With the death in plane crash of three army generals, two majors, and six other subordinate military officers, the 10-year war against Boko Haram insurgents, has reached its highpoint, its highest peak. These were high profile deaths.
Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru, Brigadier General, MI Abdulkadir, Brigadier General Olayinka, Major LA Hayat, Major Hamza, and Sergeant Umar, as well as four crew members, Flight Lieutenant TO Asaniyi, Flight Lieutenant AS Okufade, Sergeant Adesina and ACM Oyedepo, were all killed in a plane crash that occurred vin Kaduna, on Friday evening. What a tragedy.
Before now, Boko Haram insurgents were dealing with people of no rank, “people without address”, unknown quantities, ordinary folks. They killed many of them, burnt their houses, and looted their property, while the survivors were packed together in different Internally Displaced Camps (IDPs), scattered all over the North East region. Some of us then saw the war as very distance from us, and took it for granted.
Now, they have brought the war into our backyard, inside our parlour. We no longer boast that Boko Haram has been “substantially degraded” or “defeated”.
Recent happenings have actually proved these to be false claims, which dawns on us that Boko Haram is very much around, very active, alive and daring. We must therefore put on our combat gear, and gird our loins in order to tackle it.
Apart from reports, in recent times, of Boko Haram capturing some Nigerian territories and hoisting their flag there, we also heard stories of at least, three air crashes involving military aircraft, within the past few months. We do not think these are crashes to be ordinary accident, but believe that there may be some elements of sabotage in the system.
Without preempting government investigation, we are at a loss as to how such an aircraft carrying very important personalities like the Chief of Army Staff and other high-ranking military officers would simply crash without having any survivor. Surely, there must be something than meets the ordinary eye.
This same General Ibrahim Attahiru, when he was Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole that was directly fighting Boko Haram in Borno State, did not have things easy with those in charge of the Army at that time, and was unceremoniously removed. Now, less than five months when he assumed responsibility of the Army, he simply died in an air crash. What a tragedy, what a paradox.
When Boko Haram was in its infancy, and Goodluck Jonathan was President of Nigeria, he cried out that some members of the group could be inside his cabinet. Perhaps, Goodluck Jonathan took the necessary precaution.
One may therefore, also not rule out the possibility that some Boko Haram members may be working at the highest level of the present administration, and also operating among the top echelon of the military establishment.
We suspect that there are a lot of insider work currently doing everything to prevent the defeat of Boko Haram, and equally thwarting all efforts to defeat the insurgents. This, therefore, calls for introspection, looking inside to fish out the bad eggs.
We do not know whether it is nemesis that is at work or what. Some time ago, somebody boasted that if he did not win the election conducted at that time, he would make somebody’s government very ungovernable.
Since the advent of the present administration, it has known no peace. It is war all over – war against Boko Haram, war against banditry, war against kidnappers, war against killer herdsmen, war against unknown gunmen, etc., and they have been unable to win any of these wars.
Sometimes, it is not always good to wish somebody something you will not wish yourself, because such a thing must definitely come back to you. They call it law of karma.