Pass mark to JTF

Before the declaration of state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, parts of those areas had been colonised by the terrorists. They imposed their new flag and appointed an Amir to take charge of each area. As with all cases of absolute power, several atrocities were perpetrated by the footmen of the Boko […]

Before the declaration of state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, parts of those areas had been colonised by the terrorists. They imposed their new flag and appointed an Amir to take charge of each area. As with all cases of absolute power, several atrocities were perpetrated by the footmen of the Boko Haram sect but the people were powerless. In terms of media access Boko Haram was doing better than the federal and state governments as it issued subtle and blatant threats of reprisals against media houses perceived as hostile to the ideology of hate propagated by the group. I thought I could decipher a hint of self-censorship among media outfits. Since Boko Haram had successfully bombed the UN building and some newspaper offices and routinely claimed respon-sibility for wanton killings of defenceless people, no one could treat the group’s threat of reprisals lightly.
There was so much dis-information at the beginning of JTF’s operations that one was confused about the true state of affairs. As usual, some laced their reaction with political colouring while others suspected that it was all in furtherance of an ethnic cleansing agenda. Now, three months after, it is clear to all and sundry that Boko Haram was a potent threat to the existence of Nigeria.
Although it was clear that there were criminal and political elements posing as Boko Haram, it was very difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. After all, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) had a unit responsible for carrying out robberies to fund their campaign.
One of the most depres-sing episodes was the des-truction of the famous Potis-kum cattle market. Two armed robbers had violently stolen cash from traders in the market, killing four people in the process. After the initial shock the people mobilised and went after one of the robbers carrying the loot; when they caught up with him they simply set him ablaze. His gang members returned later in the day to revenge the killing. About 40 well-armed men reduced the market to rubble and shot at anything moving – man or beast. According to eyewitnesses, while explosives were being detonated all over the market, gunmen who had positioned themselves at the gates of the market began shooting sporadically at fleeing herdsmen, cattle merchants and other traders. I am not squeamish but I found it hard to watch the clips of the massacre that took place in that market.
The declaration of a state of emergency in the three most volatile states was therefore a decision whose time was already overdue. In three months, the armed forces working in concert with the police and state security agencies have been able to nip the territorial ambitions of the extremist sect in the bud. To achieve this, lives have been lost on both sides of the divide. But a semblance of normalcy has returned. It is still work in progress but the uniformed services must be commended for restoring hope to the helpless people in that area who simply want to carry on with their lives in peace. We owe it to them to ensure that the anti-terror campaign succeeds.
Another impressive deve-lopment is the emergence of what has come to be known as “Civilian JTF”, a group of volunteer youths aiding the military to track and apprehend known terrorists. The successes recorded so far amply demonstrate that the armed forces could not have succeeded if they had alienated the local people.
One of the more significant deve-lopments was the recent apprehension of a man described as Boko Haram doctor. According to sources, a truck suspected of carrying insurgents and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) as well as other dangerous weapons was stopped at a check point but it sped off. The military alerted the next checkpoint to watch out for the vehicle. When the truck got to that checkpoint, the security operatives fired at it, forcing the occupants to escape into the bush.
On searching the truck, AK 47 rifles, various types of IEDs and other bomb-making materials were found. There was also a suitcase containing medical equipment. After a while, when the owner of the suitcase felt the Special Forces had left, he came back to retrieve his suitcase but was apprehended. Now I hear that the doctor in question is a consultant to the World Health Organisation. Soon after his arrest, Amnesty International sent its offi-cials to investigate how an “innocent doctor who works for the WHO” was arrested.
Well, that doctor has a lot of explanation to do. What was he doing in the same vehicle with terrorists? Military sources say the man is one of the doctors who provide medical services and that all that an injured insurgent had to do was find his way to the camp where the medical facilities were and he would be treated. It has also been found out that the sect has lawyers on its payroll and that one of them is currently answering question from the authorities.
I wonder where Amnesty International was when 29 students and a teacher of Government Secondary School near Potiskum were killed. The students (boys and girls) were ordered to strip. Anyone with pubic hair was simply shot and dismembered.
What manner of demon governs the minds of terrorists?
The Defence Headquar-ters has done a good job so far. To remain in the driver’s seat all security agents involved in the terror war must continue to extend a hand of fellowship and show respect to the people. My mid-term score? A resounding pass!