Terror sect Boko Haram have claimed responsibility for the coordinated bomb attacks that rocked churches in Zaria and Kaduna yesterday. The sect spokesperson Abu Qaqa said the current massacre of christians was done to avenge the past killings of Muslims and desecration of Mosques in Zonkwa, Yelwan Shendam, Tafawa Balewa, where they said Mosques were turned into brothels and drinking joints, while Christians continue to carry on with impunity and government support. The statement also claims that Christians must all convert to Islam in order to have peace.
The sect stated in a press release sent to select media via its spokesperson Abul Qaqa earlier today. Abu Qaqa started the statement by saying, “Today Almighty Allah has given us victory against Christian Churches in Kaduna and Zaria which led to the deaths of many Christians and security operatives.”
Nigeria has never had a more worrying source of concern in recent times than the terror group. Several studies claim the group has claimed over a thousand lives and destroyed property worth millions of Naira. Worse is the failure of the present regime to address the issue. The government is winning two battles in the war against terror in Nigeria: make promises and condole with the victims. Someone had recently described the president as "condoler in chief."
While the security threat posed by Boko Haram remains an increasing source of worry, what is much more grave is the obvious inability of the National Assembly to ask the much expected questions on the leadership of the country. Without mincing words, there is no doubt that the National Assembly is either confused or without a basic understanding of their role in this democracy.
Only recently, the president thought it wise to arm the Nigerian Civil Defence Corp with arms in a bid to forestall further attacks by the terror organisation. The security budget for this year is obviously not meeting its objectives at this point. Soon, there will be need to expend more than budgeted security provision without the evident result of improved security. For the umpteenth time, this regime has failed to understand that security does not mean more guns and jeeps. Rather than use the intelligence services to identify and trail the sponsors of the sect, the federal government has had the SSS tail Farouk Lawan in and become producer of a home video: Farouk also likes Dollars, in order to prove the lawmaker's report was not worth it.
To overcome the menace of the Boko Haram, a greater attention has to be paid to intelligence gathering. An attempt should be made to infiltrate the sect with a view to understanding their objectives and workings. It is hoped that the National Assembly will realise that Nigeria and Nigerian lives are at stake. Greater effort has to be made to save the situation of the country on all fronts because as it stands today, Nigeria is failing rather too fast despite the position of the party in power who have chosen to celebrate inessential statistics when the essential statistics remain at an all time low.
Until we have a parliament that will rise up and live to the true calling of representing the people, we cannot say we have a democracy but a rape of the peoples' will. We do not expect Christians to always turn the other cheek. The will to survive is usually a very strong one in humans regardless of their religion. Should one group rise up and decimate them, it will be impossible for Christians to remain calm for further long. This is a security threat that must be addressed; Christians standing up in reprisal attacks like we saw in Zaria. The National Assembly therefore must begin to question seriously the leadership of the country that has made no effort to hide its inability to tackle the threat facing the nation.
While we pray for a peaceful repose of the dead, we pray also that the families of the bereaved be strong in this trying time of adversity. We also urge the leaders and sponsors of this hate group to realise that terror is hardly the means to any good end today. There are better alternatives to meeting whatever grievances they may have instead of taking the lives of persons guilty only of innocence. May God save Nigeria.
Comments