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ON BOKO HARAM’S RENEWED ATTACKS
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The authorities should do more to contain the violence
Two weeks ago, we expressed concerns about the new wave of Boko Haram activities in Northeast Nigeria. This followed the killing of 40 farmers and fishermen at a community in Kukawa local government area of Borno State by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram insurgents. Relevant authorities must be concerned that these criminal elements are raising the stakes. Only last week Friday, the army lost 22 soldiers, including a commanding officer, in an encounter with the insurgents in the dreaded Timbuktu Triangle, close to Damboa in Borno State. ISWAP has claimed responsibility for this latest attack, confirming the use of vehicle -borne improvised explosive devices (IED) loaded in a truck. This tragedy was another stark reminder of the threat the insurgents still pose to our national security.
While we express our deep condolences to the family of the soldiers who lost their lives in the recent encounter, we also commend the troops for their gallant efforts that led to the killing of about 70 insurgents. But authorities in the country must accept that the insurgents still maintain the capability to wreak havoc, disrupt the peace and efforts at relocating displaced people back into their abandoned communities.
At a time like this, it may be incumbent on the military to carry out a thorough review and reassessment of the dynamics that have given rise to these renewed attacks. It is not out of place that successes recorded in recent military offensive campaigns leading to the killings of several bandits and their key leaders could have led to a shift in the modus operandi of ISWAP. It has been widely reported that many of the ISWAP fighters neutralised in recent attacks in the Northeast were foreigners.
The resurgence of attacks can also not be isolated from the complex situations developing in the West African Sahel region which provides feed to ISWAP in terms of manpower, weapons and ammunition. In 2024, an organisation known as the Clingendael Institute raised concerns about the increasing influx of violent extremists in the Kainji Lake National Park. In recent times too, a new militant group known as Lakurawa has been carrying out attacks in some communities in the Northwest. What all these signify is that Nigeria would need to reinvigorate its efforts in cooperation with other countries within the Sahel region to ensure better synergy in the fight against insurgency and banditry.
Nigerians are concerned with the ease at which insurgents have access to explosive materials used in the production of IEDs. This is where the necessary agencies of government must focus their attention on the control of moving such explosive materials in the troubled areas. These agencies in collaboration with the state governments would need to exercise control regarding urea, ammonium nitrate and other materials often used in the making of fertilisers to prevent them from falling into the hands of insurgents. The Northwest zone must not be allowed to slip back into the days of serial IED attacks.
We call on the military to reinforce its intelligence and surveillance capability through the effective use of technology. One noticeable game changer in their campaign in the Northwest has been the deployment of armed drones to enhance surveillance and strike capability. Armed drones are quite expensive but would provide valuable support in the vast terrain of the region
This is one area where the government would need to provide funding for the military beyond the envelope budgetary approvals for acquisition of armed drones and other important equipment.