The Boko Haram menace: Nigeria is still in deep trouble

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

My good friends, the danger posed to Nigeria by Boko Haram persists while the government totters in the face of that danger. And more worrying is the fact that Boko Haram has its foot well planted in the Nigerian Establishment.

The BBC has just reported that 15 senior military officers of the Nigerian Armed Forces have been court-martialled and found guilty of being "accessories" or informants of Boko Haram from within the Establishment.

It is not yet known who these "traitors" are or what punishment awaits them; but whatever the situation may be, it tells us that all is not well at all in the Nigerian Establishment.

Of course, President Goodluck Jonathan himself told us months ago that he had incontrovertible intelligence that members of his own government/security services were either cooperating with Boko Haram or conspiring with it to undermine the system.

That it has taken so long for some "traitors" to be identified and exposed is troubling, even as the Nigerian government flip-flops in its handling of the situation.

Aggrieved parents of the kidnapped 200-something school girls won't relent in their demand for action to be taken to free their daughters. But the saddest part of developments is that the Nigerian authorities are preventing public-spirited people from openly demonstrating their anger at the government's shoddy handling of the matter concerning the kidnapped girls.

(See: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27671688)

The Nigerian military authorities have denied the BBC report but the Nigerian Minister of Information’s interview with the BBC gave the indication that such a court-martial had taken place. So, which is which now? Whom are we to believe?

We have also been told of efforts made covertly by the former President Obasanjo for the freeing of the kidnapped girls.... but the unfortunate intervention or disruption of the negotiations by the intransigence of the Nigerian government.

So, if the security situation is still dire and Boko Haram continues to kill and maim innocent civilians, how does Nigeria prepare itself for the future?

The international community, led by the United States, hasn't done anything yet to halt the menace. The meeting between the Nigerian President and others of countries neighbouring Nigeria has virtually evaporated into nothingness.

What Ghana's President, John Mahama, led his fellow ECOWAS colleagues to do at their Accra meeting is not worth my bother. A mere talk-shop event meant for the pages of the mass media can't solve the Boko Haram problem.

So, Nigeria stands alone to face Boko Haram. A sad reflection of sorts!!