By David Achimugu
Nigeria as a country and, Nigerians, my compatriots are wonderful or unpredictable people. There is no crisis facing us that we lack the capacity to handle. I leave the deduction of our capacity to handle the often-self-induced crises for others to decide.
But I have to say that even in the United Kingdom, (my temporary place of abode now), or America, there are real and potent threats of terrorism. Terrorism is a compelling existential threat to humanity in the 21st century and the world is astounded by its expanding influence to distant destinations.
Our beautiful world created by God is inexplicably assailed by demons called terrorists. They delight in bloodshed, know no kith or kin. In their kingdom, there is no brother or sister. Violence is their defining creed. And those who should speak loudly and act against it, bark without commensurate actions. I my lifetime, nothing has befuddled me this much!
International politics is played differently, so I don’t know why United Nations (UN) is shy to draw full attention of the world to the budding terrorism evil in the Middle East, which is fast spreading to other distant abodes. And the countries are member-states of this world body.
UN has questionably flinched in declaring a full-blown war against countries that breeding and spreading terrorism; instead of science and technology; commerce and industry. But the eggheads at the UN and its Security Council (SC) knows it better. The world body has not adopted any step to checkmate the movement of arms and ammunitions across international borders which embolden terrorists’ atrocities.
Does anybody believe, we have a reason to protest against the UN? I don’t think it would be alright, because it could be misinterpreted to mean an unpardonable insolence. Let’s assume, all our leaders are flawlessly right. At least, most of those who claim to police the world have seen nothing bizarre in terrorism to warrant expedient actions and strict monitoring of its expansion.
So, do we need to worry anymore, under the protective armour of UN, celebrated world leaders, the UN Security Council and the rest of power brokers in the world, who are more interested in supervising the spread of terrorism and its variants around the world? If they are comfortable, we should pretend to be comfortable, in spite of the pains, agonies, and sorrows inflicted on us every day by terrorists and in most parts of the world.
We have no reason to complain or even groan aloud. And why? It’s because our bosses in the UN assemble every year or once in a while to define our destiny in New York. They are impeachable. Therefore, we should feel very okay and pretend indifference to the plight of our next-door brethren caused by terror and allied sects of violence and killings.
It’s a paradox that even international laws are softer on terrorists than, the innocent people they hack down or the security agents, who are drafted to stop the perpetration of terrorists’ evil. We are trapped in this vicious circle back and front and our whining consistently has not attracted the attention of a hardened world.
I will cry no more! And let my other brethren caged in this affliction cry no more! The mighty too, fall sometimes. Certainly, there is no reason to feel the pains again when the world savours the pleasures. Why should we feel the pains of terrorism, they seem to ask us?
The globe is horrorstruck, very dumfounded with the spread of terrorism, whether of ISIS or its affiliates in the Middle East. But the body weak and the fingers are too cold to act decisively.
The Middle East in the epicenter of terrorism from where it spreads to the rest of the world. Are we knowing it for the first time? Certainly, no! But UN romanticizes it. No sanctions on erring member- states over violation of UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. Member countries are brazenly violating it. Yet, UN has proven a lame duck. Even countries such as Nigeria attempting to overcome terrorism are hamstrung variously.
I love America’s President Donald because he hates terrorists and has discovered the hypocrisy of UN. He doesn’t hide it. Meanwhile, all of us are under its spell. In my country, Nigeria, terrorism has transmogrified into numerous deadly sects. When we know, Boko Haram is the problem; we also hear of ISWAP. When the terrorists find it difficult to face the Army’s superior fire power, they morph into armed bandits, ethnic warlords, armed militias, violent secessionists, and religious extremists.
When I read in faraway London that some bandits have taken over the Northwest and tormenting the peace of the people, I was not surprised. And some analysts have truthfully, admitted that terrorists have emboldened the ranks of armed bandits. They have found this escape route because the COAS and leader of the counter-insurgency operations in Nigeria, Lt.Gen. TY Buratai has not given the insurgents ample operational laxity in the Northeast, where they prided in fake invincible might.
But I am consoled because we have a President matching the terrorists action for action. I knew that with a courageous leader like President Buhari, stopping the smuggling business around the borders through Sokoto, illegal mining of the nation’s gold resources by gold miners in Zamfara, one should expect retaliations and actions by these elements. Terrorists cum smugglers need the gold treasure in the Northwest more than a baby needs breast milk in order to fund their atrocious act.
But it’s not yet time for the terrorists and armed bandits to rejoice. What is clear to me is that they will always be met with not just stiff resistance from Gen. Buratai, but their evils will certainly be defeated. Almighty God has seen our afflictions, the conspiracy against Nigeria and our helplessness. Therefore, He has donated to us a rare gift of Gen. Buratai. It is one gift from God to us at this time of travails, which is preciously priceless. Gen. Buratai is a blessing to Nigeria and we do not fear the challenge of our enemies to us or their sponsors and financiers.
By His Grace, through Gen. Buratai, the Northwest shall be liberated from armed bandits and other criminals; the Northeast, shall be purged of terrorists, whether of Boko Haram or ISWAP and Nigeria must be free. If they deny us sale of weapons to battle terrorism, but allow the same weapons transit through international borders for terrorists and armed bandits to mow us down every day, Gen. Buratai and the Nigerian soldiers are ready for the worse, by using their bare hands to fight and defend their fatherland from the bloodthirsty devils incarnates.
Just a few days ago, when Gen. Buratai moved to the Northwest and commenced the Operation Sahel Sanity, we are beginning to record good postings against the terrorists and armed bandits. They shall be pounded into defeat because God is on our side, no matter the extent of the conspiracy against us.
But I plead that whilst the Operation Sahel Sanity is roaring and kicking in the Northwest, the expectation that other institutions of state should embark on aggressive thinking and actions to complement the efforts of the Nigerian Army to ensure that the armed banditry and other criminalities comes to a final end within the next few months.
I have absolute faith that the enemies of Nigeria have no conquering power over us. No matter how many Goliaths they have morphed themselves into, we have a Gen. Buratai as that little David who will bring them down by whatever means. Gen. Buratai, the people’s soldier, please, go farther afield and conquer the evil merchants and every force behind them. You are unmistakably, Nigeria’s rare gift on counter-terrorism. #
Achimugu wrote this piece Abuja.