Boko Haram has proven Nigeria is in grave danger by demonstrating that the National Security Adviser not only does not know what he says but gets the entire picture of the terror situation wrong side up.
NSA Sambo Dasuki had said in his speech delivered to the British at Chatham house last week that Nigeria was on top of the situation (after the Baga massacre of over 2500 defenseless civilians) and had sent troops to Monguno ahead of a mission to reclaim Baga.
Quoting Dasuki:
As we speak we have sent in more troops to Monguno which is just the next town up, that is where the troops from Baga went to to work towards recovering Baga. Hopefully by sometime towards the middle of next week it would be recovered.
The reverse rather happened. As Nigeria’s president left Maiduguri Saturday, it was rather Boko Haram that sacked and conquered Monguno, the last forte holding a Nigerian military barrack in the northern half of Borno. Nigeria lost one more local government to the terrorists.
The lack of capacity to understand the state of the war and determine the right military approaches to the battle against Boko Haram has been listed as a main factor in Nigeria continuously losing lives and territory to the terrorists.
NSA Dasuki’s total misreading of the battle dimensions questions his credentials and capacity to occupy the seat as the nation’s head of security.
There have been calls for his immediate sack among other top security officials and army chiefs for jeopardizing the lives and integrity of Nigeria.
The people of Monguno based on the wrong calibration by the army heads, and as recommended to them by NSA Dasuki, were told to stay in the town and not evacuate against better reasoning. Luckily many of them did not listen to the words of the NSA and the army commander who came and swore to the town head that Monguno will be defended.
Those who were unfortunate to believe the word of the army and NSA are now either dead or being raped and forcefully conscripted into Boko Haram with their blood and heroine rituals.
Also disturbing and calling for attention were remarks made by the NSA that Chad president, Idriss Deby had links to Abubakar Shekau, Boko Haram’s leadership. Apart from Nigerians being insulted and angered that the elaborate presentation the security head gave on Boko Haram, was to the western audience of Nigeria’s former colonial master (UK), and no such address was ever presented to Nigerians at home; the indictment of Chad in terror by the NSA was an important verification of suspicions that definitely deserved further and thorough expatiation.
What role does Nigeria’s neighbor have in the crises that are centered at the border regions of the two nations? Why is Boko Haram on a mission to exterminate life indiscriminately on Nigeria’s side of the border?
The NSA said in his remarks that “we cannot go and punish Idriss Debby…” [Nigeria can!]
This is definitely a priority issue of national security that can just not so easily be brushed off. There is need for total accountability and responsibility in the response to the deadly war Boko Haram. Those who cannot properly assess the situations and responsible for grave blunders that cause the deaths of thousands at the nation’s top security level and abroad should be held to account. Nigerian lives matter.
Dr. Peregrino Brimah
