By Com Jasper
Azuatalam
It is important that
as a nation, we take a detailed look and have a deep thinking of situations
that come our way before we take decisions and swing into action.
The issue of Boko Haram,
its operations and the recent abduction of over 200 girls is one of such
critical and sensitive issues that require deep thinking, professional approach
and tactics in its management. We are now at a crossroads; the tension is
palpable and any erroneous or bad decision taken will have a grave and far
reaching consequence on our nation.
The situation that is
right in our hands now requires we stop and think, weigh our options and action
to avoid falling into the hands of our enemies. We should treat everyone as a
suspect including those offering help and assistance to us, lest we fall into
the hands of our enemies.
Terrorists are on top
of their game and they will stop at nothing to inflict pain on us. Our nation
should scrutinize every offer of help to identify genuine offers and
distinguish them from others that have hidden agenda and those that are
possible from the same people that terrorize us.
The recent video
released by Boko Haram where its leader, Shekau paraded the kidnapped Chibok
girls and gave condition for their release must be handled with absolute care.
In the video, Shekau asked the Federal Republic of Nigeria to release all Boko
Haram prisoners for them to release the abducted Chibok girls in return. This
has been seen by many as an advance for negotiation by the sect. Considering
Boko Haram’s stance, idea and demands, this is not an advance for negotiation
but a ransom.
Boko Haram is asking
for ransom for the kidnapped Chibok girls and the ransom is the release of all
its prisoners. Boko Harram is not asking for negotiation because there is
nothing to negotiate in its earlier demand and idea.
According to Boko Haram,
their idea and demand is for Nigeria to stop Western education and have all her
citizens convert to their misguided form of Islam. They went further to assert
that any Muslim that is seeking civilization and taking part is Western
education is an enemy and not a true Muslim. They declared such Muslims as
enemies and vowed to kill them.
Boko Haram has not
asked for any reasonable of feasible condition to stop its operations. They
have abducted our girls to hold us to ransom. Their ransom is the release of
their members in the custody of security agents. This has confirmed that the
Federal Government and its security agents are in custody of Boko Haram
members.
This fact makes me
ask what information the Federal Government has gotten from the Boko Haram
members in their custody. Is it possible for hundreds of Boko Harram members to
be arrested without a single suspect giving vital information as to the where
about of the sect, their operations, facilitators and sponsors during
interrogations?
We need the Chibok
girls back, alive and in good health to re-unite with their families. We need
our nation Nigeria still intact. We need an immediate end to Boko Haram and its
operations. Boko Haram has asked for a ransom and not negotiation or dialogue.
Our government and
decision makers should sit back, think, weigh their options and come up with
real and practical steps to manage the ugly situation we have found ourselves
in. It looks like a dilemma, but there must be a way out because Nigeria as a
nation has gotten all it takes to triumph.
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