Bittersweet Tales

Undeniably, the war against insurgency in Northeast Nigeria has taken different twists and turns. On the one hand, menacing insurgents are unleashing terror on people in the war-torn zone and on the other side, is the Nigerian state aggressively combating the Jihadists to restore safety and security. A video reportedly released today, Boko Haram insurgents allegedly executed two soldiers and a policeman. The video comes days after the reported kidnap of 14 people, including two aid workers, and six members of the security forces. In a much favourable incident, the Nigerian troops successfully rescued 31 persons including 14 women and 17 children from the insurgents.

So far, at least 35,000 people have been killed since the decade-long war and over 2.5 million displaced around the Lake Chad. Notably, after the peak of onslaughts in 2014, attacks by the Jihadists have significantly dropped. It is in this view that, Nigeria\’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, insists that the terror group have been technically defeated. Beyond these assurances, losses to live, livelihoods and forced displacements have not ceased. It is crucial to work towards achieving total defeat and win on the war against insurgency.

The war against terror should not be mixed with bittersweet stories. Nigerian state should capitalise on the ‘technically defeated’ ideology to ensure maximum protection of people living in terror-prone communities. The conclusion of the war should not breed complacency among the troops; rather efforts should be targeted at complete victory. Considering the insurgency as an ideological war, it requires much more than weaponry to combat. Government and relevant actors in the region should focus on non-combative measures that seek to draw the support of people towards the nation\’s quest to defeat the Jihadists. The government and other countries affected by the insurgency will be one step ahead of total victory if they have the unalloyed support of residents in the region. These non-combative, war-winning strategies could be employed by providing adequate humanitarian care to the deprived population.

Also, the activities of the troops in the area should be professional and tactful enough to encourage support. Repeatedly, through formal and informal channels, government should cultivate a favourable narrative of Nigerians vs Jihadists. The Jihadists should be seen as the enemies of the state and its people and not a way out of the harsh realities of life.