By Olakunle Olafioye
Nigerians yesterday expressed confusion and disbelief over the latest directive by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai ordering the capture of the most wanted Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau.
Buratai had in statement on Friday directed the Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya, Major General Ibrahim Attahiru, to capture the leader of the insurgent group, dead or alive.
A statement signed by Brigadier General Sani Kukasheka Usman, Director Army Public Relations, read, “The Theatre Commander has further been directed to do so within 40 days. He is to employ all arsenal at the disposal of the Theatre Command to smoke out Shekau wherever he is hiding in Nigeria.”
Nigerians who reacted to the directive expressed confusion and disbelief, questioning the rationale behind the order having been repeatedly informed that the leader of the insurgents had been killed during previous military operations.
National Chairman and former Presidential candidate of the National Action Council (NAC), Dr Olapade Agoro in a telephone interview queried the order saying, “how could Buratai tell Nigerians that he wants Shekau arrested within 40 days. Shekau that we were told had been killed previously and the nation had celebrated and congratulated the army for getting rid of him only for him to reappear later. One wonders why we are making mockery of ourselves as a nation. You couldn’t have killed somebody four times and still want him arrested again,” he said.
Also reacting to the directive, Alhaji Ado Shuaibu Dansudu, National Chairman, Arewa United Forum, said he could not fathom the motive behind the latest directive after Nigerians had been previously made to believe that the Boko Haram leader had been killed. “I don’t understand why Buratai came up with the directive and in fact, we don’t even know how many Shekaus we have now.
“I am not ruling out the possibility of capturing Shekau but giving a deadline for his capture is what I really find disturbing. Capturing a terrorist of Shekau’s status is not a joking matter. Even the western world knows what it took them to get Osama Bin Laden. And despite the claim that he was killed, we didn’t see his corpse to really ascertain the veracity of their claim,” he noted
Assessing the directive, Ugwumadu Malachy, National President, Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, CDHR said Nigerians should show more concern about why the directive was issued.
According to him, “the first thing is to understand why this directive is coming essentially because there is no smoke without fire. In the recent times Buratai has been reputed for flying kites. Don’t forget that he was the one that issued a warning, informing Nigerian soldiers against ambitious politicians. That time the real concern was about coup. So we should be eager to know why his latest directive is coming now,” he said.
Executive Director Civil Liberties Organisation, Comrade Ibuchukwu Ezike described the directive as a tall order saying the war against terrorism is not a day job.
“One doubt if it is achievable but one prays that the almighty God will help the Nigeria Army to crush the terrorists. It is the wish of Nigerians for the army to capture Shekau and defeat Boko Haram,” he said.