Under Buhari, Boko Haram is crippled
Of all the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari since he assumed office on 29th May, 2015, the vicious fight against the dreaded Boko Haram and the successes recorded so far stands out. Buhari’s government had received applause from across the world even if he is yet to make enduring breakthroughs in other areas, such as the economy.
In the North Eastern part of Nigeria, it is a taboo to speak ill of President Buhari and the locals might not be wrong in their assertive position. If a new round of elections were to hold today, President Buhari need not to campaign in the North East because it was the promise he made of conquering the Boko Haram militants that boosted the morale of the locals in the six states in the region to shelve their worries and thronged to polling booths for him in 2015.
So sad was the situation before 2015 that over 100,000 people were brutally killed in the insurgency that broke out in 2009 while over 2million others were forced out of their homes and left to live either with relatives in far flung places or in Internally Displaced Persons’ [IDP] camps. The capture by Nigerian troops of Camp Zero in Sambisa Forest, the last stronghold of the Boko Haram in December 2016 broke the jinx of the long held belief that the Boko Haram was invincible. Though ex-President Jonathan’s administration had at the twilight of its tenure moved vigorously and recovered some captured territories, President Buhari changed the narrative when Nigerian troops miraculously retook many towns and villages in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.
The abduction of 276 girls from a school in Chibok in 2014 and the taking over of many of Borno State’s Local Government Areas earned the Boko Haram the inglorious title of “the deadliest terrorist organization in the world.” In fact, the group had at a time succeeded in having total or partial control of 20 out of the 27 local government areas of Borno State. It was in total control of Gwoza, Bama, Mafa, Dikwa, Kala-Balge, Ngala, Marte, Damasak, Abadam and Mobbar local government areas. Its fighters equally had partial control of Monguno, Kukawa, Guzamala, Gubio, Magumeri, Nganzai, parts of Damboa, Konduga, Chibok, Askira Uba and Jere local governments. The only local government areas that were not held completely were Maiduguri Metropolitan, Kaga, Biu, Shani, Kwaya-Kusar, and Hawul.
The conquests reached a crescendo on August 23, 2014 when the group’s elusive leader, Abubakar Shekau declared Gwoza town as headquarters of his so-called “Caliphate.” Security experts are unanimous that all over the world, confronting and subduing terrorists who infiltrated communities is always a herculean task and therefore, the achievements recorded in the North East will remain in the annals of history; especially when viewed against the endless efforts of the United States and its allied forces to cut the influence of Al-Qaeda, ISIS and others terrorist organizations.
The release of 82 Chibok schoolgirls following ‘rigorous’ negotiations in the first week of this month is seen as another big goal scored by President Buhari’s presidency as it marks their second anniversary in power. The release came almost seven months after the terrorist group handed over 21 abducted girls to the Nigerian government after rounds of secret negotiations. Two other girls were secured earlier, in addition to 57 that escaped on the day of their abductions. The singular rescue of the girls, who were actually written off by most Nigerians, will also remain as another record breaking incident. This is because, after the recapture of Sambisa and the rescue of many communities without a trace of the girls, hopes were dashed, not only in the hearts of Nigerians but even in some of the parents of the girls. At present, 114 of the girls are in custody of the Boko Haram, including those who reportedly died as a result of natural causes or unfriendly environment.
The lead mediator in the release of the Chibok girls, Barrister Zannah Mustapha, told our correspondent in an interview that prior to the return of the girls, many Nigerians thought it will never happen. “But I know a day like this will come and all is now history,” he said. Mustapha, who currently caters for hundreds of Boko Haram orphans at his Future Prowess Foundation in Maiduguri, said “presidential commitment” was responsible for the successes recorded so far. “With Buhari in power, Boko Haram will definitely come to an end because talks are ongoing,” he said.
Above all, the breakup of Boko Haram into two opposing groups nearly two years ago emboldened hopes of both victims and troops that the end of the reign of terror is in sight. The fact that both Abubakar Shekau faction and the faction of Abu Mus’ab Albarnawi, the son of the slain leader of the group Mohammed Yusuf, are not seeing eye to eye is a great boost to the anti-terrorist fight because apart from confronting the common enemy, the enmity and envy within their ranks is enough to engage themselves in self- destruction.