Current Issue: Metele Boko Haram Attack: Govt must publish names of soldiers killed

At least 113 soldiers were killed by Boko Haram insurgency in the pre-dusk attack on 157 Task Force Battalion in Motele, Borno State on November 18. The issue since then has been generating series of controversial debates following the refusal of the Federal Government to publish names of soldiers who lost their lives in the incident. A member of the Young Lawyers’ Forum, Ilorin, Kwara State, Kabiru Adebayo however speaks on the issue among others with our JUDICIARY CORRESPONDENT, KAYODE ADEOTI. Excerpts: What can you say to the recent attack of Boko Haram on Nigeria Soldiers, refusal of government to publish names of soldiers killed in the attack…?

As far as I’m concerned, the Buhari administration has managed the Boko Haram insurgency better than the past government. If not now that the attack appears to be constant, for the past three years, the issue was well managed. If you consider the fact that before the emergence of Buhari, the Boko Haram has succeeded in taking over many local governments but now, I don’t think they are in control of any local government. For the recent attacks on our soldiers, I will blame the government, our men were given outdated weapons. The video clips of the soldiers killed shows one of our soldiers of saying the weapons the insurgency had are more sophisticated than theirs. The question is how does those sophisticated machines get to the hands of the Boko Haram and our soldiers were given the kind of weapons use in chasing thieves. The day this attack occurred was the very day Buhari called the Heads of Security Operatives in Nigeria to a meeting. Now the government was saying the video clips in circulation was false and doctored claiming that soldiers killed were not up to the number the clips revealed. This development has however brought an agitation that since those soldiers were human beings, government should give the public the names of those that were attacked. It was in the media, how a woman was threatening to sue the  government for failure to produce her husband after denying that he is not part of those killed.

How best can the issue be managed….?

To manage this, we need to have sincerity of purpose, there are saboteurs even in the Nigeria Army.

Looking at it from legal perspective, can our law do anything to help the situation….?

I don’t believe we need any law again in this country, we have enough laws on every aspect of life in this country. The only challenge is the implementations.  Even if we call the British to enact law for us, we’ll still have these challenges, our predicament has nothing to do with the law but sincerity of heart from the politicians and heads of security operatives.

How will you rate our government in terms of adhering to the rule of law?

I will rate it very low. Talking of obeying court orders, there is nothing to write home about concerning this administration. Buhari in particular got his seat through the machinery of the rule but, it is a pity, there are some sensitive order his government has fragrantly failed to honour.