The survival of a nation depends on the good its leadership can bring to bear on the people of the nation. No nation is guaranteed continuous existence if her citizens wallow in abject poverty especially if such a nation is identified as having the potential human and material resources that guarantee greatness. When a nation state through the office of its leadership can no longer perform its basic responsibility of provision of security and development, and has no effective control over its territory and borders, this nation state is termed a failed state. It is a failed nation state because it CAN NO LONGER REPRODUCE THE CONDITIONS FOR ITS OWN EXISTENCE. Do we have any reason not to see Nigeria as a failed state? We shall take a look at Boko Haram a typical example of of failed Nigeria government about security, unemployment and poverty. Boko Haram meaning Western education is sin is a terrorist organization based in northeastern Nigeria, north Cameroon and Niger. Founded by Mohammed Yusuf in 2002, the organization seeks to establish a pure Islamic state ruled by sharia, putting a stop to what it deems Westernization. In 1995, the group was said to be operating under the name Shabaab, Muslim Youth Organization with Mallam Lawal as the leader. When Lawal left to continue his education, Mohammed Yusuf took over leadership of the group. Yusuf’s leadership allegedly opened the group to political influence and popularity. The group was originally established at Ibn Taymiyyah mosque, which was named after Boko Harams spiritual head. Yusuf officially founded the group in 2002 in the city of Maiduguri with the aim of establishing a Sharia government in Borno State under then-Senator Ali Modu Sheriff. He established a religious complex that included a mosque and a school where many poor families from across Nigeria and from neighbouring countries enrolled their children. The center had ulterior political goals and soon it was also working as a recruiting ground for future jihadis to fight the state. The group includes members who come from neighbouring Chad and Niger and speak only Arabic. Human Rights Watch researcher Eric Guttschuss told IRIN News that Yusuf successfully attracted followers from unemployed youth by speaking out against police and political corruption. The group is known for attacking churches, schools, and police stations. The group also kidnaps western tourists and has assassinated members of the Islamic establishment who have criticized the group. Violence linked to the Boko Haram insurgency has resulted in an estimated 10,000 deaths between 2002 and 2013. The group exerts influence in the northeastern Nigerian states of Borno, Adamawa, Kaduna, Bauchi, Yobe and Kano. In this region, a state of emergency has been declared but still valid in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe. As we all know the Boko Haram leadership has international connections to Al-Qa`ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Al-Qa`ida core, Al-Shabab, the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), Mokhtar Belmokhtar’s factions, and other militant groups outside Nigeria. The conflicts have left around 90,000 people displaced. Human Rights Watch states that Boko Haram uses child soldiers, including 12-year-olds. There are also suspicions in certain quarters that Boko Haram is a covert CIA operation to enforce US foreign policy in Nigeria and also to gain entrance to secure the newly found oil in Northern Nigeria(Lake Chad Basin). Boko Haram began its campaign of violence in earnest in 2010. Besides the weekends attack, the group’s worst atrocities include a series of bombings in January 2012 that killed upto 162 people; the bombing of a bar in Maiduguri in June 2011 which killed 25 people. Arguably, the most notable of Boko Haram’s attacks was on the 26th August, 2011 bombing of the UN main office in Abuja - where 26 humanitarian and development agencies are based – which killed at least 18 people. In a bid to address the security fears of Nigerians, the Federal Government has deployed security forces in the areas where the group is known to be operational as well as set up a committee to review security problems in the area, and make recommendations for bringing a timely end to the Boko Haram crisis. Though the recent aduction of more than 200 girls in Chibok gain global attention in which notable power countries in the world has pleadge their support for Nigeria. Here are the summit of Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria: 7 September 2010 Bauchi prison break 31 December 2010 December 2010 Abuja attack 12 March 2011 Assassinated Muslim Cleric Imam Ibrahim Ahmed Abdullahi for criticizing the violent groups in northeast Nigeria 22 April 2011 Boko Haram frees 14 prisoners during a jailbreak in Yola, Adamawa State 29 May 2011 May 2011 northern Nigeria bombings 16 June 2011 The group claims responsibility for the 2011 Abuja police headquarters bombing 26 June 2011 Bombing attack on a beer garden in Maiduguri, leaving 25 dead and 12 injured 10 July 2011 Bombing at the All Christian Fellowship Church in Suleja, Niger State 11 July 2011 The University of Maiduguri temporarily closes down its campus citing security concerns 12 August 2011 Prominent Muslim Cleric Liman Bana is shot dead by Boko Haram 26 August 2011 2011 Abuja bombing 4 November 2011 2011 Damaturu attacks 25 December 2011 December 2011 Nigeria bombings 5–6 January 2012 January 2012 Nigeria attacks 20 January 2012 January 2012 Kano bombings 28 January 2012 Nigerian army says it killed 11 Boko Haram insurgents 8 February 2012 Boko Haram claims responsibility for a suicide bombing at the army headquarters in Kaduna. 16 February 2012 Another prison break staged in central Nigeria; 119 prisoners are released, one warden killed. 8 March 2012 During a British hostage rescue attempt to free Italian engineer Franco Lamolinara and Briton Christopher McManus, abducted in 2011 by a splinter group Boko Haram, both hostages were killed. 31 May 2012 During a Joint Task Force raid on a Boko Haram den, it was reported that 5 sect members and a German hostage were killed. 3 June 2012 15 church-goers were killed and several injured in a church bombing in Bauchi state. Boku Haram claimed responsibility through spokesperson Abu Qaqa. 17 June 2012 Suicide bombers strike three churches in Kaduna State. At least 50 people were killed. 17 June 2012 130 bodies were found in Plateau State. It is presumed they were killed by Boko Haram members. 18 September 2012 Family of four murdered 18 September 2012 Murder of six at an outdoor party 19 September 2012 Nigerian Military arrest Boko Haram members, reported death of Abu Qaqa 3 October 2012 Around 25–46 people were massacred in the town of Mubi in Nigeria during a night-time raid. 18 March 2013 2013 Kano Bus bombing: At least 22 killed and 65 injured, when a suicide car bomb exploded in Kano bus station. 7 May 2013 At least 55 killed and 105 inmates freed in coordinated attacks on army barracks, a prison and police post in Bama town. 6 July 2013 Yobe State school shooting: 42 people, mostly students, were killed in a school attack in northeast Nigeria. 29 September 2013 College of Agriculture in Gujba: 40 male students killed. 14 January 2014 At least 31 people killed, over 50 people injured by suicide bombing in Maiduguri, Borno State. 16 February 2014 Izghe massacre: 106 villagers are killed. 25 February 2014 Federal Government College attack: Fury at military over Yobe deaths. At least 29 teenage boys dead at Federal Government College Buni Yadi. 14 April 2014 2014 Chibok kidnapping: Government properties, including the only girls secondary school, attacked. At least 16 killed or missing, and 234 female students kidnapped. The Boko Haram militants said it would treat them as slaves as part of the war booty. 14 April 2014 April 2014 Abuja bombing: Two bombs explode at a crowded bus station in Abuja, Nigeria, killing at least 90 people and injuring more than 200. 1 May 2014 A car bomb exploded killing at least 19 people and injured at least 60 in the same area of Abuja as the April bomb. 5 May 2014 2014 Gamburu attack: Boko Haram attacked the twin towns of Gamboru and Ngala in Borno State, Nigeria. They started shooting in a busy marketplace, set houses on fire, and gunned down anyone who tried to flee. The death toll of the massacre has been set as high as 336. 13 May 2014 Menari, Tsangayari and Garawa: Boko Haram attacked three villages, killing around 60 people in Menari. Vigilantes fought back, killing over 200 Boko Haram fighters. 17 May 2014 Paris summit: A summit in Paris has declared Boko Haram is part of al-Qaeda as leaders from West African nations resolved to mount a region-wide offensive against the group that is holding more than 200 schoolgirls hostage in a dense jungle. Western nations have pledged to provide technical expertise and training to the new regional African effort against the Islamic extremists. 18 May 2014 Kano: Suicide car bomb kills five people. 20 May 2014 Jos: Twin bomb explosions kill 118 people. 30 May 2014 Assassination of Muslim leader Alhaji Idrissa Timta the Emir of Gwoza in Borno state. Now with the insecant attacks and killing of the innocent citizens by dreaded Boko Haram group, what do you think as an individual, group, communities, religion leaders, politicians, activist and elder stateman can do or sugggest to the government how to cubbed the dread group and measures to take in preventing its future occurrence.
Posted on: Sun, 01 Jun 2014 16:56:18 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015