Boko Haram and Ebola: Tale of two scourges

The world today is a theater of crisis and a cocktail of confusion. Humanity is ravaged on one hand by the blight of terrorism and sundry armed conflicts and on the other hand contending with onslaught of grinding poverty and disease of deadly proportions, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.
Nigeria, without doubt, is having more than a fair share of these insufferable calamities, and, is at present occupying an unenviable position as one country that is battling two formidable scourges – the carnage of terrorist attacks and hysteria of deadly disease outbreak- at the same time.

First to arrive was a group of misguided, savage elements called Boko Haram. They sprang up with much capacity and depravity to unleash unspeakable violence against innocent Nigerians.  Over 2,000 innocent souls have been wasted on account of their bloody attacks this year alone, not to talk of over 200 schoolgirls abducted from Chibok in Borno state and others.
Then enter the much dreaded Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)! While still smarting from the atrocious activities of Boko Haram terrorists, news filtered in some weeks ago that a certain Liberianl, Patrick Sawyer, who was already infected with the disease had found his way to Lagos and ended up in a hospital where he later died but not before infecting those who came in contact with him. In other words, the deadly virus has finally berthed in Nigeria and given its extremely infectious nature (as easy as contact with any body fluid, including sweat or urine, of an infected person.
Accounts from other West African countries, including Patrick Sawyer’s Liberia, where the rampaging disease is already taking its toll on hapless citizens were simply too grim and unimaginable for Nigerians. Never in our annals were Nigerians from all divide ever so united in apprehension like the threat of Ebola.

The media both mainstream and online were expectedly agog with all manner of Ebola related stories. Every stable was striving to outdo each other with sensational reports and perspectives about the outbreak. Myths and superstitions were soon woven around the disease while quack clerics and doomsday prophets didn’t waste time in upping their claim to divinity and ability to cure the disease.
Government on its part did not disappoint anyone on this. Both federal and state governments have so far shown extra-ordinary. The President even had to meet with all the state governors and their commissioners of health to compare notes on how best to tackle the outbreak. He did not waste any effort in approving N1.9 billion requested to combat the threat.
Citizens on own part, were simply marvelous in their ‘cooperation and obedience’ to every ‘medical advice’ on Ebola offered them by the professional and the superstitious. Even when they were advised to bath with salt or munch as much bitter kola to ward off the disease, they did not disobey! As a matter of fact, the unity of Nigerians against Ebola was simply overwhelming and honestly, that is how it’s supposed to be.

Now, compare this unanimity against the EVD with the disjointed and politicized fight against Boko Haram. In spite of the mass casualty that terrorist attacks can wreck in a minute, it does appear that Nigerians have yet to fully comprehend the dire consequences of this grievous asymmetrical warfare or its implication on our sovereignty. Do they realize that terrorism has no place in a progressive society and that it does no one any good? Do they know that the goal of the terrorists is to inflict maximum pain in the hearts of the people, create fear in them, change the way they live and ultimately destroy the fabric of society? If we do, how come it is easy for some folks to readily bring in mundane issues like religious, political or regional sentiments?

And the Nigerian media – can anyone underestimate the role the media can play in a concerted counter-insurgency operation? Just as they have rallied Nigerians against Ebola, is it not important that they change their narratives on Boko Haram which most of the times seem to glorify or magnify? Why does a section of the Nigerian press gleefully offer their platform to bolster morale of the terrorists by painting them in a picture of invincibility? Why the sustained vilifications of our troops?

While not in a anyway underplaying the catastrophic consequences of the outbreak nor underestimating the capacity of that very rapacious Ebola, I will also contend that similar (if not more) effort we are making against Ebola be put in place also by all Nigerians if we must stamp out every vestige of terrorism in our clime. Have we considered that one terrorist attack, like that of Nyanya blast, can lead to the death of hundreds of people and many more with degree of injury in a twinkle of an eye?
The surest way we can defeat terrorism (just as we are about to defeat Ebola) is to eschew the sentiments of religion, region or politics in our counter-terrorist operations, and support, our security forces who are taking the bullets on our behalf. We must see the fight against terror not only that of government or the military but for the entire Nigerians citizens.

Omeje is Executive Director of Citizens Initiative for Security Awareness (CISA)