Badamasi Babangida has blamed President
Muhammadu Buhari for the increasing waves of
insurgency in northern Nigeria, urging him to
adopt a holistic approach in a way that the
military will pound the enclaves of the sect day
and night.
Babangida, who made this disclosure during a
Sallah message, maintained that the military
tactic against Boko Haram ought to be top
secret amongst top military brass while urging
the media to avoid screaming headlines that
would boost the morale of the insurgents.
In an interview with Christie Amanpour on CNN
on April 2, 2015, Buhari had promised to tackle
Boko Haram in 2 months.
“We know how they (Boko Haram) started
and where they are now and we will rapidly
give attention to security in the country. And
I believe we will effectively deal with them in
two months when we get into office. We will
need the cooperation of neighboring countries
such as Cameroon, Chad and Niger.”
Late, on May 29, Buhari branded the sect
“mindless and godless” before relocating the
Military Command and Control Centre to
Maiduguri, the Borno.
The extremists heralded the second coming of
Buhari as President with twin bomb blasts.
Since then, there has been a daily occurrence of
bloodletting and massacre perpetrated by the
sect.
See: Reasons behind Boko Haram’s U-turn on
Buhari revealed
While speaking Babangida said; “At this stage of
our national history, especially with the
insecurity we presently experience, it is
appropriate for us to devise new ways and
means of confronting this hydra-headed
insurgency, without making such initiatives
public knowledge.
“Strategic efforts and initiatives of the
military targeted at curtailing the spread of
Boko Haram should remain most often top
secret within military hierarchy and the
presidency.
Collaborative efforts should also follow similar
pattern so that little or limited information is let
loose for the consumption of members of the
sect.
“Coordinated efforts by the security agencies
should be strengthened and refocused to gain
new dimensions towards combating the
unwholesome activities of this sect, and
when such dimensions are sought and
cultivated, they should remain the exclusive
preserve of top military brass.”
“The President, General Muhammadu Buhari,
as a military officer, understands the import
of these altruistic suggestions and I trust that
he will take steps to apply some of them that
fit into the mainstream strategies already in
place.
See: How can Boko Haram catalysts stop
themselves now they have power? – Group
“The approach has to be a holistic one, well
coordinated with full onslaught launched by
the day and night to route these insurgents
to surrender.”
On the role of the media Babaginda said; “Media
intelligence is required in helping to assemble
information and distilling such information in a
manner that would benefit the fight against
terrorism.
“Going by the news and information we get
every day, I feel very strongly that the media
has a greater role to play in the management
of information.
“The types of headlines and lead stories that
are promoted in favour of the insurgents
could only help to motivate members of Boko
Haram rather than de-motivate them.
“I expect, with a deep sense of patriotism, to
see a greater deal of positive news promoted
in support of military efforts at confronting
this menace than a celebration of Boko
Haram carnage, day in and day out.
“Information management is very key to
confronting an unconventional warfare, such
as the one under reference, which is further
complicated by the unfashionable method of
suicide bombings.
“It is a strange dimension to this whole
exercise of insurgency and has further
compounded our earlier strategies in helping
to nip this monster in the bud. The media, it
must be emphasized, has a greater role to
play in this information management system
where a well defined synergy is encouraged
between members of the media and the
military hierarchy.
“On a good day, as is often said, the idea of
taking some Boko Haram suspects and
prisoners to Anambra State should not be
public knowledge, if we are truly serious
about information management.
”Each time we celebrate the dastardly acts of
Boko Haram on the front pages of our
newspapers and electronic platforms, it is a
score for Boko Haram. We must weigh such
information against our collective national
interest. Do we subscribe to Boko Haram or
to the Nigerian nation?
“Since we are of good conscience and
subscribe to the Nigerian nation, military
efforts and achievements in the fight against
insurgency should be given primacy than
what a suicide bomber has just done.
“We must make it a duty to encourage and
motivate our military personnel; those who
have died in the course of this struggle and
those who are still there on the battle field
trying to make the Nigerian society safe for
all of us.
“The families of those who have lost their
gallant fighters and bread winners must be
catered for beyond the present tokenism. This
initiative will serve as incentive to others who
are still in the trenches battling to keep us
safe.
”Events in the last four weeks have continued
to raise our adrenaline, in a season of
apprehension and utter suspicion, about our
security engagements and the sum total of
our collective sufferance as a nation.’’
He added: “The heightened tension is occasioned
by renewed hostilities and mindless bombings
predominantly by suicide bombers who have
decidedly chosen the option of death to life.
“We have seen the worst of human follies in
the conduct of these avoidable carnage and
bloodletting by unscrupulous persons under
the guise of religion, doing havoc to our
sense of nationality.”
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