Hawwah Abdullahi Gambo
I am still stunned by the turn of events. The news of the fall of Mubi came to me as a shock, especially after the false peace the purported cease-fire brought to our hearts. It is quite unbelievable, that we have a government in Nigeria, yet Boko Haram now controls 17 local governments across Borno and Adamawa states. They conquered this territories one after the other.
In this day and age, a people cannot be chased out of their homeland by renegades. That is why there are governments. That is why there were monarchies. Law-abiding folks should not be fleeing their homes for the lawless. That is why people refrain from arming themselves. That is why taxes are paid. That is why national wealth is held in trust by leaders – on first of many conditions, guarantee of life and protection of property. This is basic.
Shortly after the fall of Mubi, Deputy Governor of Borno state, Zanna Mustapha, said given the ease with which Boko Haram was capturing territories, the three North-eastern states would soon be history. Alas! It is coming to pass, because with the fall of Ashaka in Gombe state immediately after Mubi, the die is cast. Many argue that the federal government has tried its best, but it appears not good enough. Indeed, they have failed, and woefully.
A friend posted on her timeline that ‘few days before its capture, the federal government sent heavy artillery to the military in Mubi. Three battalions of military consists nothing less than 1,000 troops, yet they fled without putting in a good fight. How can 5 commanders flee their duty? It’s either they’re scared or do not want to fight for their country. It’s heartbreaking, but more heartbreaking when you see the looks on the faces of the internally displaced persons in Yola.
At least, N1 trillion has been budgeted for security. That’s a lot of money to be looted. Politicians and defense chiefs are all benefitting while low ranking officers are staking their lives. How can terrorists be better kitted than our troops? It says something. Maybe government is not behind the insurgency, but they certainly have not shown determination and courage to stop them and this raises a lot of doubts as regards the administration’s political will’.
Was the federal government’s heavy artillery sent to Mubi a few days before the attack an indirect way of supplying artillery to the insurgents? Is it that the ‘big men’ in the military never want this to end or what? Are politicians gaining from the continuous insurgency in the North? Is there a political game being played using innocent people and military men’s lives as dice? What exactly is going on in Gombe, Adamawa and Yobe all under a week, yet the President and Northern politicians are going about their normal business, wining and dining like nothing terrible is happening? When exactly did this become a norm that it doesn’t bother us’?
An estimated 12,000 Nigerians have fled to Bosso in Niger Republic within the past week alone. At this rate, the population of Northern Nigeria and by implication that of Nigeria will be reduced by half before the 2015 general elections. And we are still looking on.
Boko Haram majestically walked into Gombe state and took over Ashaka while whole the whole country looks on. One would have thought that the people would have mastered themselves in the art of self-defense and rise up to defend their families and loved ones since it has become painfully obvious that government is not in the least interested in that; but nay! Even the people, who are the direct victims of the onslaught remain placid, thus giving the insurgents an easy ride in their conquest.
I have often said before, unless this insurgency is stopped and stopped for good, the insurgents will steadily and surely grow in might and power as we have seen them do over the past 5 years and gradually take over all our towns one after the other the way children pluck ripe plums off the tree.
Nigerians should know this, the fall of Mubi, the largest city after the Adamawa state capital, is an indication of the imminent fall of Northern Nigeria. And whether we believe it or not, the fall of Northern Nigeria is the fall of Nigeria as a sovereign nation.
As Malam Aliyu Tilde once posited, “The people of the North-east are not lesser Nigerians. The world has witnessed their suffering as well as the inability of the government to defend them. Their right to self-defense must, therefore, be acknowledged. Let Muslims and Christians, followers and leaders alike come together and fight this evil. Let traditional rulers reclaim the right to tend and defend their domains. Let every good heart hearken to the invitation of nature to self-defense, to retrieve its legitimate right to life, property and dignity. Otherwise, we shall all perish together one after the other.”
