CHIBOK, DAPCHI: FEARS, LESSON’S AND FURY
Dapchi schoolgirls’ abduction is one too many, argues Israel A. Ebije
The Dapchi debacle where at least 105 girls were abducted has reminiscence of Chibok experience. The nation is yet to get out of the Chobok nightmare, now this. Sadly, security issues in the north east gets messier each time government tries to give itself a pat on the back. The true concept of Boko Haram is already taking a possible meltdown on education in flashpoint states. The abduction of Chibok girls under Goodluck Jonathan may appear as government laxity in security affair according to the spin at the time. What can possibly explain the Dapchi developing story under Muhammadu Buhari? The fear, the lesson and the fury are fast building critical mass, which some unseen powers are manipulating to satisfy a political game plan.
The feature of future political state of play in Nigeria has nothing to do with well laid out strategies or people based policies and programmes. It has nothing to do with presenting credible Nigerians to vie for political offices, but permanent interests to protect. Our problem as a nation has always been weaved around interests, where politicians find political offices as job opportunities to loot instead of position to serve God and country. The quest to remain at the top echelon of the food chain has persuaded political class to engage in unhealthy, ungodly and indeed satanic antics to undo their opponents. These abductions definitely have political undertone. It succeeded during Jonathan and it is deployed with the hope of success against Buhari, who is presently saddled with gazillion of challenges.
An analysis of the abduction trend will reveal scam behind the scheme. The scripts have been well doctored to fit the horse riders. A repeat of the same storyline has raised a red flag, where I am convinced that a hideous political down is upon us.
On the night of April 15, 2014, 276 girls were abducted from Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State. This is 2018, February and 105 girls are missing from another girls school in neighbouring Yobe State.
Analysing the abductions, they share some basic similarities albeit different time, space, but definitely share same purpose. The abductions are carried out just penultimate year to election. We may recall that in 2014, the abduction of 276 Chibok girls contributed largely to Jonathan losing election. I have no doubt the same purpose the Dapchi debacle is meant to achieve. Already Buhari is in the defensive, he has offered an apology, his hands will be full henceforth to find the missing girls. Worse off for the All Progressives Congress- led administration, their more than frequent claims of depleting or dissipating Boko Haram fighters has been ridiculed by the scary abduction.
What Nigerians should be scared of going forward is the nature of political game play where human lives may become the currency to transact business where politicians and party platforms will battle out in exchange to clinch power. I have no doubt the Dapchi kidnap, just like the Chibok embarrassment is designed to discredit the government in power to pave way for another. While we fear this may be the feature of our political future, the APC may well learn from a scenario it used excellently well in raising the most crafted propaganda in the history of Nigeria to unseat the Peoples Democratic Party in 2015. We do not know who was behind the 2014, only time and providence will make us know who is behind the 2018 abduction. Largely Christian girls were abducted in 2014, this time they are mostly Muslims. Possibility of a syndicate of politicians are using terror to play god, coincidence is definitely out of it. This has become an abduction too many. Those behind the two major abductions are definitely persons without respect for the next religious belief, hence the choice of school to attack under different leadership.
Regardless of external forces forming permutations of unseen hands marinating beef of peace with poison, it baffles the mind the way security operatives tried to muzzle grieving parents to silence. While it is understandable that the propaganda which gave APC overwhelming votes especially in the north was weaved around security ineptitude of the PDP, it becomes irrational for government at the centre to play up falsehood trying to sell lies just to justify one of their major campaign promises – we must face reality to wrestle the monster before us. Fear, uncertainty has become palpable in the flashpoint areas of Borno, Yobe, Adamawa since the recent abduction. Some parents have since evacuated their children from schools – many will never return to receive western education again.
We can all make mental construction of the physical and psychological horror the abducted girls and their families are going through. Sadly, the far-reaching consequence of this hideous political tool will definitely destroy the country, first burning from the north if this is not stopped in its track. The conscious trend of terrorsupported politics is already having a place in our political construct. It therefore means that terror is fast becoming a part of the political stratosphere. While government is searching for the missing girls, it is instructive to unravel those behind this heinous crime to humanity.
We have always settled for peripheral solutions, failing utterly to probe deeper. Government must not play hastily with this to score cheap points. There are hiding politicians veiled behind these terrorists who must be uncovered.