Delivering the Promise

The military made real its promise to liberate many north-east communities under the control of Boko Haram terrorists. Solomon Elusoji writes

In February, the Nigerian elections were postponed because of the Boko Haram insurgency. The sect was ravaging the North-East region of the country, and the security situation was not palatable for an election.
“The National Security Adviser and all the Armed Services and Intelligence Chiefs unanimously reiterated that the safety and security of our operations cannot be guaranteed, and that the Security Services needed at least six weeks within which to conclude a major military operation against the insurgency in the Northeast; and that during this operation, the military will be concentrating its attention in the theatre of operations such that they may not be able to provide the traditional support they render to the Police and other agencies during elections,” the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, said in a statement announcing the postponement.

Cynics across the world sniggered at the Nigerian military’s capability of silencing the sect within six weeks; a task that had been beyond them for over six years. But the National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki stood his ground.

“All known Boko Haram camps will be taken out. They won't be there. They will be dismantled. Those dates will not be shifted again,” Dasuki told journalists.

True to his words, the Nigerian elections were held at the rescheduled dates in largely peaceful conditions, and the once apocalyptic terror of Boko Haram has since undergone a radical decline and disenchantment. Over the past few weeks, the Nigerian military, with the help of its neighbours, Chad and Niger, employing intensive, aggressive operations, have continued to gain massive advantage over the terrorists.

The first weeks of March saw the military sweeping along the western shore of Lake Chad and retaking towns like Baga and Doron Baga, which had been largely decapitated and occupied by the deadly insurgents. Meanwhile, the Nigerian army’s 7th Division struck eastwards from Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, and recaptured Bama, the second largest city in the area. The Nigerian forces went on to recover a large expanse of territory and lifted the threat to Maiduguri, which was previously under regular attack. In all, about 30 towns and villages were recaptured.

On March 27, just a day to the Presidential elections, the 7th Division again mounted an attack on Boko Haram which led to the fall of Gwoza in Borno State. Since Gwoza had been the capital of Boko Haram’s self-proclaimed ‘Caliphate’, many claimed this was the Nigerian Military’s biggest victory, yet. But more was still to come.

On April 10, the Nigerian Army announced that it had recaptured four more towns from Boko Haram insurgents operating in the North-East. The towns included Bita, Izge, Yamteke and Uba in Askira Uba and Damboa Local Government Areas of Borno State. Army spokesperson, Sani Usman, said troops from the 3rd and 7th division of the Nigerian Army, supported by colleagues from the Air Force, took part in the operation.

On April 19, THISDAY reported that the Nigerian Army had landed in the dreaded and expansive Sambisa forest with the possibility of finding and rescuing the abducted Chibok girls from the Boko Haram terrorists. According to the report, “the operation to liberate the terrorist enclave may not last more than one week as most of the strikes and special operations have knocked out the enemy defence systems.”

Also, according to a military source the sustained aerial bombardment by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) for weeks had made it possible for the Army to move into Sambisa, which is regarded as one of the final battles in the Boko Haram war.

With the move into Sambisa, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Kenneth Minimah believes that the insurgence is near its end.

“I will tell you that militarily, they (Boko Haram) have been defeated, but as armed groups, thieves, armed robbers, or people who go about to steal, burn markets and loot to go back to the forests that will continue for a while”, he told journalists.

Minimah also pointed out that getting into Sambisa should arouse fresh hopes of finding the Chibok girls.

He said: “Yes, by the time we capture Sambisa forest completely, we will be able to find out where the Chibok girls are. Because as it is now, anybody you ask, they will say they did not see them, they are not here, they are not there. But when we capture Sambisa forest we will be able to know where they are and government will take it up from there.”

Meanwhile, the Director of Defence Information for the Nigerian Military, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, who has assured Nigerians that the federal government would continue to do everything to vanquish the terrorist, pointed out that the “terrorists will never again take over any community in the country. The military advance is still continuing and the tempo of the mission is high, we have entered the final phase of the mission.”

He has also noted that “the areas left to be captured are very minimal; what is important now is the stabilisation of the territories taken back and the mopping up operations as well as the cordon-and-search operations that are ongoing.”

Interestingly, the successes of the military have started to result into refugees being able to return to their homelands. In Gwoza, the air of normalcy is seeping into the atmosphere as civilians return.

Hajia Fatima Gwonbo, a resident of Gwoza, said that she fled the town after the Boko Haram insurgents killed her child, stole her money and goats. She later returned to Gwoza when soldiers took control of the town, adding that she now felt safe and happy.

“We are happy that soldiers have come; we returned immediately when we heard that they have taken over the place. Since the soldiers came here, there has not been any problem and we are moving about peacefully,” she said.

Another resident, Mr Adamu Alisika, said that when Boko Haram took over the community, he and his family fled to a cave in the nearby forest for refuge. “But we came back since March 20 and till date; there has not been any problem. We are grateful to the military, may God help them to fight the Boko Haram,’’ he enthused.

At Gwoza, there is a heavy presence of troops and military equipment such as Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), main battle tanks and artillery pieces, as soldiers continue with the cordon-and-search operations in the area.

Other liberated communities in this sweeping operation include: headquarters of Gulani Local Government Area of Yobe State, Gulak, the headquarters of Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Shikah, Fikayel, Tetebah, Buza, Kamla and Bumsa. The troops have also recovered Monguno, Marte, Gamboru Ngala, Dikwa and Baga, among other communities.

As recently as January, Boko Haram controlled about 20,000 square miles<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/nigeria/11337722/Boko-Haram-is-now-a-mini-Islamic-State-with-its-own-territory.html> <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/nigeria/11337722/Boko-Haram-is-now-a-mini-Islamic-State-with-its-own-territory.html> of Borno and Yobe states, ruling a domain the size of Belgium, with a population of at least 1.8 million. But these sudden bursts of reclamation and military aggression have deprived the sect of a large proportion of that land mass, and pushed them into the hinterland. A lot of observers believe it is only a matter of time before Boko Haram becomes a page in Nigerian history.

However, the Chief of Standard and Evaluation, Nigerian Air Force and immediate past Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Training Command of the Nigerian Air Force, Kaduna, Air Vice Marshall Salihu Bala-Riba, has warned against complacency in the fight. He has urged the officers on the battlefield not to relax and allow the insurgents to resurrect and regroup.

While Salihu Bala-Riba’s observations are valid, due credit should be given to the Nigerian military for these change in fortunes. It might take a while, but the North-East is on its way to becoming whole, again.

Recently, members of the National Peace Committee on the 2015 elections, led by former Head of State, Gen AbdulsalamiAbubakar met with the leadership of the Nigerian military at Defence Headquarters Abuja.

“We congratulate you for what you are doing to liberate our country from the Boko Haram,” Abubakar noted during the meeting. “The Nigerian military made their mark any time they serve in the United Nations. So, I am not surprised that the military has been able to safeguard the country.

“Certainly, in any country, civilians look up to the military, especially in times of crisis, to do this. And you have been able to do this creditably. This committee doffs its hats to all of you. And I am very proud to have been part of this military. We wish you well, God's protection and may the Armed Forces of Nigeria grow from strength to strength.”