Women as suicide bombers

These devious groups exploit women, particularly the younger ones, because of their natural tendency to be compassionate as mothers and caregivers. They are now being abused to act as agents of death and destruction, bringing sorrow to many homes.When insurgents began deploying suicide bombers in their dastardly campaign a few years ago, women were never […]

These devious groups exploit women, particularly the younger ones, because of their natural tendency to be compassionate as mothers and caregivers. They are now being abused to act as agents of death and destruction, bringing sorrow to many homes.
When insurgents began deploying suicide bombers in their dastardly campaign a few years ago, women were never thought to be capable of such gruesome conduct.  Because of their natural disposition, women were regarded as less likely than the men to carry weapons or dangerous materials capable of causing mayhem to others and the society.  
 But some unscrupulous elements have found such virtues as weaknesses to exploit in recruiting them to hide under their ‘peaceful mien’ and destroy lives, including theirs, and property.
The vigilante Civilian JTF group said recently that questioning of suspects yielded intelligence that 50 potential female suicide bombers had been recruited and let loose by the insurgent in Maiduguri, Borno State with orders to kill as many as 100,000 people before the end of December.
Last July, a ten-year-old girl strapped with explosives was arrested in Katsina State before she could cause harm.  A female suicide bomber also detonated her deadly cargo at Kano State Polytechnic, killing and injuring many.
Just last month, a female suicide bomber struck at the Federal College of Education, Kontagora, Niger State; she was the lone casualty apparently because she exploded before getting to her destination.
Then the latest devastating attack in Maiduguri’s Monday Market, also involving a female suicide bomber and another person, killed at least 50 people.
This is a scary trend that a stop must be put to. It is a dangerous and cancerous menace that should be checked before it develops into a long term threat for the country.
Education needs to be intensified to counter the indoctrination that can turn women into monsters of mass destruction. The military, in confronting the insurgency, should also consider their tactics that many reports have suggested alienate the public and drive some to become willing tools of the insurgents.  It is crucial that members of the public view the military as friends and protectors and not be compared to the enemy that threatens everyone.
Reports have been made of citizens taking to the streets to protest alleged maltreatment in the hands of soldiers.  Documents have also emerged of soldiers involved in extrajudicial killings and rape of women, serious grounds that may drive some people to seek revenge one way or another.
Female suicide bombers are threatening to erode women generally of their ‘innocence’ and dignity, because after the recent Kano mosque blasts, women that wear the traditional hijab became targets of intense suspicion. Some states in the south west have considered banning that mode of dressing.
The ultimate public enlightenment is one that encourages people to be more security conscious at any given time.
With commitment by the government, religious leaders, parents and other people in leadership positions, the end to insurgency in general and the suicide bombing by women in particular is possible. Community leaders should use every opportunity to condemn the recruitment, indoctrination of women and deploying them as suicide bombers.