Demola Olarewaju, who head a small youth support group in PDP, pen this interesting piece on ” Should Buhari Negotiate With Boko Haram Or Crush Them Like He Promised? ”

Enjoy !
This is not a question easily answered but luckily, I do not have to answer (I’m neither the President nor one of his advisers) but I’d like to examine the case for both options, point out the consequences and leave the reader to decide…

To put the question in perspective, we must first define Boko Haram and define the Chibok girls – Boko Haram is not an enemy state (such as Chad or Niger might be if we were involved in a war with them) – it is an enemy formation operating within our borders with a clear agenda against our elected governments, using western education as the main grudge, working (from indications) to establish an Islamic Caliphate within Nigerian borders and using the dirtiest terrorist tactics ever known to man. It is important to bear this in mind as we go forward.

The Chibok girls were the pivot that changed public sentiments against the government. Had they been killed like the boys of Buni Yadi we would certainly all have moved on but they are deemed to be alive (underline ‘deemed’) and their kidnap has become the main issue. The Chibok girls are not enemy combatants or prisoners of war. They are innocent bystanders.

Those who justify negotiations with Boko Haram on the basis of recent prisoner-swaps by America and Israel must understand the point: it was an exchange of combatants. It is hard for another American or Israeli soldier to be kidnapped after the US negotiated the release of Bergdahl or Israel’s negotiation for Shalit. In the case of the Chibok girls: nothing stops Boko Haram from releasing them after negotiations and kidnapping more the following week. I hope this is clear enough: all US has to do to prevent American soldiers from being kidnapped in Afghanistan is not to send troops to Afghanistan. How do we prevent Boko Haram from kidnapping another set of girls after negotiating the release of these ones?

The point therefore is this: if we will negotiate, we must plan it all the way to the end – negotiations will lead to talks of amnesty for Boko Haram. Once you’ve sat with them at the table to negotiate the release of Chibok girls, you can’t go back to the option of crushing them (they’ll simply kidnap more girls) so you have to ask them “what they want” and either give it to them or give them a clean bill inspite of all those who have died and here, I won’t be a bleeding heart liberal and cry for the dead at the expense of the living: those who have died, have died but those who are alive can be kept alive. Negotiations and its soon-coming younger but more robust brother Amnesty are the way to go if we do not want collateral damage.

Collateral Damage is also the bloody younger brother of “We will crush Boko Haram”. If we choose to crush them, they will kill the Chibok girls (if they are still alive and I hope they are). What this Government promised was that it would crush them and many Nigerians on that basis voted for this President. Since his election, a couple of hundreds have been killed and as we try to crush them, more may be killed.

The choices are clear – if you want to end the immediate bloodshed by Boko Haram and want the Chibok girls released alive: go for negotiations but be aware that it may mean that Boko Haram will go unpunished by the state. If you want Govt to crush Boko Haram on the other hand, be aware that the Chibok girls may be killed alongside other casualties but the state would have sent a clear message that insurgency will never be tolerated. The first choice (negotiations) is from a liberal political perspective (especially the bleeding heart school of thought) while the second choice is from the conservative school of thought.

Personally, I’m a neo-conservative and therefore embrace liberal values. It’s a dilemma but it is not my dilemma. However, we must be quick to remind President Buhari that to negotiate with Boko Haram repudiates all that he stands for and disappoints some who voted for him to crush Boko Haram. It also plays into the narrative of “Boko Haram are our brothers” and will be misconstrued by some. Great leaders have to make hard choices and I expect this government to do the same. If President Buhari negotiates with Boko Haram, it will be a departure from the election campaign promises that portrayed a vote for APC as a crush for Boko Haram. It will be political deceit by APC and some of us will milk it to the fullest when the time comes. It will be another promise broken just like the public declaration of assets which he has failed to do.

The focus for now though is ending Boko Haram one way or another and this is where I insist: choose one of the two choices Mr. President but be aware of the consequences of either. Choose one and follow it all the way through. In choosing one though, you will have to ignore the other. I see no middle ground that can be effective in the long run.

NB: I have tried as much as possible to restrict this opinion to the present issues in Nigeria. For further reading before making up your mind, please Google ‘Negotiating With Terrorists’ and see the arguments for and against.
I’ve also in this piece made the assumption that the reader is familiar with certain issues on Boko Haram and the Chibok girls as well as recent developments such as President Buhari’s declaration that he will negotiate with Boko Haram if certain he is talking with the right person and he will give them what they want.

Matter Arising : Should Buhari Negotiate With Boko Haram Or Crush Them Like He Promised?

Crush them, no more no less as promised.


We don't negotiate with blood sucking terrorist BH

Crush. Say no to negotiation.

He's capable...

He knows what to do and I believe he'll do the best for Nigeria

Until d army men are well motivated enough, boko haram can neva be subdued...