September 08, (THEWILL) — In its latest attack on Daraljamal, a community in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State, the dreaded Jihadist terror group, Boko Haram may have announced its intention to take the 15 year-old insurgency that has ravaged the entire North-East to a different and more dangerous level.
According to reports, the group attacked the community close to midnight last Friday, killing 58 residents and 5 soldiers, burning several houses and vehicles. The carnage adds to more than 40, 000 lives lost to the insurgency over the past 15 years. Property valued at millions of naira have been destroyed and millions of residents have been displaced from their homes.
The Daraljamal killings are an affirmation of Boko Haram’s imminent second-coming and the possible resumption of full-scale terror, reminiscent of the early days of its insurgency, during which the group controlled nearly half of the North-East.
In spite of the Nigerian Military’s gallant and tireless efforts to restore peace in the region, the odds appear to be stacked in favour of the insurgents at the moment. The fact that they operated in Daraljamal for several hours unchallenged before military reinforcements arrived suggests, as clearly observed by Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, that the military alone cannot effectively combat the insurgency in the North-East. As it is, the Army, for example, cannot be everywhere at once because it lacks sufficient manpower to cover most vulnerable areas.
A successful campaign against terror will require the deployment of technology, state-of-the art equipment, improved intelligence gathering, deeper collaboration between security agencies and local communities, as well as the establishment of an armed community defence to complement the efforts of the military.
The Daraljamal attack also underscores the need for a stronger community security and commitment to the fight against insurgency.
Elsewhere, the unending wave of violence has claimed the lives of more Nigerians. On August 19, in another community in Borno, unknown gunmen attacked a mosque during morning prayers, killing no fewer than 27 worshippers and injured many others.
Also, in a particularly sad incident in Zamfara State, about 35 abductees were murdered by kidnappers even after ransom had been paid.
All of these incidents and more, the rising wave of killings, violent attacks and kidnapping across the entire North have compelled the Northern Elders Forum to call for the declaration of a state of emergency in the region.
But is this the right thing to do at this critical period in the history of northern Nigeria? Is a state of emergency the right decision for the North?
