President Goodluck Jonathan has warned African leaders that the security threats Boko Haram is posing to Nigeria could engulf the whole region and Africa if adequate steps are not taken to checkmate the terrorists.
Speaking in Paris to a room full of African leaders including President Boni Yayi of Benin Republic, President Idriss Deby Itno of Chad, President Paul Biya of Cameroon and President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger Republic, Jonathan said, “Let me state clearly from the outset that what started as a local insurgency in North Eastern Nigeria has now evolved into the new frontier of the global war of terrorism against our civilization, our way of life, and against the many prospects of stability in our region. This is not anymore a challenge to Nigeria alone; it is a threat to each and every one of us in this room.
“The Boko Haram Sect emerged in 2002 while its insurgency phase started as far back as 2009. Officially known as the Jamaa’tu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’wati Wal Jihad, which in English means “people committed to the propagation of the Prophet’s Teachings and Jihad”, the group is more commonly identified with its motivating principle, and referred to as Boko Haram which literally means, Western or non-Islamic education is prohibited.
“The group is hostile to democracy; it uses every means to indoctrinate its members; its ultimate objective is to destabilize the country, and take over Nigeria in order to turn it into a base of operation in West Africa and the entire continent.”
The President reeled out a list of measures his administration has put in place to tackle the insurgency including education programmes, economic stimulus, employment drives as well as humanitarian moves to checkmate the insurgency.
“Last year, I had ordered the release from detention of women and under-aged persons who had been involved with terrorists and also, persons against whomprima facie cases could not be established. Proven incidents of human rights violation which may have involved our security forces are always promptly investigated and dealt with in accordance with our laws.
“In addition to military operation, our administration has adopted what we have termed “a soft approach” to combating the insurgency. This includes short, medium and long-term measures to mitigate the impact on the people and the entire country. Our focus along this line, has been mainly in form of the introduction of a robust educational programme in the Northern states, to reduce the number of out-of-school children and empower the youths.
“We have launched economic recovery programmes to create jobs, while also providing infrastructure, which unfortunately is heavily threatened by the terror attacks. Other measures include the introduction of de-radicalization programmes for convicted terrorists and suspects awaiting trial, and the promotion of opportunities for dialogue and collaboration with critical stakeholders from the region.”
Jonathan said despite these, the frequency of the attacks had refused to diminish.
“Nonetheless, Boko Haram has continued to attack innocent Nigerians without regard to religion, ethnicity and gender. Christians have been killed; churches have been destroyed, Muslims have also been murdered and mosques destroyed.
“The reprehensible abduction of innocent school girls in Chibok, Borno State is another manifestation of this criminality.”
The President called for greater regional cooperation as a tool to stem the tide of violence and evil running amok in the region.
He said, We believe that it is the success of our administration’s Transformation Agenda, evident in the growth of our economy and increasing opportunities for our people, that has prompted the terrorists to intensify the war against Nigeria, because our success is their failure.
“The activities of the terrorists have also been felt across Nigerian borders particularly in Chad, Niger and Cameroon. Border and cross-border attacks have taken place with Boko Haram terrorists seeking refuge in our neighbouring countries. So many Nigerians, fleeing from terror attacks, have also become refugees in our neighbouring countries creating additional burden (security and financial) in those countries.
“It is the regional and global character of the terrorists’ campaign that makes it imperative that we explore and adopt a regional and global approach to addressing this insurgency and menace. Indeed, in the spirit of collective regional security, it is important that we accept that an attack on one country is an attack on all of us, and our common humanity.
“It is equally important that we accept the principle of hot pursuit of terrorists in the context of joint border patrols and cooperation in order to deny them sanctuaries and make it impossible for them to take refuge in each other’s territory. I note with satisfaction that some mechanisms for joint border patrols including customs and immigration administration have commenced.
“But we need to do more to restore security along our common borders, focussing especially on the actualisation of the mandate of the Multinational Task Force on the Lake Chad Basin.