AT a recent forum in Maiduguri, Borno State, the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd), fired a clear and direct message to supporters and sponsors of terrorists and bandits that “a friend of thief is a thief” in apparent reference to Sheikh Ahmed Gumi’s claim that bandits hiding in the bushes of North-West Nigeria are “our brothers” whom society cannot do without.
He probably chose Borno State, hotbed of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) insurgency, to deliver the warning because of the significance of the region in the equation of terrorism in the North-East region and the entire country. Sheikh Gumi had been a negotiator with bandits allegedly on behalf of government, particularly the former President Mohammadu Buhari administration, thereby holding himself as their spokesman and sympathizer.
The strong warning by the minister was directed at Sheikh Gumi and all supporters and sponsors of terrorism in the country. They include both non-state actors and some serving public servants such as a former Minister of Defence who claimed that it was impossible to flush out terrorists in the Sambisa forest because they hide under the cover of thick foliage which bombs cannot penetrate.
However, this is not the first time such warning or threat has been issued. Few years ago, a list of alleged sponsors of terrorism in Nigeria was sent to the Federal Government by Saudi Arabia but the Buhari government muted it, no action taken. The Saudi government understood so well the damage terrorism was doing to the social and economic life of Nigeria.
In addition, several individuals, including serving junior rank military personnel and women have been arrested for having dealings with terrorists and bandits. Some were supplying arms and ammunition while others were apprehended for providing food and drinks for terrorists.
The Cattle Breeders Association, also known as Miyetti Allah, had also been aiding dangerously armed cattle herders grazing on crop farms, triggering deadly farmers-herders clashes in the North-Central region and Southern parts of the country. The havoc committed by these terrorist herders touches human lives and sources of livelihood.
They not only devastate massive farmlands, they destroyed properties, and killed and maimed farmers who resisted their invasion. They also had their women violated. Farmers in Benue, Enugu and Delta states, for instance, can attest to the activities of the sworn evil doers.
Besides, the terrorists had ambushed military and policemen deployed to the theatres of insurgency and banditry to flush out the hoodlums, severally, but often the operatives were attacked, killed or badly wounded. Some of the officers are captured and executed by the terrorists. We ask: What capacity do the terrorists have to figure out the operational strategies and tactics of the statutory defence and security forces to attack if there are no informers within their ranks?
The above occurred countless times during the reign of Buhari with little or feigned effort to eliminate the terrorizers. Instead, the administration dazzled the terrorized nation with rhetoric of how gallant soldiers dislodged the terrorists and had many of them killed. But it was obvious the government was not winning the war as Boko Haram activities, for example, intensified. More girls’ schools were being invaded with impunity and a large number of female students abducted.
The nation’s security apparatus seemed overwhelmed by acts of sabotage and frustration in the campaign to rid her of crime and criminality. Even under the nascent administration of President Bola Tinubu, the terrorists continued to rear their ugly heads. The appointment of a sympathizer of Boko Haram insurgents as Minister of Defence until few months ago got the government into more insecurity.
Fortunately, the raising of the former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa (rtd) as Minister of Defence, immediately after the ignominious exit of his predecessor seems to have set the tone for a fresh onslaught against terrorism in the country. the recent successful strike against bandits in Sokoto by the United States Airforce shows that the terrorists can be decisively dealt with, if the government is willing. We believe the Tinubu administration is willing.
We commend the Defence Minister for speaking out as he did in Maiduguri. It is an indication of the attitude of the Tinubu administration to terrorism and other acts of criminality across the country. The message synchronizes with the provisions of Terrorism Act 2017, which specifies that anyone extending support to terrorists in furtherance of the reign of terror is liable to severe sanctions. In fact, the person is adjudged guilty of terrorism.
Beyond the strong rhetoric, President Tinubu and his Minister of Defence should take the necessary, practical step to arrest and prosecute the alleged sponsors and supporters of terrorism in the country. There should, furthermore, be an effective combination of kinetic and non-kinetic strategies underpinned by well-articulated war plan and topnotch intelligence to uproot terrorism from the country. Possibly, they should seek more help from friendly developed countries.
