As part of efforts to step up the fight against terrorism in Nigeria, the United States government has offered a $7 million (N1.1 billion) reward to persons with information on the whereabouts of the Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau.
The bounty is part of the $23 million earmarked by the US State Department's Rewards for Justice Programme to help track down leaders of militant groups such as Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) who are spreading terror in West Africa. The US gesture has been commended by the Federal Government, which also acknowledged the growing links between AQIM and Nigeria's Boko Haram.
The US action followed Shekau's recent calls on Islamists in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq to join the fight to create an Islamic state in Nigeria.
The US Acting Assistant Director of Diplomatic Security Threat Investigations and Analysis Directorate, Kurt Rice, explained that the wanted Boko Haram leader, Shekau, could be tried for terrorism in the United States or in courts of partner nations if caught.
America had earlier designated Shekau as a terrorist. The Boko Haram sect in Nigeria has been under pressure of military offensive following the recent declaration of a state of emergency in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa States, which constitute the hotbed of the group's activities.
To further increase the tempo of the onslaught against terrorism in the country, the government has also proscribed Boko Haram and another terror group, Ansaru, and authorized the gazetting of an order declaring the groups' activities as illegal, and acts of terrorism.
Under the new Act, members, supporters, collaborators of the terrorist sects will now be prosecuted. The proscription order, which has been gazetted as the Terrorism (Prevention) (Prosecution Order) Notice 2013, was approved by President Goodluck Jonathan pursuant to Section 2 of the Terrorism Prevention Act 2011 (as amended). The US government deserves commendation for this support to Nigeria in the war against terrorism.
The US bounty and the Federal Government's clampdown on terrorist groups in the country are indications that the war on terrorism in Nigeria is, indeed, on course. The $7million bounty will go a long way in sensitizing Nigerians to the importance of apprehending Shekau and ending the insurgency in northern Nigeria.
Though the government's proscription of the two terrorist groups in the country is long overdue, it is, nevertheless, welcome. It has clearly defined the status of the two groups. This should guide security agencies in their approach to the critical task of apprehending the insurgents.
Hopefully, it will also help expedite the resolution of the problem. Now that President Jonathan has become decisive on the problem of insecurity, all well meaning Nigerians should support the government in the fight against terrorism.
Already, the National Assembly has backed all actions taken in recent weeks to curb terrorism, including the state of emergency in three states and the proscription order on the two terrorist groups.
Other prominent Nigerians, including Northern leaders should rally round the government in the fight against terrorism in the country. Apart from ruining the economy of affected states in the North, terrorism is an affront to the nation's sovereignty and a threat to the corporate existence of Nigeria.
Therefore, the government should not condone any form of insurgency or extremism by both citizens and foreigners. Military operations should be intensified in the states under emergency rule to ensure a quick resolution of this problem, so that peace can be restored to the affected places and the rehabilitation of affected citizens can begin. The emergency rule option adopted by the president in these states should be made to work.
However, there is the need for security operatives involved in this campaign to observe their rules of engagement and ensure that the innocent do not suffer. The war on terrorism has started in earnest.
There should be no room for ambivalence on the part of the government. Let the government demonstrate that it is truly in charge of security in Nigeria. All those behind terrorism in the country and their sponsors should be brought to book.
While the military offensive is ongoing, government should not lose sight of the need to address the circumstances, grievances and problems such as social inequality, mounting youth unemployment and indoctrination by fanatical clerics that are fuelling this insurgency.
Via: Sun News Online