Sponsoring insurgency: Exposing terror patrons, assuaging woes
Growing as a recalcitrant albatross, terrorism in Nigeria has been coloured with its hydra-headed strings of discomfort in the Country. As the Nigerian military, erstwhile known for its observed peacekeeping missions across Africa, continues to suffer embarrassment before the entanglements of terror in the Country, the subjects emanating from such paradox appear to be of a chagrin emanating from disconfiguration of sincere structures to wipe off the tentacles of terrorism in the Country.
Questions over the embarrassing crunches of the military, in a battle that has become a frustrating struggle, has seen pregnant facts raising their fingers to nail the reality that the workings of the lingering terrorism of Boko-Haram, over one decade and more recently, banditry, is a product of collusion sponsored by some mischievous Nigerians within the power bloc, whose ulterior motives are more of bewildering mission to establish polarising frustrations to bring into bear, structures against the definition of what the Nigerian Federation really is.
To this length, the fate of crumbling, by frustration, before entanglements that could easily be crushed by the military in the twinkle of the eye, has been argued with facts to be more of a product of entanglements of conspiracy by charlatans who have rose to power within political architectures in the Country, and in their crass confusional membrane have settled for misadventure to destabilise the Federation called Nigeria for subterranean motives which in the depth of irrationality, are borne of myopic psycho-dysfunctions.
It has been alleged how the lingering battle against Boko-Haram terrorism is no more but a product of sustenance of the sect by sponsors within the power architectures of Government authorities, who have created networks of breeding the terrorists with agents across the society, even with spies and informants within the military formations. Reservations remain deep seated on the mention of spies within the military formation who have been stationed as agents, exposing military intelligence to the terrorists to reveal weaknesses through which the Nigerian military can be embarrassed while frustrating their operation.
Allegations of governors and other Nigerians in key position of power who have been nailed by confession of interrogated sects, have remained an issue of controvesy, particularly as moves to declare the persons in question open to public bear for prosecution has remained a subject pregnant with reservations. The allegations which have been said over time to be sourced from intelligence gathered from sects members, have apparently been greeted more often than not with politicking without any actions to indict the fellows nailed. It would be recalled recently that no less than 400 persons were by intelligence nailed to be among the masterminders of networks of sponsoring terrorism in the Country. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, had earlier this year said the Nigerian Government arrested some Bureau De Change operators who were facilitating the transfer of money to Boko-Haram terrorists. Till now, it has remained a conundrum that the move to prosecuting and declaring the culprits public has been shrouded in secrecy without any strong will showing indications of bringing them to face the rod of justice.
Another recent revelations by a former Navy Commodore, Kunle Olawunmi, had disclosed intelligence on how Boko-Haram terrorists had during interrogation mentioned names of current Governors, senators and Aso Rock officials as sponsors of the sect. The saddening revelations was according to him, shrouded with lamentations that lethargic posture to go after the high-profile politicians were a function of unwillingness on the part of President Muhammadu Buhari for reasons best known to him.
The retired senior military officer who spoke last Wednesday when he featured on Channels Television’s ‘Sunrise Daily’ breakfast programme at the heals of last Tuesday’s attack by bandits on the Kaduna campus of Nigeria’s foremost military university, the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), where two military officers were killed and another kidnapped, had described the unfortunate happening as an “aberration.”
Olawunmi, a Professor of Global Security Studies, had revealed that as a member of the Intelligence Brief at the Defence Headquarters during the leadership of the then Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin (retd.), he told the then CDS that the centre of gravity of the Boko Haram insurgency ravaging the North-East and spreading to other parts of the Country was product of sustenace by the sponsors who are within power bloc in the Country.
“I told General Olonisakin then that the centre of this problem cannot be solved the same way we solved the problem of the Niger Delta. The Niger Delta problem was solved during (Ex-President Umaru) Yar’adua basically by me and I told them that we can’t use that same template for Boko-Haram. I told General Olonisakin to look at the centre of gravity of the problem. I was made a member of the committee in 2016-2017 including (the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim) Attahiru that died.
“I told them that the centre of gravity of Boko-Haram in Nigeria is the sponsors of the programme. It was beyond us because the job we needed to do was kinetic but we cannot resolve issues of sponsors of Boko-Haram that were in Buhari’s government that we know them. That was why we couldn’t pursue that aspect that could have resolved the issue (insurgency) because we need to arrest people.”
Olawunmi said the government has not been able to prosecute the sponsors because it is allegedly partisan.
“Recently, 400 people were gathered as sponsors of Boko-Haram, why is it that the Buhari government has refused to try them? Why can’t this government bring them to trial if not that they are partisan and part of the charade that is going on? You remember this Boko-Haram issue started in 2012 and I was in the military intelligence at that time. We arrested those people. My organisation actually conducted interrogation and they (suspects) mentioned names. I can’t come on air and start mentioning names of people that are presently in government that I know that the boys that we arrested mentioned. Some of them are governors now, some of them are in the Senate, some of them are in Aso Rock. Why should a government decide to cause this kind of embarrassment and insecurity to the sense of what happened yesterday (Tuesday attack on NDA)?” he had questioned.
The intelligence expert who argued that the patrons of the terrorists have the agenda to turn Nigeria to a Taliban type of country, had said that the Department of State Services has “tremendous information on terrorists but they can’t do anything except the body language of the Commander-In-Chief” speaks positivity for actions.
It would be recalled that about a year ago, in August, 2020, a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr Obadiah Mailafia, had disclosed similarly that some repentant terrorists revealed to him that a serving Northern governor was the commander of the Boko-Haram sect. Mailafia who had made the disclosure during a radio programme in Abuja while speaking on the heals of the escalation of crises in Southern Kaduna, had cried out following series of invitations by the Police and the DSS and alleged threat to his life. The silencing of the allegations without any stern authoritative declaration or actions to the best of public knowledge on the disclosure remains pregnant with reservations.
The recent attack on the military with a heavy presence in Kaduna accommodating no fewer than six military formations, is an affront reflecting the backing terror groups seem to be having with apparent bid to raise dreadful sensations in the Country. In July, the shutting down of a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) jet was among the tolls of onslaughts compounding to heighten the sense of panic with unrepealed affront on Military formations.
It is apparent that the prevailing entanglements present situations of confusion where strategic policies and sincerity of political will are key path-ways to go around exterminating the claws of terrorism in the Country. While the need for a general review of the current security architecture of military configurations in the Country is non negotiable, It is however, indisputable that the claws of terrorism in the Country would only have its cleavings deformed, not until when the sponsors of the charade are brought to the wrath of justice to face nemesis. It is by all means criminal to the Nigerian Federation to hide charlatans sponsoring terrorist against the Federation under the cloak for any reason. Such malicious posture speaks nothing but inimical inhibitions which are character of haters of the prospect of the Federation.
It is pertinent to state that relics of the ravages of insurgency have kept on staring at the Country. As the ravages keep pulling crunches of disorder, it is pertinent to note that the duty of the Government remains to protect the interest of the Federation as an entity under authority. Therefore, reducing the Country to the susceptibility of terrorism by playing to the gallery of myopic sentiments will pose no less than a catastrophic end which may not spare the connivers. Hence, it is pertinent for the Government to display the sincerity of subscription to the principle of openness by trying, through the force of justice, all persons who intelligence have nailed to be involved in sponsoring unleashing of terror against the Federation. Playing to the gallery of secrecy expresses nothing but a show of sympathy to the missionaries of terror in the Country. It is high time to take stern actions before the woes of cracked walls occasions the crumbling of a castle.
