apparatchik is recording tremendous success in
its efforts to root out insurgency in different
parts of the country, especially the North East.
True to its promise, the Joint Military Taskforce,
JTF, has continued to launch offensive against
criminal elements and terrorism in the country.
Recently the Nigerian Army announced the
killing of over 150 Boko Haram insurgents at
Kafiya Forest of Borno State. The Director of
Army Public Relations, DAPR, Brig-Gen. Ibrahim
Attahiru, who made the disclosure added that a
key commander and a high value target of the
insurgents, one Abba Goroma was also killed.
The chief insurgent commander had a N10
million bounty placed on his head.
Within the same week members of the youth
vigilante group otherwise known as civilian JTF
captured over 50 suspected members of the Boko
Haram sect in some parts of Borno and Adamawa states. The arrest of suspects came after days of massive hunt of the fleeing insurgents.
So much strategies seemed to be put in place in
this war on terror. The Director General of the
State Security Service, SSS, Ita Ekpeyong, at the
official passing out parade and commissioning of 385 new officers of the service declared that the Service and other security forces were gradually wiping out the Boko Haram insurgents in the country. Ekpeyong said: "We can confidently say that we have decimated the terrorists' top and middle level leadership, its foot soldiers, thereby dislodging its centre of gravity."
Though there were a number of casualty on the
side of the Nigerian security personnel and the
civilian volunteers, nevertheless the positive
development reinforces our belief in the ability
of the response agencies working tediously in
protecting us.
We were all living witnesses when the dreaded
Boko Haram terror groups operated almost
freely in some North-Eastern states before State
of Emergency was declared in the troubled states
of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. Their freedom
have been curtailed. Hardly a day passes that the news media will not come out with stories of the JTF clamping down on members of fleeing Boko Haram terror group. These faceless and
bloodthirsty elements have long fled areas they
once operated like the Lord of the Manor and
unleashed terror on helpless and innocent
Nigerians. The story has since changed. It is now
the other way round. These elements have since
been chased away.
The recent creation of an Army division is
another ambitious step taken towards ridding
the North East of insecurity. The government
should leave no stone unturned in its resolve to
make Nigeria a safe and secure nation. Despite
the hydra-headed nature of the insecurity
conundrum, the government should leave
nothing to chance getting to the root of the
matter.
Creating a division of the Nigerian Army
specifically to fight insurgency in the North
Eastern part of the country is a commendable
initiative. It is an indication that government
very much attaches much premium to the safety
of life and property of its citizens.
While it will be considered rather too early and
ill-timed to sing victory song in the war against
terror, it is not out of place all together to say we
are close to achieving 100 percent success. We
are inches away from completely cleansing terror from our land. Credit must be given to our
devoted and committed officers and men of the
Nigerian Army and other security establishments who have sacrificed their comfort, pleasure and time to guarantee peace in the land.The amount of stability we have so far witnessed in areas once branded flashpoints is an indication of the fact that the military is not relenting in its a vowed determination to root out terrorism in the country.
The unprecedented inroads recorded by the JTF
are not without the matchless support and
unwavering commitment of the Federal
Government. President Goodluck Jonathan has
never minced words in his avowed
determination make Nigeria inhabitable for
trouble makers and enemies of Nigeria with
provision of adequate resources to our security.
The JTF, with support from their civilian
counterparts, is truly on top of the insecurity
situation in areas once dominated by members of the Boko Haram Islamist sect. While we must
acknowledge and commend security and
volunteers in this war against terrorism, we must rise to fight terrorism by words of
encouragement, while we are also security
conscious at all times.
Aside creating the 7th Division of the Nigerian
Army in BornoState, the government should
equally provide the Army with necessary support for full take-off. We cannot continue to watch almost helplessly how bloodthirsty individuals visit terror on Nigerians. It is our responsibility to make Nigeria safe for Nigerians and foreigners alike. Nigerians are peace-loving people. Let us offer our individual supports to security agencies to enable them succeed.
•Mr Ola Lookman, a member Youths Against
Disaster Initiative, YADI, wrote from Abuja.
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