It’s not everyday that we get what sounds like good news from the terror group, Boko Haram. This past week, their leader, Abubakar Shekau trended in the news where he lamented the sustained brutality against them by the Nigerian military. He said through a video release that he was fed up as his men had been terribly depleted as a result of superior fire power of our armed forces.
In fact, he sounded like a frustrated soul, coming short of surrendering to the Nigerian authorities. That is good. The group through its leaders have never spoken in such manner. Instead they have always proved stubborn and boasted of bringing down Nigeria. They have always insisted on their determination to foist their warped Islamic doctrine on the country. So to see them express frustration through their garrulous leader showed that they must have been touched at a very delicate place.
Then another even occurred over the weekend. Some citizens, including members of the academia of the University of Maiduguri who were kidnapped several months ago regained their freedom. At some point it appeared those victims had been forgotten as no news was heard about them anymore. We all resigned to fate believing that their kidnap was perhaps the last we will hear of them. Alas, things took a dramatic change. On Saturday, President Muhamamdu Buhari expressed happiness on the release through negotiations, of three University of Maiduguri lecturers abducted by suspected Boko Haram terrorists in Magumeri, Borno State.
Presidential spokesperson and Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu stated that the President expressed delight at the development as he was briefed by the Department of State Services. It is equally a thing of joy to note that among the released lecturers were 10 women kidnapped in a raid by the militant group on a military/police convoy on Damboa Road, near Maiduguri.
Shehu is quoted to have said that their release followed a series of negotiations facilitated by the International Committee of the Red Cross, as directed by the President.
As a result of the good news, it is only fitting that the rescued victims meet with the president before reuniting with their families, if there are no issues of security or medical concerns. The statement read in part, “The President, who got step by step progress reports on the lengthy negotiations while they took place, received the good news with a lot of happiness. He commended all those who in one way or the other helped in making the release possible.He then urged the DSS and the Nigerian Army to intensify efforts to bring home the remaining Chibok Girls still in the custody of the terrorists.
“The Director-General of the DSS, Lawal Daura, assured the President that they were working hard to bring home the remaining girls and as soon as possible, bring the Chibok girls saga to an end.”
This is a major breakthrough. We recall the incident that led to the kidnap of the lecturers. These academics were among a team of experts who were carrying out geological survey on a possible hydro carbon discovery on the fringes of the lake chad. Nigeria has had a long standing exploratory search for crude in the Chad basin with little or no success. With renewed hostilities in the Niger Delta, exploration intensified at the Chad basin as a fallback measure to boost revenue and stabilise the economy already threatened by sabotage at the time.
In the midst of all that, the lecturers were kidnapped. This incident led to the call off of the work going on around Lake Chad. It was a painful suspension considering material and human resources that were hitherto expended. To make matters worse, innocent academics were taken away by the same blood thirsty gang. The losses incurred by this country owing to Boko Haram terrorism will take years to compute.
Nevertheless, we will not relax and we urge our strategists not to take their eyes off the ball. The terror group equally deploys guile to entrap their opponents. As we enter the rainy season with grown shrubs, here is hoping that the group has in deed been dealt with. Like a snake, the head must be cut off to assure citizens that Boko Haram is not only waning but that it is indeed on the throes of death. We have had enough of the terror campaign.
