What Is The Cost Of Human Life In Nigeria?

When the rhythm of a music changes, the dancing pattern has to change in other to be in-tune with the beating. Has Nigeria turned to an abattoir? In time past Nigerians both young and old are core moralist and completely religious especially when it comes to issues of dead bodies, but the activities of the insurgents has made it a thing of numbers this days, to the extent that when 50 bodies are mentioned, even children will hiss and the young will go about their business assuming the bodies are not up to previous attack. It is definitely panic-time because the rate at which Nigerians are letting the blood flow is certainly a thing of worry.

Abuja bomb blast was something that could have been avoided if our security men are good at what they do. There is never a time a snake enters a house and the house owner leaves the snake to conduct an inquiry on how the snake entered the house. Exactly three weeks ago the State Security Services (SSS) received an intel about an imminent attack in FCT, nothing was done about it. Obviously there is a problem with Nigeria’s security intelligent gathering system which is killing Nigerians in mass. After the intel, came the SSS jailbreak, which was treated with levity till date (instead they captured and tormented Ishiaka Yusuf, an innocent working class Nigerian). It is time we start asking relevant questions, directed to relevant quarters and insist on answers. What has been the efficacy of the state of emergency in those Boko Haram headquartered States? The name Boko Haram has turned to a household name in Nigeria, both old and young are comfortable discussing their activities since their existence. Boko Haram like every other terrorist group carryout attack in a clandestine manner, to strike fear in the heart of the citizens, they kill in mass because they assume to maximize explosives and bomb. The group believed to have a number of faction with differing aims, including to launch an Islamic state in the North. Many of the attacks have targeted places of worship, often churches, but Muslims have also been killed. The group was founded in 2002 in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, by Mohammed Yusuf, an Islamic religious teacher.

In 2004, it moved to Kanamma in Yobe State, close to the border with Niger, where it set up a base dubbed “Afghanistan”, from which it attacked nearby police outposts. Boko Haram means “Western education is sin” in Hausa language. It is believed to have a number of faction with differing aims, including some with political links. The group initially claimed to be fighting for the creation of an Islamic state in the north, but a range of demands by different people have since been issued. The current leader who was Mohammed Yusuf’s deputy, Abubakar Shekau is widely believed to currently lead Boko Haram’s main cell, which says it wants to be known by a different name, roughly translated as “People Committed to the Prophet’s Teachings for Propagation and Jihad”.

Boko Haram launched an uprising in 2009, leading to nearly a week of fighting that ended with a military assault which left about 1,987 dead and the group’s mosque and headquarters in Northeastern Maiduguri in ruins. Boko Haram went dormant for more than a year before re-emerging in 2010 with a series of assassinations. Bomb blasts, including suicide attacks, have since become frequent and increasingly deadly. Nigerian authorities should have acted sooner to stop the proliferation of Boko Haram. In May of 2013, the Nigerian army did launch a major offensive against the group, deploying thousands of troops in the north and launching aerial bombardments of suspected Boko Haram hideouts. Nigerian believes attacks are orchestrated by Islamic religious leaders and politicians who manipulate youth to retain power. Despite the deployment of more soldiers and police to northern Nigeria, the nation’s weak central government has been unable to stop the killings.

From the time of their existence to the time of this write up, Boko Haram have killed more than 5,670 people. Unless Nigerian government is planning on cutting down the nations population, then critical times like this require drastic steps if we are to remain Africa’s most populous nation, because our numbers are seriously dwindling. This is to President Goodluck Jonathan, the time for diplomacy is over and it is time for action.