By Bala Ibrahim.
Since 2002, when the Jama’atu Ahlis-Sunna Lidda’Awati Wal-Jihad, which in Arabic means, “People Committed to the Prophet’s Teachings for Propagation and Jihad”, was founded in Maiduguri, by late Mohammed Yusuf, and nicknamed Boko Haram, whose goal is supporting Islamic education and establishing an Islamic state in Nigeria, the country was pushed into a quagmire. By the year 2009, the group carried out a number of attacks on police stations and other government buildings in Maiduguri, resulting in security raids on their headquarters that led to the death of Mohammed Yusuf. With his death, Abubakar Mohammed Shekau took over control and continued with a violent web of insurgency, using terrorist tactics with bombs and bullets between north-eastern Nigeria and Cameroon. In short, they forced peace to vacate the north eastern part of Nigeria.
For more than two decades, Nigeria was at war with transgression in a multifaceted manner. Just when the country thinks it is making progress against the menace, came another threat, this time around, from America, the country that stands as the beacon of freedom, and one that symbolizes liberty, hope or source of inspiration against oppression. Through its President, President Donald Trump, America threatened to send boots to Nigeria, using the phrase, gun-a-blazing, in furtherance of their plan to completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists killing Christians in the country.
Because of its antecedents, particularly on matters of military interventions to arrest internal revolt, uprising or insurgency, whenever America offers a military helping hand, anxiety and apprehension rush to the mind of the recipient country, concurrently. And precisely that is why the Nigerian situation is migrating from a state of quagmire to a condition of quandary.
Yes, with America offering to go to Nigeria with boots, gun a blazing, the country is bedevilled between the bombs and bullets of Boko haram and the American boots that can turn to bully. Between the harassment of Boko haram and the bully that may accompany the American military boots, the scenario could be similar to the phrase, “between the devil and the deep blue sea”. Its a difficult situation that presents two equally unpleasant choices, where, with each choice, men are going to die. Nigeria is now in between a rock and a hard place.
From the statements of Pete Hegseth, the American Secretary of Defence, the department of war has virtually finished the preparation for action, an action he said, that would be fast, vicious and sweet. He said they know the location of the terrorists. They know their strength, and as the strongest power on earth, they know how to annihilate them with speed. In other words, the American boots would be used to boot out the Boko haram terrorists, swiftly. This sounds good, very good for all Nigerians, who have been compulsorily held hostage by terrorism. The bullets of Boko haram is the rock here, while the American boots is the hard place.
But if given the chance to choose, I would suggest that Nigeria goes the way of hard place, with a plea. Yes hard place. Let the country convince, or plead with America to assist it with the boots, for use by its own military men and women, who have better knowledge of the Nigerian terrain. And if given the means, which America has, Nigeria can muzzle the military might to make a minced meat of the terrorists. Since America is aware of their locations, as announced by Pete Hegseth, why not share the intelligence with Nigeria? Why not give Nigeria the military technology to smoke them out for the kill?
Certainly it would be cheaper for the Americans and would go a long way in shaming the critics, who are busy peddling that, the plan is a ruse, designed to disguise the main or hidden reason behind the action. Undoubtedly there must be a reason, because nothing goes for nothing. But the reason may not necessarily be atrocious.
There are arguments that America is in the habit of putting pressure on some African countries to do it’s bidding, and where they refuse to do so, such countries are visited by actions for regime change, under the smokescreen of salvation. It may start like a rescue operation but before long, using intimidation, the weak country is subdued to surrender. That is the meaning of bullying, which is easily practiced with boots. Diplomats, or those familiar with international politics, may argue that such interpretations are dependent on perspective, or the people’s perception of the word bullying.
Indeed supporters of the American foreign policy and the plans of President Trump to bring boots to Nigeria may insist that the action is aimed at promoting democracy, but critics may see it in the reverse. If what happened to countries like Iraq, Libya, Syria and Sudan are to be used as gauges, the public unease in Nigeria can be justified, because, since the 1970s, when relationship soured between Nigeria and America, over South Africa, bilateral relationship between the two countries has not gone this bad.
It was the legendary Jamaican reggae singer and guitarist, Bob Marley that said, “Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die”. Nigeria wants the Boko haram terrorists to be booted out, but Nigeria does not want to be bullied by the boots.
