Surrendering Boko-Haram sects: Treading carefully with benefit of doubt
Apprehensions over the dangers of the surrendering of thousands of Boko-Haram terrorists have continued to generate reactions. The bases of the panic cannot be unconnected to the fear of the perceived threats that their absorption into the society pose to the innocent and law abiding citizens. The fear would be justifiable giving thoughts to the gruesome misdeeds of unleashing terror on the society with inhumane horror that the members of the sect have been known for. The arguments have been what assurance do innocent citizens have that on their re-integration into the communities they would not constitute threats to peaceful cohabitation with the proclivities of their terror orientation? It is believed that their inhumane framework of thoughts may still be very much alive with them with tendentious inclinations which may inform horrifying proclivities to perpetrate mischiefs at the slightest provocation among the people.
As the growing number of terrorists surrendering daily continue to evoke thoughts, critical thinkers have raised observations mentioning the trend may be no more than a strategy of the sect to penetrate the society with their members as a strategy for an easy run down to take over communities without much ado. Those who have questioned the genuineness of the penitence of the surrendering sect members have argued that the resort by the insurgents must have largely been informed by the heat of military bombardments against their hideouts, the elimination of some of their top commanders, and more intolerable, the shortage of food supply which has made the narrative of famine unendurable for them.
As the arguments over the surrendering of weapons by the insurgents continue to evoke thoughts and questions of perceptions since its onset in June, the growing number of insurgents giving up their arms continue to increase exponentially. The Acting General Officer Commanding (GOC), 7 Division, Brig.-Gen. Abdulwahab Eyitayo, on Tuesday had disclosed that more than 8,000 Boko Haram terrorists have so far surrendered to military troops from their enclaves in Sambisa Forests and other hideouts.
Eyitayo, who also commands Sector 1, Operation Hadin Kai, while making the disclosure during a visit by the Director, Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu and a team of Defence Correspondents on Tuesday, in Maiduguri, had expressed reception towards the trend, saying the surrender by the terrorists was a welcome development. In his own position, the surrendering of the terrorists was a function of overwhelming bombardment from the troops. The GOC commenting on handling the surrendered terrorists, had disclosed that the Nigerian army was responsible for receiving, profiling or screening of the terrorists and that afterwards, they would be handed over to the Borno State Government for further action. It has been observed that the Army expects more of the surrendering of the sects as the GOC had urged the sympathisers of the terrorists to encourage them to come out of hiding for surrender, with a warning that the surrender has a time limit.
He was quoted: “It is because every man’s endeavour is motivated by his family’s well-being, that is why they are coming out with their families. We started seeing the signs from June. Our intensified operations had blocked their logistics’ routes and supplies, bombardments all over, that is why they started surrendering and diseases have overpowered many of them. It was better because in the end, the troops will clear all of them and their sympathisers combined.”
According to the Director, Army Public Relations, the media tour was part of efforts to counter the wrong narratives and apprehensions generated by the trend of surrenders of the terrorists. Doubts over the trend have not ceased to generate more reactions, some of which may be controversial. The Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Major Gen. Christopher Musa, was earlier reported to have assured Nigerians and the international community expressing apprehension over the massive surrendering of the terrorists that the insurgents would not go unpunished for crimes committed against the society. Addressing a team of news men from the Army headquarters at the Theatre Command headquarters in Maiduguri, the Commander was quoted: “Nobody will just accept thousands of surrendering Boko Haram terrorists who have committed atrocities, take them in and say go, your sins are forgiven. Definitely, we are not taking anything for granted; we remain focused. Part of our training and part of our laws in rules of engagements is that even when you are fighting somebody and he surrenders, you cannot shoot him and when you get him, you have to treat him well, you will give him shelter just like any other person. But most people don’t really understand, they look at them and said, we are pampering them. No, we are just doing what we are supposed to do but the law will naturally take its course. Nobody will take them in afterwards and say go, no, it doesn’t work that way.
“The military has no power to prosecute the insurgents rather than to profile them and investigate them before handing them over to the necessary authorities for appropriate sanctions on the extent of offences committed as stipulated in the extant laws. A lot of innocent lives have been lost and developmentally, the region has gone backwards many years and it will take a long time before it can recover. It is important that we get this straight up, so we can start with rebuilding efforts.
“Sometimes when you discuss with some of the insurgents that have surrendered, they tell you they don’t even understand how they are surrendering and are coming out in droves. Now, it behoves on all of us to put all hands on the table and I am sure that is why the name of the operation was changed from Lafiya Dole to Hadin Kai to ensure that for you to be on the field and achieve success, you need everybody to be on board, both members of the military, civilians, the locals because it is within the locals that the insurgents sneak in.
“So, if you are able to get your locals on your side, it will make it very difficult for them to move and that is why what we are doing is very important. We will always insist that we do the right thing and we also take it down because not everybody perceives what is going on, not everybody understands what is going on but it is our duty to remain focused until we achieve our aim.”
The fear of Nigerians over the dangers of the reintegration of the sect members into the society cannot be said not to be without justifiable reasons. It is expected that law abiding citizens who have had experience of the horrible terror suffered by unsuspecting citizens from the unleashing of horror by insurgents, would have a reason to fear a situation where the same insurgents who were terror bearers are now turned to come to live with them in the same society they unleashed terror on. The apprehension have been given its justifiable grounds which pose conundra of what to do with the terrorists surrendering in their thousands.
As the surrendering toll of the insurgents would ordinarily be a good development for the morale of the military which have remained at the forefront of the war for over a decade, it is however important that close attention be given to the fears, observations and critical perspectives which have been raised regarding the development. The calls for proper de-radicalisation is one incontestable proposition that should never be undermined. Such process should be subsumed under a system that gives thorough parameters in the framework of handling the surrendering terrorists. The grievances of the law abiding citizens who have suffered various forms of attacks directly or indirectly over the warm reception of the insurgents by the military against what they believe should have been approached by immediate heavy clampdown, would naturally come by emotions from the losses many have suffered by the attacks on them or their loved ones.
While the circumstances surrounding the development may pose dicey sides, taking strong decisions on the next course of action is non negotiable. The need to come up with resolves convincing to the law abiding populace with assurance of their safety at the best common interest remains sacrosanct. In addition to rules of engagement, the social character of the subject pose quandaries which demand high intelligence to avoid possibilities of apprehension, confrontations, dissensions and conflicts that may breakdown peace and order.
It is therefore, important that the Government work assiduously with social, military, cultural, religious and strategic bodies within the best framework of conflict management techniques to arrive at the most welcoming desideratum. Nigeria has far been held aback from the scourge of insurgency – departure from the mire of the ravages of the terror towards rebuilding the relics of war has become more resounding than ever.
