Terrorism: It's Time for a New Strategy – International Edition (English)

Following a period of calm, terrorist organizations have resumed their assaults on both military units and civilians. Six soldiers were murdered early on January 6 in an assault in Borno State. According to Military Spokesperson Edward Buba, on January 24, these groups struck again, killing twenty troops and injuring several others through the use of improvised explosives and suicide bombings.

On Tuesday, Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno stated that Boko Haram appears to be gaining strength again. "While speaking at this crucial assembly today, it is disheartening that the increased Boko Haram assaults and abductions occurring frequently across numerous communities, often daily and with little resistance, indicate that Borno State may be slipping," Zulum mentioned during a security conference. This situation is far from reassuring.

Abubakar El-Kanemi, the Shehu of Borno, stated that the Abadam, Marte, and Guzamala Local Government Areas were being controlled by extremist elements affiliated with Boko Haram.

During the height of the rebellion, the militant organization had authority over 27 Local Government Areas across Adamawa, Bono, and Yobe states.

On March 26, rebels attacked and captured a military facility in an outer district of Borno, resulting in the deaths of four soldiers and injuries to multiple personnel, among whom was a brigade commander.

The rebels planted landmines around the base’s perimeter, causing further issues when reinforcements arrived.

Soldiers frequently strike back at their attackers. According to Buba, federal troops had incapacitated more than 70 Islamists prior to the assault on January 24. Nevertheless, the militants continue to advance. Therefore, it is essential to reassess strategies.

Islamic extremism does not constitute a traditional warfare scenario; instead, it operates as an intricate guerrilla-style conflict rooted in a distorted belief system where slaying unbelievers is considered virtuous, yet sacrificing one’s life during such killings is deemed even more desirable. This concept is intertwined with the mythical promise of receiving 72 virgins as spoils of war in the afterlife. Such misconceptions prove difficult for recruits to ignore. In response, governmental bodies and law enforcement organizations should tackle and refute this extremist worldview alongside implementing forceful actions.

According to the UN estimates, between 350,000 and 400,000 individuals, including numerous children, have lost their lives during this roughly 15-year-long conflict. Additionally, nearly eight million people require assistance due to the ongoing war, with around 2.3 million being internally displaced.

On January 12, armed groups killed 40 farmers and kidnapped another 10 in Borno. The region of North-West has been heavily affected by banditry, with numerous farmers avoiding their fields unless they agree to pay significant protection fees.

In 2011, Boko Haram carried out an attack on the United Nations headquarters in Abuja, resulting in at least 21 fatalities and approximately 60 injuries.

On Wednesday, Bello Turji, the 31-year-old gang leader who was declared wanted by the military in February, initially murdered a vigilante chief in a village within Sokoto State before proceeding to massacre an additional 11 individuals.

Reports indicated that intelligence organizations had knowledge of his trip to Sokoto several days prior but were unable to apprehend, eliminate, or prevent him from proceeding with his plans. The police command in Sokoto asserted that the responsibility lay with the military since troops were stationed in the region at the time.

Such gaps fuel worries that certain entrenched groups have no interest in ending the conflict due to financial incentives. Both the Tinubu administration and military leaders need to identify and remove spies and disrupters within the counter-insurgency operations.

The government remains in denial. Each administration asserts that they have either eliminated the terrorists or that the media is exaggerating. However, this is inaccurate. Bayo Onanuga, who serves as spokesperson for Tinubu, states that security conditions have gotten better. Nonetheless, this assertion does not hold water.

When the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) revealed that 51.89 million criminal incidents occurred within Nigerian households from May 2023 to April 2024, with an astounding N2.23 trillion paid as ransoms to kidnappers over a single year, the government took offense. Following the release of this report, the NBS website became inaccessible. Avoiding reality does not address issues effectively.

To effectively address the insurgency, Nigeria requires advanced intelligence collection capabilities, high-quality technological infrastructure—such as drones—and collaboration with neighboring nations.

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