Fighting Boko Haram with funds and tactics

Restoring and boosting the Nigerian economy may not be the greatest challenge confronting the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration and his ruling APC. Though making Nigerian roads more motorable, building infrastructure across the country, and alleviating poverty are important, they can’t as much perturb the President as the Boko Haram insurgency he inherited does.

Ending the protracted war that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and crippled economic activities in the war-torn northeastern part of Nigeria tops the focus of the APC government, and its quest to retain power come 2019 will be considered with attention on its progress in the war against the Islamic sect which has claimed loyalty to the defeated Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIS). To bolster their chances and keep the confidence Nigerians have in the President and his party, the Federal government is having all hands on deck to restore normalcy in the three most affected states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. Failure to deliver the campaign promise and crush the terrorists will cost the party a lot during the next year general elections.

Government officials and the ruling party itself have for several times claimed victory over the terrorists. The Nigeria’s Army Chief, lieutenant general Tukur Buratai while addressing journalists in Maiduguri last November said, “It is very clear that the terrorists have been defeated; there are no doubts about it”. The information minister, Lai Mohammed, was also proud of the achievement of the government on Boko Haram

The government might mean that the terrorists have been defeated because they have run out of ideas to use guns to kill innocent people. The only thing remaining is a “pocket” of bombings. But that would mean heavy weapons wouldn’t be needed anymore. The Nigerian military all has to foil the suicide bombers’ missions and attacks. The Nigerian intelligence would have to be rigorously strengthened and reinforced to intercept the plans of the terrorists, and security would be restored to the bedeviled region.

With the way Nigerian military and government are handling the situation in the northeastern part, there’s no true victory over Boko Haram forthcoming. The Nigerian government believes in bringing more funds to the table, perhaps to procure more weapons, apparently shunning the fact that with more funds some individuals who are enriching themselves from the crisis would never want an end to the war.

The funds would rather entice them to keep the fire of the insurgency burning. What about the tactics being used? Are they effective and efficient, with periodic review? There’s yet to be a clear different strategy to combat the gunmen since 2015 when President Muhammadu Buhari came in. Even if the whole budget for a year is for fighting the sect, without (modern) strategies, the whole fund would be wasted. And Nigeria is moving again to waste resources on the prolonged war.

Timothy Faboade

Gbongan, Osun State