the retreat.
Most people who criticize the appropriateness or otherwise of the governor’s umbrage in the media have neither been to Maiduguri nor known its exact geographical location. They also have no idea how beautiful it once was and so have no visual comparison with its present state. They dwell on hypothesis. Perhaps one must have a sentimental attachment to something before passing judgement. None also has lost their children, family or loved ones to the devastating bullets of the BH. Nobody can feel the pains of death if all he does is death through the windows of a skyscraper in down town Lagos.  
That is why Governor Shettima argues that it is he who wears the shoe that knows where it pinches.
And that should remind us. Once upon a time there existed a daredevil armed robber from Agbor in the old Bendel State who captured the whole of the Midwestern region of Nigeria and was gradually expanding his exploits to Lagos. As time went on he almost held the nation spell bound. Lawrence Anini traumatised this country and held the nation hostage. However, at the end of one AFRC meeting one fateful day in October 1986, IBB in his rambunctious fashion, turned to Inyang and asked  “my friend where is Anini?”.
The question led to the downfall of George Iyamu, the glorification of Kayode Uanreroro and the elevation of Parry Osayande, who today sits as the Chairman of the Police service Commission.
The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Vice-Marshall Alex Badeh, is from Mubi, which is centrally located in the North east that the Boko Haram has made its enclave. Rather than spit fire on Kashim Shettima the governor of Borno State as the military is doing, the military should come forward with reasons why Abubakar Shekau has remained invincible.
The governor was modest enough to have accorded the Nigerian military some kind words at all. Many people are not that charitable towards the Nigerian army for its failure to totally make the insurgency a thing of the past in record time. It is not a complimentary record to have excellent result sheets in peace keeping around the world when they cannot keep the peace in their own backyard. This same Nigeria Army fought the war in Biafra for thirty months until Chief Obafemi Awolowo prescribed a formula that eventually led to the end of the civil war.
Governor Kashim Shettima should not lose sleep over his comments that Boko Haram is better motivated than the Nigeria Army. It is entirely true that Boko Haram is better motivated because they execute several successful operations and caught the military napping on many occasions. If it not motivation what does the military want the Nigerian people to believe. Already there are enough complaints among the rank and file of the military about how military top brass are making a financial killing of the war against the insurgents.
That probably brings about the query in the motivation of the footmen. Only yesterday, Sheik Abubakar Shekau delivered a message claiming responsibility for the brutal killing of Sheikh Al bani. My friends, where is Boko Haram?