Boko Haram
crisis started
like any other
protest, but it
seems to have come to
stay. Why is it difficult for
security agencies to crush
the sect in few well-
coordinated operations? It
is not clear, but below are
some of the reasons.
1. Extrajudicial killings:
This is the primary source
of the violence. At least,
that is what the sect has
continued to harp upon.
Its leader, Mohammed
Yusuf, was killed while in
police custody, and many
members of the group
have been killed by
security personnel in a
manner that has kept
human rights
organisations raising
alarm.
2. Access to lethal
weapons: The sect seems
to have unfettered access
to deadly weapons,
including bomb-making
materials in spite of the
closure of Nigeria’s
borders and the alertness
of security forces.
3. Detention of suspects
without trial: This is
another argument by
Boko Haram. They claim
hundreds of their
members are detained in
various police cells and
prisons without trial.
There was a speculation
that government may
have built a special
detention camp for
arrested members of the
sect. Boko Haram has
asked for detained
members to be set free by
government.
4. Poor understanding of
the sect by government:
Close to three years after
it went violent, there is no
evidence that security
operatives clearly
understand the
philosophy, the leadership
structure and operational
schemes of the sect. This
is in spite of the fact that
many supposedly leaders
of the group are in the
custody of security
agencies.
5. Unguarded utterances
by government agents:
Top security chiefs in the
country have made
utterances that experts in
the intelligence
community have tagged as
unguarded. Statements
like ‘Boko Haram’s days
are numbered’ have
angered the group and, in
response, Boko Haram
has attacked sensitive
locations across the
country.
6. Lack of commitment
to dialogue: Many
elements have called for
dialogue between
government and the sect,
but there seems to be no
commitment on the part
of government and the
sect to discuss. For one,
the group remains faceless
and has continued to
make impossible
demands, like asking for
the North to be ruled by
Shariah.
7. Suspected complicity
of security agencies:
Though this has not been
proved, there is the
suspicion that some
security agents may be
associated with the group.
President Jonathan once
mentioned that Boko
Haram had infiltrated his
government.
8. Lack of trust for JTF:
The group has thrived,
mainly because the
communities where it
operates don’t trust the
Joint Task Force enough
to give it intelligence
information. There are
reports that some who
gave security agencies
information were killed,
hence residents are afraid,
not only of Boko Haram,
but also of giving
information to security
agents.
9. Poor intelligence: This
is associated with No.8.
Security agencies don’t
seem to have the kind of
intelligence needed to
tackle the sect, hence it is
perceived that Boko
Haram is always five
steps ahead of security
operatives.
10. Rivalry among
security agencies: In spite
of the concerns raised
about this, there is still
evidence that security
agencies are not
coordinated. The SSS,
police, NIA, Immigration,
may not be collaborating
properly. The fact that
government disputed a
warning by the American
intelligence that there was
an imminent bomb attack
on Abuja showed that the
agencies were not
working in tandem with
the world intelligence
community.
11. Support of foreign
fundamentalist groups:
There is the suspicion that
Boko Haram gets support
from other groups like the
Al-Qaeda. Though this has
not been confirmed, it is a
strong hypothesis in the
security circle.
12. Political suspicion:
Government suspects that
Boko Haram is backed by
powerful politicians from
the North. That has not
been proved, but as
National Security Adviser
Azazi made an allusion to
it in Port Harcourt at the
weekend, this aspect
seems to be foremost on
the minds of those in
government.
13. Greed:
Unfortunately, Boko
Haram crisis has become
an avenue for few
Nigerians to access
government money. Both
federal and state
governments are spending
a lot of money on the
purchase of security
gadgets and maintaining
security forces. Those who
benefit from these may
not want the crisis to end
quickly.
14. Different ‘kinds’ of
Boko Haram: There seems
to be political, criminal
and real Boko Haram
sects at the moment. This
means anyone can claim
to be Boko Haram, hence
it’s possible for
government to be dealing
with the wrong group in
the search for a solution
to the crisis.
15. Porous borders:
Nigeria’s borders have
remained porous, in spite
of emergency rule in over
a dozen local
governments areas and
the closure of borders.
This is evident in the
suspicion that foreign
mercenaries and weapons
that aid violent attacks are
coming in and going out
of the country without let
or hindrance.
16. Distrust for the elite
in the North:
Unfortunately, the sect
does not seem to have
respect for the northern
elite, making it difficult to
actually call Boko Haram
to order. Traditional
rulers, government
officials and elder
statesmen may have
found it difficult to
approach them because
Boko Haram does not
trust them.
17. Religious suspicion
in Nigeria: Until recently,
there has been religious
suspicion in the country.
Some Christians thought
Boko Haram was an
attempt to Islamise the
country, while some
Muslims feel
marginalised. However,
recently, there seems to be
a resolve that the crisis is
not primarily religious.
18. Disunity in the
country: Unfortunately,
many Nigerians do not see
the Boko Haram crisis as a
national problem. Many
see it as a problem of the
‘Muslim North’. The way
government attempts to
solve it is perceived to be
half-hearted. If
government dialogued
with Niger Delta militants
and granted them
amnesty, why wouldn’t
government dialogue with
Boko Haram?
19. Poverty: The poverty
level in the North is high.
It has led to massive
unemployment and
apparently, provided a
huge number of youths
who, when indoctrinated,
become potential
members of Boko Haram.
20. Strong conviction:
Surprisingly, many youths
who are members of the
sect have a strong
conviction that they are
doing a noble job. It may
take a lot of efforts to re-
educate them to enable
them understand the
damage the group has
done to the Nigerian state.
http://sundaytrust.com.ng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10030:20-reasons-why-boko-haram-crisis-may-not-end-soon&catid=57:cover&Itemid=126