The Islamic fundamentalist sect, Boko Haram, has shown its seriousness to Islamise Nigeria by taking territories – Mubi, Gwoza, and counting. And as the 2015 general elections approach, there is fear that the sect may make things difficult. But a ray of hope is gleaned from far away Europe, write VICTOR EBIMOMI and IDU JUDE.
After the last general elections in 2011, hell was let loose in many parts of Northern Nigeria. Tens of youth corps members, who were drafted to help in the conduct of the election, lost their lives. So the fear of getting a free and fair election conducted in that part of the country is palpable. And with the increasing menace of the dreaded Boko Haram sect, the fear is now heightened.
Three states in the Boko Haram-infested area – Adamawa, Borno and Yobe – are currently under state of emergency due to the activities of the sect. It is always feared that election may not take place in the three states. Some security experts have even suggested that it will be too risky to conduct election in those areas in 2015.
Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Thems Security Systems Limited, Ezekiel Isidahomen, maintained that the sect’s activities could endanger the lives of the electorate if election is held in those areas. According to him, since the recent negotiation deal could not scale through, it is entirely dangerous to conduct election in the area.
“With the current situation in the area, the killing and kidnapping, it is obvious that it may be impossible to conduct free and fair election in the area. The electorate may not have confidence to come out and vote. I advise that since the negotiation has failed, election should not be conducted in these areas,” he said.
The first glimmer of hope came to Nigerians when Russia, China, Israel and America indicated willingness to help Nigeria contain the insurgents. That was when the BringBackOurGirls campaign went viral in the second quarter of this year. But nothing came out of it.
But there seems to be another ray of hope now, as the elections draw near. The European Union (EU) has promised to assist Nigeria conduct election in those volatile areas.
Arising from a crucial meeting with the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, at the commission’s Headquarters on Monday, October 27, the Foreign Affairs Minister of Germany, Frank Steinmeir, and his French counterpart, Lawrent Fabius, offered Nigeria hope.
While emphasising that INEC, no doubt, faces enormous challenges in the conduct of the February 2015 general elections in the states, they promised that the EU would do its best to assist the country.
The duo said they were in the country because of the importance of Nigeria to the world, even as they disclosed that their visit would also afford them the opportunity to have firsthand information by interacting with the civil society groups, government and INEC on the challenges of the 2015 polls.
“We have come because of the importance of Nigeria to the world. It is better we have direct contact with the civil society group, government and INEC, which have great responsibility in respect to the next general elections where we elect new leaders next year.
“You have enormous challenges. We hope that the elections will be free, fair and (overall) credible. We want to know your approach to the elections in the North East,” they said.
The two foreign affairs ministers also explained that their countries would help in area of finances, including deploying EU election observers, as had been done in the past, for the exercise, just as they disclosed that France and Germany have confidence in the election process.
Responding, the INEC chairman expressed delight that the two countries are concerned that the 2015 general elections must be credible, as it demonstrates its commitment in deepening democracy in the country.
He acknowledged that delivering a credible election is an enormous responsibility, but assured that his commission would deliver a credible election in 2015.
“We are confident that we will deliver free, fair and credible elections in 2015. It is going to be difficult, but it is not going to be impossible. The support we have has inspired us,” Jega said.
Jega disclosed that INEC has been working and partnering with every stakeholder in the exercise, especially security personnel, so that the exercise will not be undermined. He exuded confidence that before the exercise comes on stream in February, every arrangement, including security, would have been strengthened.
“Our hope is that before the February elections, tremendous successes will be attained to ensure that it works. We are ready to deploy (personnel), and for that to be possible, we need to work closely with the security. We have learnt to take pre-emptive measures,” he assured.
Three months to the February elections, the Boko Haram sect is still waging war in three states of North East Nigeria. This has continued despite the declaration of state of emergency and, recently, declaration of war on the sect. This has given rise to fears that elections may not hold in these states.
Boko Haram (Western education is forbidden), officially called Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’Awati Wal-Jihad (People Committed to the Prophet’s Teachings for Propagation and Jihad), is a militant Islamist movement based in North East Nigeria. The group was designated by the United States (U.S.) as a terrorist organisation in November 2013.
The sect has killed more than 5,000 civilians between July 2009 and June 2014, including at least 2,000 in the first half of 2014, while carrying out attacks mainly in the North East and North Central states of Nigeria.
Since 2009, Boko Haram has abducted more than 500 women and children, including 276 schoolgirls from Government Secondary School, Chibok in April 2014.
By last August, about 650,000 people have fled the conflict zone, an increase of 200,000 since May.
Boko Haram was reportedly founded in Borno in 2002, and became increasingly radical, which led to a violent uprising in July 2009 in which its leader was executed.
Its unexpected resurgence, following a mass prison break in September 2010, was accompanied by increasingly sophisticated attacks, initially against soft targets, and progressing in 2011 to include suicide bombings on the police and United Nations headquarters in Abuja. The government’s establishment of a state of emergency in May 2012, which was extended in the following year, appears not to have much impact on the sect and its bloodletting.
Since mid-2014, the militants have been in control of swathes of territory in and around their home state of Borno, but have not captured the capital of the state, Maiduguri, where the group was originally based.
On October 17, the federal government announced that it has brokered a ceasefire deal with the sect and that the kidnapped girls from Chibok would soon be released.
But all ended in disappointment.
In fact, according to Isidahomen, the ceasefire might have failed because the government did not deal with the right people. He advised that government’s representatives should be able to identify the key commanders of the sect and discuss with them.
He also advised the federal government to stop the hanky-panky of the sect members, by going all out after them.
“How long can we continue to play this hanky-panky game with these people? If the negotiation fails, government should go to every length rout them,” he said.
According to reports, the conflict, which Boko Haram says is aimed at creating an Islamic state in Nigeria’s mainly Muslim North, has left an estimated 13,000 people dead, including killings by the security forces.
But the violence has continued at a relentless pace. Many have questioned the credibility of the so-called Boko Haram envoy reportedly negotiating with the government.
The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR), penultimate Friday, said worsening violence in northeast Nigeria and cross-border attacks inside Cameroon had heightened fear and made it increasingly difficult to relocate refugees.
“Cameroonian civilians are living in a state of terror due to frequent insurgent attacks,” a statement said.
Efforts to move Nigerian refugees to a Cameroonian camp at Minawao, 120 kilometres (75 miles) inside the border, had been hindered by waves of violence.
There are currently 16,282 refugees at the Minawao camp, a figure which has tripled in the last three months, and the UN is preparing for new arrivals with the population possibly swelling to 35,000 in the coming weeks.
Nigeria’s border state of Borno is Boko Haram’s historic stronghold, but the group has stepped up raids inside Cameroon over the last year.
In expanding their insurgency, experts say the Islamists are seeking new sources of revenue through robberies and fresh recruits by abductions, while exploiting a remote area left under-protected by Cameroon’s military.
The sect, whose men stole lorry loads of dynamites from Ashaka Cement Factory in Gombe State on Tuesday, ostensibly for explosives, has renamed Borno State town Gwoza Darul Hikma (House of Wisdom), according to residents.
Mubi town in Adamawa State, also under its control, had earlier been renamed Madinatul Islam (City of Islam).
Adamawa Governor, Bala Ngilari, was at the Presidential Villa in Abuja at the weekend, where he painted a gory picture of the sect’s attacks in his state and the accompanying humanitarian crisis.