ADVERTISEMENT
The Sun Nigeria
  • Home
  • National
  • Columns
    • Broken Tongues
    • Capital Matters
    • Diabetes Corner
    • Duro Onabule
    • Femi Adesina
    • Frank Talk
    • Funke Egbemode
    • Insights
    • Kalu Leadership Series
    • Kunle Solaja
    • Offside Musings
    • PressClips
    • Public Sphere
    • Ralph Egbu
    • Shola Oshunkeye
    • Sideview
    • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
    • Tola Adeniyi
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • The Sun TV
  • Sporting Sun
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • National
  • Columns
    • Broken Tongues
    • Capital Matters
    • Diabetes Corner
    • Duro Onabule
    • Femi Adesina
    • Frank Talk
    • Funke Egbemode
    • Insights
    • Kalu Leadership Series
    • Kunle Solaja
    • Offside Musings
    • PressClips
    • Public Sphere
    • Ralph Egbu
    • Shola Oshunkeye
    • Sideview
    • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
    • Tola Adeniyi
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • The Sun TV
  • Sporting Sun
No Result
View All Result
The Sun Nigeria
No Result
View All Result
Home Features

Why Boko Haram returned with bombs –Borno residents

6th November 2016
in Features
0
Why Boko Haram returned with bombs –Borno residents
1
SHARES
70
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

From TIMOTHY OLANREWAJU, Maiduguri

The loud deafening sound that reverberated through most parts of Maiduguri, the capital city of Borno State, in the early hours of penultimate Saturday, expectedly created panic among residents who had been enjoying the relative peace emerging in the troubled State for nearly two months.
Two suicide bombers targeting the NNPC Mega Station and a camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and blew up themselves near the two public places, killing nine people and injuring 24 others. The military troops around the area also gunned down a suicide bomber who was attempting to scale the perimeter fence of the same IDP camp barely 24 hours after the first twin explosions. Only the bomber died.
At least 16 people including military personnel, civilians and vigilante were killed in three separate attacks in Borno last weekend within 72 hours!
It was a black weekend for residents of Maiduguri, who had savoured the air of freedom and peace in the last three months as relations and families of the victims of the bomb attacks besieged the State Specialist Hospital in search of their loved ones. Two days later, another explosion involving a group of suicide bombers occurred near a military checkpoint along Gubio road, about 82 kilometers north of Maiduguri. All the eight suspected bombers onboard the Bedford pick-up van, primed with improvised explosive devices (IEDs) including suicide vests were killed.  According to a statement by Army spokesman, Col Sani Usman on Tuesday, when the incident happened, the driver of the pick-up vehicle attempted to force his way through the checkpoint but “met stiff resistance from troops who insisted that the vehicle be thoroughly checked.” The police also said the vehicle conveying the bombers “emerged from a bush path to join the road to Gubio town.” Some residents said Boko Haram might have resorted to deploying suicide bombers to the towns to renew its violence.
“Boko Haram may have returned with bombs,” says Usman Bukar, a humanitarian aid worker: “The succession in the occurrence of bomb attacks in recent times is an indication that Boko Haram hasn’t given up its terror acts despite the much publicised negotiations with the Federal Government which led to the release of 21 Chibok schoolgirls,” a university don who preferred anonymity also said.
The don also recalled the ambush on military troops by Boko Haram at Ugundiri village while returning from clearance operation at remote Ajirgin and Talala villages in Damboa Local Government last Sunday, saying the attack punctured claims by the military that it had degraded the insurgents. “How can you say you degraded Boko Haram and the insurgents are still attacking even your troops?” the university teacher queried.
Collective failure
Some analysts, however, blamed residents for their failure to protect and sustain the emerging peace. “It is a failure of everybody. Security is a collective responsibility and should not be left in the hands of the security agencies. We should be honest to take responsibility for our failure to sustain the emerging peace. We were lax and forgot that our major enemy, Boko Haram, is still around, watching us but we got carried away by the air of freedom permeating the land,” Mohammadu Goni, a resident of Maiduguri said.
Goni said residents no longer exhibit high security consciousness as they did in the heat of the insurgency. “We became so loose to the extent that we allow Boko Haram to penetrate,” he stated. He said security checkpoints were mounted in different parts of the state in the past with residents watching over the movement of their neighbours and strange persons in their neighborhood, adding that the situation has now changed because people feel very free.
“We no longer conduct search and checks on people in our mosques, churches, markets and even cemetery like before and Boko Haram informants may be watching all these lapses from us,” he said.
Has the military also failed, Goni was prodded? Goni believes Boko Haram has truly been degraded. He said the insurgents no longer have the capacity to organise coordinated attacks on communities. “That is why they send bombers to sneak into the city and towns to cause havoc,” he argued. He also urged Nigerians to understand the challenges of insurgency. “Insurgency or terrorism won’t fizzle out just like that. Iraq and Afghanistan are still confronted with bomb attacks up till now despite the U.S. military might and intervention in those nations,” he added. This view was also shared by United States early in the week, urging President Muhammadu Buhari to keep up the pressure on Boko Haram.
“From our experience, insurgency and terrorist groups can be very resilient, can move and again reconstitute themselves. So, it’s absolutely critical that both the federal and state levels of governments partner very closely with the military campaigns to ensure that they can provide security, services and good governance for the country as Boko Haram is pushed out particularly in the neighbourhoods. At the same time, Nigeria needs to put pressure on Boko Haram,” said United States Under-Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights, Sarah Sewall, in an exclusive interview with Sunday Sun in Maiduguri.
However, many residents want the military to step up security at the entrance and exit points to the city as well as other liberated towns. They also harped on collaboration between the military and civilians. “Residents should collaborate the more with Civilian JTF and security agencies for surveillance and vigilance. People should not relax and think the crisis is over because Boko Haram can capitalise on our sense of freedom to sneak into the city and cause greater harm,” Adamu Abatcha counseled.

sunnews

sunnews

Related Posts

Olanipekun’s appointment: A round peg in a round hole
Features

Olanipekun’s appointment: A round peg in a round hole

27th February 2021
Tribute to Lolo Celina Aniebo Obiekwe
Features

Tribute to Lolo Celina Aniebo Obiekwe

24th February 2021
NIN wahala
Features

NIN wahala

23rd February 2021
Next Post
Recession‎ won’t last, don’t resist corrective measures – Buhari

Why Buhari’s N29.9bn loan is unpopular

Buhari’s big trouble

Buhari’s big trouble

The day disaster visited Kirikiri

The day disaster visited Kirikiri

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Highlights

Mining companies urged to integrate communities in operations

2023 elections: Kogi governor against zoning for presidency

Yobe holds local poll in former Boko Haram strongholds

Kagara: UNICEF rep says release of kidnapped students a relief

Build new refineries, expert urges Federal Government

Nigerian women worried at constant threat to children, says minister

Trending

Student abductions: Nigeria's future human resources threatened - Ansaru-Deen Chair
National

Student abductions: Nigeria’s future human resources threatened – Ansaru-Deen Chair

27th February 2021
0

From Noah Ebije, Kaduna The Chairman, Ansaru-Deen Society of Nigeria, Kaduna Branch, Alhaji Mohammed Liadi Olapade, has...

APC celebrates release of Kagara students

APC celebrates release of Kagara students

27th February 2021
INEC organises capacity building workshop for Voter Education staff

INEC organises capacity building workshop for Voter Education staff

27th February 2021
Mining companies urged to integrate communities in operations

Mining companies urged to integrate communities in operations

27th February 2021
2023 elections: Kogi governor against zoning for presidency

2023 elections: Kogi governor against zoning for presidency

27th February 2021

Follow us on social media:

Categories

  • Abuja Metro
  • Arts
  • Broken Tongues
  • Business
  • Business Week
  • Cartoons
  • Citizen Joe
  • Columns
  • Cover
  • Culture
  • Duro Onabule
  • Editorial
  • Education Review
  • Effect
  • Elections
  • Entertainment
  • Events
  • Features
  • Femi Adesina
  • Food & Drinks
  • Frank Talk
  • Funke Egbemode
  • Gallery
  • Global Square by Kenneth Okonkwo
  • Health
  • Insights
  • Kalu Leadership Series
  • Kunle Solaja
  • Kunle Solaja
  • Letters
  • Lifeline
  • Lifestyle
  • Literary Review
  • Marketing Matters
  • Muiz Banire
  • National
  • News
  • Offside Musings
  • Opinion
  • oriental news
  • Politics
  • Press Release
  • PressClips
  • Public Sphere
  • Ralph Egbu
  • Shola Oshunkeye
  • Sideview
  • South-west Magazine
  • Sponsored Post
  • Sporting Sun
  • Sports
  • Sun Girl
  • Tea Time
  • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
  • The Sun Awards Live
  • The Sun TV
  • Thoughts & Talks
  • Time Out
  • Today's cover
  • Tola Adeniyi
  • Travel
  • Travel & Tourism
  • Trending
  • TSWeekend
  • Turf Game
  • Uncategorized
  • Updates
  • Views from Abroad
  • Voices
  • World
  • World News
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Paper Ad Rate
  • Online Ad Rate
  • The Team
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy

© 2019 The Sun Nigeria - Managed by Netsera.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • National
  • Columns
    • Broken Tongues
    • Capital Matters
    • Diabetes Corner
    • Duro Onabule
    • Femi Adesina
    • Frank Talk
    • Funke Egbemode
    • Insights
    • Kalu Leadership Series
    • Kunle Solaja
    • Offside Musings
    • PressClips
    • Public Sphere
    • Ralph Egbu
    • Shola Oshunkeye
    • Sideview
    • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
    • Tola Adeniyi
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • The Sun TV
  • Sporting Sun

© 2019 The Sun Nigeria - Managed by Netsera.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist