By Suleiman Umaru
With the death of Abubakar Shekau, leader of the Islamic Fundamentalist Group, BokoHaram and that of Al-Barawi, his rival in the splinter Group, The Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP, which had been confirmed by Lucky Irabor, a Lt. General and Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, may signify the end of Insurgency in the north east states of Borno and Yobe.
Al-Banarwi group, ISWAP, which had links with other International terrorist groups in Chad, Libya, Mali including the notorious ISIS, may have given Lt. General Farouk Yahaya, Chief of Army Staff, CoAS, and who incidentally had Commanded the Operation Layiya Dole, rebaptised Operation Hadin Kai, OHK, by Lt. Gen. Attahiru Ibrahim, , a former CoAS, who died in an air crash last May, sleepless nights. This because the group had taken the fire off BokoHaram in 2016, in its attacks as it carried out large –scale ambushes on the OHK, troops. The table appears to have turned as the two Insurgent groups: BokoHaram and ISWAP,appear to be losing grip of the war.
This is evident with the mass surrender of the insurgents to the OHK, troops in the last two weeks as they could no longer sustain the war due to biting hunger and apparent blockade of their major sources of weapons supply from the neighouring West African countries of Chad, Niger, Mali, and the north African country of Libya by OHK, troops prosecuting the Counter-Insurgency war in the north east geo-political region.
The problem of the two Insurgency groups operating in the north east states states of Borno and Yobe, at present, according to security analysts may have been compounded because of the Commanders who had thrown up themselves to be the new Leaders of the terrorist groups, described as very unpopular, in the Insurgents circles in the Sambisa Forest and the Lake Chad region with the close allies of late Shekau and Al- Barnawi. This may have dampened the enthusiasm of the trigger hungry BokoHaram and ISWAP, fighters to sustain the tempo of the war in the north east theatre.
, More frustrating was the fact that some of the newly emerged Insurgent groups Leaders were not well known to the ISIS Leadership, in Iraq, thus losing much of their Financial and weaponry support.This may have informed why they are losing the war to the better equipped Nigerian and Multi-national Joint Tsk Force, MNJTF, troops, and the subsequent resort to Che Guevara, an ally of Late Fidel Castro, a former President of Brazil, guerilla warfare method. Although it may look as if they are still in the war with the successful attacks in some Communities and soft targets in Borno and Yobe states, but in reality they are not.
Not many people are surprised at the turn of events at the north eastes of Borno and Yobe theatre in the recnt time. Hajia Zainab Ahmed, minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning had given an insight to what Nigerians should expect in the counter insurgency war in in the north east geopolitical region, in his 2022, budget breakdown to the National Assembly.
The minister had said that in prosecuting ‘’the technical war with the terrorist groups in the north eastern part of the country and fighting the Bandits in the north wesernt states of Zamfara, described as home of the Bandits, Kaduna, Katsina, Buhari, home state, Kebbi and Sokoto, the Caliphate state including Niger, Ibrahim Babangida, a retired army General and former military President, home state, many no longer be the same.
She had alluded to the fact that in prosecuting the technical with the various militant groups in the different parts of the country, ‘’it had necessitated the massive expenditures on security equipment and operations’’ to deal decisively with them’’.Take for instance, the $496 million, that Godwin Emefiele, governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, had revealed was used to procure 12 Super Tucano fighter Jets from the North American Continent of the United States,US.
There is no gainsaying the fact that the minister was right in her pronouncement that the Criminal elements causing trouble in the different parts of the country would be flushed out with the recent mass surrender of the Insurgents in Borno and Yobe states, as they could no longer stand the Nigerian and MNTF, troops.
Bernard Onyeuko, a Brigadier General and Director, Defence Media Operations had confirmed that 29 suspected terrorists were killed while 13 others were arrested in a recent encounter in Borno and Yobe states. The superior fire power of the ground troops and the air bombardment of their hideouts in the Sambisa forest and Lake Chard region, by the air wing of OHK, may have forced 13,243, suspected terrorists to surrender to the Nigerian troops in the last two weeks.
The Defence spokesperson may have gladdened the heart of Nigerians when he disclosed that ‘’the terrorists who could no longer bear heat from the well-equipped Nigerian troops have continued ‘‘to lay down their arms and surrender to the Nigerian troops with members of their families’’.
H Given an insider information, he had said that the Nigerian troops had ‘’sustained the aggressive posture with vigour in the north east’’, noting that‘ this has begun to yield significant results’’. An elated Brigadier General Oyeuko, who could not hide his feelings, noted that ‘’the series of Land and air operations across the north east states of Borno and Yobe theatre have significantly reduced the operational capabilities of the BokoHaram and the ISWAP Insurgents’’.Worse for the BokoHaram and ISWAP Insurgents was he arrest of some of their Informants and logistics suppliers in the course of the OHK, aggressive Operations .
Many believe that the problem of BokoHaram and ISWAP, terrorist Groups, had started last August when Musa Adamu, popular, Mala Musa Abuja, their chief Bomb Manufacturer and Usman Adamu, alias Abu Dada, his Deputy, along with members of their Families and Followers surrendered to the OHK, troops in Bama Local government area of Borno state.
Note that Abdulwahab Adelkun Eyitayo, a Brigadier General, and acting General Officer, GOC, Commanding 7 Division and Commander Sector 1 OHK, who was at the fishing Community in Borno state said to be at the Headquarters 21 Amoured Brigade, Bama, a fishing Community in Corno state, to receive the set of the surrendered BokoHaram troops with their family members and followers had urged others to drop their gun and embrace or be prepared to killed in gun battle.
The set of BokoHaram and ISWAP Insurgents who had surrendered to the Nigerian troops last August in Bama and who have had the opportunity of reaching out to others who are still armed in the bush to continue the fight may have forced them to have a change of heart to drop their gun and surrender in the last two weeks and which is being Celebrated in military circles, showing signs that the days of the Insurgents operating in the north east are numbered, confirming what the Katsina state –born Nigerian President had said that he will restore peac in the country ahead of the 2023, general elections.
While the Insurgents are surrendering in their thousands in Borno and Yobe states, the fragile return of peace in Zamfara which had forced many of the bandits to relocate to relocate to Kebbi and Sokoto, the Caliphate, to Launch attacks, may have strengthened the Criminal gang to return to the state to do what they best: kill and return to the Zamfara forests.
Recall that Ibrahim Dorsara, the state Commissioner of Information had said that there are well over 100 established Camps and 32,000, arms wielding bandits followers of the bandits in the forest, criss- crossing the entire north west geo-political region to carry out attacks.
There are indications that no fewer than twelve people were killed by the bandits in their recent attack of Sakajik village in Kaura Namoda Emira in the northwest state. However, Mohammed Shehu, the Zamfara state, Police Command, spokesperson who had confirmed the attack had said that the causalities would have been more but for the quick deployment of a Team of Police Mobile Force Operatives to the scene of the attack on Thursday , October 14, 2021, , forcing to flee into the forest under night cover.
Despite the figures being bandied about as the number of people killed during the attack, the Police image maker may have shocked Nigerians when he disclosed that ‘’dozens of people were killed as the attackers continued with their operation until 4am on Friday, October 15, 2021’’.
Perhaps, to avoid a repeat of such attack, in the state, which may have taken Bello Matawalle, the state governor unawares, may have informed why Hussaini Rabiu, the state Commmisioner of Police, CP, has tightened up security in the state to ensure that the security measures put in in state to contain the activities of the Bandits were not flouted by desperate people of the state.
The CP, was said to have assured the people not worry about the Sakajik village attack, insisting that ‘’the bandits would be wiped out from the state as they have doubled their Patrol efforts to implement the government security measures’’.
