MUST READ: HOW THE BRING BACK OUR GIRLS CAMPAIGN AIDED BOKO HARAM.

HOW THE BRING BACK OUR GIRLS CAMPAIGN AIDED BOKO HARAM.

The Boko Haram terrorist sect is no longer a rag tag army. When Abu Shekau and his gang were chased out of Maiduguri, members of the sect had nowhere to hide. They were destabilized by the superior fire power of men and officers of the Defense Headquarters and the Nigerian army. They suffered very heavy casualty and incurred losses on several fronts – food, money and morale. With no one or group ready to offer the solace, they headed towards the deserts. Ahead they moved until they spotted the Sambisa forest. Immediately, members of the sect assessed the forest and discovered it to be perfect location to hold on to tentatively as a base. The choice of the Sambisa forest paid off. Its size and depth made it a no go zone for non-members of the sect once they heard it has inside it members of the sect. 

 

Once inside the forests, Abu and his gang rested and took time off to evaluate their performances and probably re-strategize in readiness for future attacks. From their base in the Sambisa forest, they conceived, planned and carried out the deadliest of attacks that Nigeria and Nigerians ever experienced after the 1967 – 1970 civil war.  The Boko Haram terrorist sect did not seem to have made any strong impact until the night of 15^th April 2015 when in very unclear circumstances members of the group fell on Chibok Community Girls Secondary School and in one swoop abducted over 250 girls. That event redefined Boko Haram.

It is instructive to note that before this time, the Boko Haram terrorist sect having suffered consistent shelling and aerial bombing from Defense Headquarters and the Nigerian army lost both men and monies hence it isn’t out of place to conclude they were stone broke when they first entered the Sambisa forest before coordinating the abduction of some female students of Chibok Community Girls Secondary School. When it became clear that the operation at Chibok was successful, Nigerians panicked. Even the militancy in the Niger Delta did not degenerate to a level where harmless school girls were hounded into trucks in the dead of the night and conveyed to an unknown destination.

Shortly after this despicable act occurred, the Nigerian Army acting on information at its disposal launched a search for the abducted girls. Although next to nothing was achieved at that time, Nigerians had hope that eventually our troops would break through in not only rescuing the girls but eliminating Abu Shekau. Indeed, our troops were making efforts. The Department of State Security stepped in. Arrests were made. Statements were extracted, and members of the civilian JTF were supportive until what I think was the worst happened – the emergence of the BringBackOurGirls campaign.

Indeed, Nigeria’s Madam Due Process - Oby Ezekwesili represents a new face of leadership. From her time as a director in the budget monitoring and price intelligence unit of the presidency till she exited the government as education minister, she stood out as an exceptional public servant. Having read Mallam Nasir El – Rufai’s book – The Accidental Public Servant, I discarded all thoughts in my heart that Madam Ezekwesili could ever evaluate an issue in a manner that is not objective. This is in view of the infallible and remarkably upright picture of her which the Mallam successfully painted. This accounted for the reason why I threw my all my weight behind the Bring Back Our Girls Campaign launched and coordinated by her shortly after the abduction of my sisters from Chibok which started out as a group whose major aim was to draw governments attention to that community.

At its inception, the Bring Back Our Girls Campaign appealed to me because I thought its objectives was nobel and were in the interest of Nigeria, but no sooner have the campaign lasted that it emerged another propaganda weapon of persons that have personal grouses with the PDP led government of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. From chieftains of the hell bound All Progressives’ Congress like Dino Melaye and Nasir El – Rufai to professional critiques of the PDP led federal government like Barr. Femi Falana (SAN). This very ugly development caused me to take a closer look at this group and what it truly represents. I was further caused to evaluate the impact this group have made in the war against terrorism and how it has helped improve the position of Chibok people and our troops especially the brave soldiers and officers currently on the war front battling a group of terrorist who are now more organized and sophisticated than they were before the Bring Back Our Girls Campaign started.

Last month, I discussed the raging war against terror with a serving personnel of the Nigeria Army. My question to him was very simple and his answer to a large extent reflected the opinion of a senior citizen of Nigeria which he shared with me on this matter. My Soldier acquaintance opined that the major challenge the military is facing currently was the activity of the Bring Back Our Girls Campaigners. When I queried further, he maintained that while the Nigerian Army could clean up the Sambisa forest in three hours, the fact that the Bring Back Our Girls Campaigners have made the issue of my abducted sisters appear more important than the war against terror is a limiting factor stressing that with global attention now on our troops on account of the publicity strategies of Bring Back Our Girls Campaigners the Nigeria Army would strongly avoid attacking the Sambisa forest in the mean time. This he explained was to avoid playing into the hands of the Back Our Girls Campaigners whose sponsors are not known but will sure accuse the Army of genocide.

That soldier went on to explain just like my senior Nigerian friend told me that Abu Shekau had no intention of keeping or selling any of the abducted girls. In fact, he is more interested in attacking and seizing a portion of Nigeria over which he plans to declare a caliphate and rule from. Shekau reasoned that since the task ahead is a huge one, a massive financial war chest would be needed to execute it. The funds would be spent on acquiring more men and weapons with which a war against Nigeria would be executed. With next to no money in his till, he reached out to foreign terrorist organizations for funding. He met a brick wall because his strength was not trusted to wage a successful Jihad. Faced with this challenge, Shekau decided to make a strong impression; he went for the girl child and his plan paid off.

With the girls in his custody and the Bring Back Our Girls Campaigners sitting out at the unity fountain making consistent demands for the return of my sisters (not an end to Shekau’s activities), Shekau struck fame and stupendous fortune. Suddenly, out of a domestic puppy emerged a wild beast. Shekau enjoyed free publicity courtesy the Bring Back Our Girls Campaigners. He became a global hero to members of his school of thought. His face was beamed live on exclusive news updates. Isa Sasey of the Cable News Network was flown to Nigeria on his account; Mitchell Obama was constrained to memorize his name. Civil rights activists fell over one another to issue statements lampooning him (as if he cared). Members of Nigeria’s All Progressive Congress rejoiced that another weak point of the current administration had been found. Even amongst the clergy and in the world of celebrities, Shekau became a topic.

While all these went on courtesy the Bring Back Our Girls Campaigners, Shekau’s reputation soared in the global terrorism hall of fame. Suddenly, Al-Shabab, Al – Qaeda and perhaps the leadership of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria saw in him an amateur terrorist that has immense capacity to promote the objective of the promoters of a global jihad against non-moslems if given massive support. The much needed funds stopped being a problem. Shekau received funding in hard currencies and that alone enhanced his capacity to forge ahead in his quest to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria.

As unbelievable as this may seem, the Bring Back Our Girls Campaigners have done more harm than good to Nigeria. While its emotion driven activities went on unhindered, Shekau now enjoying massive support from bigger terrorist organizations studied the body language of the Bring Back Our Girls Campaigners and created an impression that he was ready to negotiate by releasing video clips of the “abducted girls” reciting quotes of the Al – Koran with accuracy. This he did to spur members of the Bring Back Our Girls Campaigners to cry louder to the world. They didn’t disappoint him as they cried out louder than requested by Shekau, they demanded that the Nigerian government negotiates with members of the sect. Now; I wondered the basis on which this negotiation would be. While the demands for negotiation went on, the whole world stood still day and night for Shekau who started assembling a mass army right inside the Sambisa forest.

A perfect way to test the strength of this mass army at its formative stage was to sponsor a series of mid night attack on villages near the Sambisa forest. While these attacks went on consistently, only my Chibok sisters mattered to the Bring Back Our Girls Campaigners. It never occurred to them that more girls were being killed on a daily basis by the Boko Haram terrorist sect. Obviously, they were unaware that between when my Chibok sisters were abducted and now nearly 2000 Nigerians have been killed by the Boko Haram Sect. The Bring Back Our Girls Campaigners carried on with their emotional sessions knowing fully well that in warfare, casualty and/or collateral damage are inevitable. Even when they heard nearly 87 persons died in series of blasts that occurred on a single day in Kano, It was a case of no shaking for them – they are humane!  While bridges were bombed to make it difficult for their advancement to be hindered, the Bring Back Our Girls Campaigners apparently said “No Skin Pain.”

In my last conversation with Madam Ezekwesili on this matter wherein I opined that the Bring Back Our Girls Campaign have ran its course and the world have moved on, she told me off as she would tell anyone who doesn’t see things from her perspective, branding me a heartless youth whose soul is lost. She eventually confirmed my fear – the Bring Back Our Girls Campaign and Campaigners are driven by their emotions and concern for the abducted girls not necessarily a sense of patriotism and loyalty to Nigeria. Little wonder they care less that Shekau seems to have concluded his task of raising a formidable army which I learnt is 7,000 men strong with clear instructions to seize as much territories as they can from Nigeria, declare a caliphate and impose Islam on a basis of fundamentalism on other Nigerians.

Even though I admire the dedication of members of that group to their cause. I think it’s more of an incidence of misplaced priorities. While I see no criminal intent in their activities so far, I consider it important to encourage them to halt, have a rethink and channel their productivity towards other ventures that will benefit Nigeria and advance our position as a country at war against terrorism.

If the Bring Back Our Girls Campaigners choose to forge ahead to the disadvantage of Nigeria and Nigerians, posterity will be on the standby to be the impartial judge it has always been.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Ezeani, Chukwunonso Elvis is South West Zonal Director of Communications & Strategy in the  Peoples’ Democratic National Youth Frontier. He can be reached via @NonsoEzeani1.