Bokoharam: Buhari Next Move

Suleiman Umaru

 Worried by the Consistent attack  by  the Islamic Fundamentalists, BokoHaram,  on Communities and Mosques in Borno  state, President Muhammadu Buhari appears to have  taken the bull by the horn to mobilise other member countries  of the Lake Chad Basin to review their military Strategy in  the  ongoing war against the Insurgents in the north east geo-political region of Nigeria which had spread to Cameroun, Niger and Chad.

The recent Summit of the Organisation of Islamic Countries, OIC, in Makka, Saudi Arabia, ,  has provided opportunity for  the Katsina state born Nigerian President  to  have one on one talks with Idris Derby,  his counterpart in Chad on the BokoHaram operations in the Lake Chad Basin region.   He has drawn the attention of  the Derby, the Chadian President that ”it was time  for  a ”new way  forward  that  would completely remove  the  threat  of terrorism  from the region”.

The  Nigerian President may  have talked sense into  the Chadian President, who security experts are suspicious  had been playing double game  in coming out  openly to support  with all his mind  the fight against the Insurgents  that  he had agreed for   the sub-regional leaders  to sit down  and  agree  on changing the strategy  of waging the Insurgents  ”for a more sustained  operation, which will continue  until the  terrorists threat  are brought to a permanent end”.

Given the Chadian President  support for the  all important Lake Chad Basin  Commission , LCBC, Buhari gave his words to hold it on the sideline on June 12, 2019, to coincide with the country’s Democracy day celebration.  A Statemeent by  Garba Shehu,  Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity,  said the summit  would” focus  on bringing  up new  strategies  to end  the  menace of BokoHaram Insurgents  in the Lale Chad region”.

Note that since the Insurgents took up arms  against the north eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, which share Boundary  with the Central African country of  Cameroun, and West African sub-regional countries of Chad and Nigeria,    appears to  have been their hideout  after every operations , particular in, over the years,in Borno or  Yobe, fueling speculation that security officials in the West African country  are working with them..

Derby , according to security sources, was a close ally of late President Mum mar Quadafi of Libya  who   never hid his feelings about the country  size and therefore, should be balkanised.  It was therefore , not surprising  why many believe that that the arms used  by the Insurgents  in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe  and some member countries of the LCBC,  were   from Libya through   Chad.

 Derby , the Chadian President  may have exposed himself to people’s suspicision as he has never condemned  in strong terms the activities of the Insurgents or given a marching order to the country  security agencies to fish  out the Criminal elements  from their hiding  places. His silence speaks volume. It is not surprising why people  are very happy that he has thrown his weight behind  the Nigerian president  to call for a Summit of the member countries of the LCBC , to sit down and talk on how to tackle the Islamic Fundamentalists and restore peace in the sub-region.

Security experts want the LCBC member countries to act fast as  BokoHaram  and its offshoot , ISIS -West Africa , remain a  serious security threat to Communities across  West  and Central Africa Lake Chad region.  The 2018 country reports on terrorism released by the United States Department of State  shows that  the Insurgents  have caused  about 2.5 million people  in the north east, comprising of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states to flee their  ancestral homes.

Note that Nigeria, Niger , Chad and Cameroon are currently working together with the formation of the Multi-National Joint Task Force , MNJTF, to counter the threats of Boko Haram and ISIS West Africa. The  United States may have known the  military strength of the group that it took it upon itself to provide advisors, intelligence gathering , training , logistical and equipment to the LCBC member countries under the threat .

Many believe that  the Insurgents are taking advantage  of the  LCBC member countries porous Borders, particular, Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon,  to launch attacks, evade capture, secure supplies and enroll new recruits. Officials of the U.S. Global Support  Contingency Fund, GSCF,  say   Regional Cooperation   is essential  to strengthening Border security between Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon  to be able disrupt the terrorists freedom of movement.

The Nigerian President may have known  this that he gave a marching order to the country Chiefs  to block the nation’s Borders to forestall the free movement of the Insurgents  to conduct their attacks and evade Capture.

Security experts believe that if Presidents Derby of Chad, Mahmadou Issoufou of Niger and Biya, of Cameroon , could follow the foot- steps of the Nigerian President  to order the  security Chiefs of their respective countries  to  close their Borders with  neighbouring  LCBC member countries, the Insurgents would be frustrated  and may be forced  to flee from the region to other  OIC, where terrorism thrives  like Syria, Yemen, and Libya including Somalia, in Southern African sub-region where  al- Shabaab, a terrorist group, have their operational base

given the intensified efforts of the Nigerian government to flush out the Insurgents from  the Country, Tukur Buratai, a Lt General  and Chief of Army Staff is optimistic that the remnants of group  still launching attacks in the north east, particular Borno  state, would be   completely degraded soon that  they would not have the capacity to attack any Community  again, for fear of being Captured. He has every reason to think along that line.  This because  the President  is not happy over the security situation  of the country and is prepared to provide all the necessary logistic and equipment support to the military and other security agencies to do their job of curtailing the activities of the Insurgents. Indeed, he has not hesitated in doing so.

The planned June 12, 2019, Summit with other Heads Of State and Government of LCBC , member countries, in Nigeria, would determine the level of support both the Nigerian military  and MNJTF, would get from the Nigerian  government and Commission to  sustain the fight against the Insurgents  in the next four years of Buhari Administration.  But the Insurgents may want people to believe that they are  alive with the recent attack  on a Mosque in Sajeri  village, outskirts of Maiduguri, the state Cpital, where several Worshippers  conducting their Prayers   were  injured as they scamper for safety, when the suspected BokoHaram members opened fire on them.