By Okanga Agila
Nigerians are no doubt thankful that Boko Haram’s bite is no longer as horrible as its bark. When it does bark it is from two opposing camps that are at each other’s throat as the Abubakar Shekau’s faction struggles to play catch up with the faction lead by its founder’s son, Abu Musab al-Banawi.
In the past, Boko Haram terrorists needed no introduction. Their signature was in the brutality and mindlessness of their attacks, which left no one guessing who the perpetrators could be. In those dark days, we saw their evil and seemingly unstoppable influence reaching out to turning Nigeria into an Islamic state where their own interpretation of Sharia permits the killing of children, women and mass rape of their captives.
It was an era, it feels like one century ago, when Boko Haram’s ferocity regularly made western nations, notably the United States, issue regular travel advisory asking their nationals to stay away from Nigeria. Those who were braved enough to disregard those advisories arrived to Abuja, the nation’s capital that was the perfect image of a city under siege. But not anymore since the terror group has been degraded and wiped out of its key operational bases.
But today’s Boko Haram seems to be more of cyber scavenger that survives more by virtue of the generosity of the news media failing which it has completely lost face. It has become a scavenger that claims credit for anything untowards happening in its sphere of influence including claiming credits for attacks by rampaging herdsmen and even the ones by armed robbers and kidnappers. Should the rain fall in torrents in areas that hitherto have limited precipitation Boko Haram would claim responsibility for the structures destroyed in the downpour.
Much as the group continue to sink lower in the depth of depravity into which its leaderships and member have plunged in the mutation of their attack strategy, one must appreciate the efforts made by the military to degrade it to the current level. From the terror group that once made a show of bravado in storming military facilities with hundred of fighters it is now down to a gang of peverts that strap explosives to farm animals, toddlers, nursing mothers and even pregnant women. We therefore need to understand that from assessing from Boko Haram of yesterday we can conclude with the Boko Haram of today that the war has been won and it is only peace we are looking for now.
The terror group has now become once again a mere criminal organization that will sink even further to sharing the same nuisance value with groups that engage in Ponzi schemes, since all inflict injuries on our population without mercy. Like the scammers that seek innovative ways to recruit new members to stay afloat, Boko Haram appears not just desperate for new recruits, it is also hard pressed to keep it fledgling population of fighters and commanders who are fast learning that the prudent way to stay alive is to surrender to the Nigerian Army for processing and reintegration.
A high ranking commander of Boko Haram terrorist group, Bulama Kailani Mohammed Metele, lost his gumption and promptly surrendered to the 145 Task Force Battalion, 5 Brigade troops at Damasak and the best response the terrorists had for preventing further deserting from its ranks was to release a videos to claim they are not dying of hunger as properly reported.
Unfortunately, the videos released by the terror group is been given undeserved prominence without us asking pressing questions. If these demented persons are not dying of hunger why the uptick in the raids they have carried out in market towns? It doesn’t matter that they usually mask the amount of food and provisions they steal by burning down the remaining stock. Why would the terror group resort to extreme measures to discourage its members from surrendering if situation is not dire in its midst? 31 year old Muhammad Abubakar had his hand and leg cut off for contemplating desertion.
And there is the phantom kidnap of 22 girls and women in Pulka which the Nigerian Army later dismissed as false. Why is the group suddenly eager to keep maintaining the image of invincibility by leveraging on the architecture of fake news? It has also upped the frequency with it pushes out stories of phantom attacks and conquests that were found to be inaccurate by news organizations that still do due diligence.
In their battle to befuddle public perception, the terrorists, another intention of their recent videos, claim they are still in Sambisa Forest but where troops held a recreational activity in Camp Zero, possibly on the exact spot that used to be Boko Haram operational base. It is a matter of time before their fakes news machine would tell us the 2017 Nigerian Army Small Arms Championship (NASAC) did not take place on Nigerian soil.
While the Nigerian Army can keep doing what it is doing to keep us safe after defeating the old Boko Haram, it is time for news editors and news organization to be more circumspect in the choice of what reports to pick from the internet so as not to lose their hard earned credibility to fake news that is the new trenches for terrorists in their war to collectively cow the rest of us.
The new Boko Haram, the degraded and defeated one that is now more of a criminal organization, is looking to manipulating fake news as its weapon of spreading fear. It would take Nigerians getting the necessary enlightenment to disregard falsehood for the war to be won on this front.
Okanga writes from Agila, Benue State.
