The week ahead – Expect more killings in the North-Central as the FG looks away

This week, members of Boko Haram arrived the village of Koleri in Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State on horseback, and massacred 24 people. This is coming on the heels of the military onslaught against the terrorist group. Earlier, the Nigerian army had announced the liberation of some villages in the same area. Troops discovered two bomb making factories, and arrested few of the terrorists.

An earlier success was recorded Sunday when the DSS announced the arrest of ‘high profile’ Boko Haram members in Enugu, Kano, Lagos and Potiskum. The security agency said the men were responsible for the suicide bombing attacks in Kano, Jos, Borno, Zaria and Yobe. However, the Enugu State Police Command denied the claim that any terrorist was arrested in the state and posited that the state harbours no such group of people.

North Central continues its slow burn, with problems in Delta
In the North Central, murders continue with the killing of five persons in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau state. They were ambushed on their way to the market by assailants suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, shot and decapitated, with a baby surviving the massacre with gunshot wounds.

In Amorji village, Ndokwa LGA in Delta State, three villagers were killed, and the community alleged that the murderers were Fulani herdsmen. The victims were on their way for peace talks with the Fulani over the issues concerning cattle grazing on their farmlands when they were ambushed.

Security of waterways and pipelines in view
The Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Ibas, met with ship owners and warned them not to be accomplices in the stealing and transportation of crude oil.

At about the same time, the NNPC boss, Emmanuel Kachikwu, gave hints that he would make use of the military and also deploy drone technology to monitor crude oil lifting at the loading bays.

However, this week, pipeline vandals shot and killed four policemen in Ikorodu, Lagos. Three of the murdered policemen belong to Owutu Divisional Police while one was a member of SARS. There are allegations that the vandals were upset with the excessive requests for bribes and decided to attack the police men.

On the economy
The economy continues to face uncertainty as  President Buhari’s lack of cabinet ministers and policy direction make it difficult for investors to commit to new investments.

Earlier this week, Nigeria’s manufacturing sector officially went into recession following two quarters of negative growth.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• The continuation of random raids on villages in the North East by Boko Haram shows a failure of the Nigerian military to keep up with the terrorists’ evolution. As the military displaces the terror group from territories, they have failed to attack the fleeing terrorists and protect isolated villages. We urge the military to imbibe the relevant ISR strategies to counter Boko Haram effectively, otherwise they will continue to wreak havoc.
• It remains a blight on Nigeria that the FG has not deemed it fit to assist in quelling the seemingly low level disturbances in the North Central. More killings are occurring daily, showing no signs of abating, and gradually assuming genocidal proportions.
• It appears that the DSS carried out a false flag operation based on the arrests of suspected Boko Haram terrorists which the Enugu State Police Command said was a lie. We urge the DSS to be very cautious with intelligence operations and develop capacity in conjunction with local police to avert such occurrences in future.
• The Chief of Naval Staff should stop the tough talk and seek ways to rid his service of collaborators in the crude oil theft business. Members of Navy are allegedly part of various syndicates and such allegations should be investigated thoroughly.
• It is commendable for the NNPC plan on tackling the crude oil theft at loading bays using the military and drone technology. We will monitor the progress and hope to see traction.
• The petroleum pipeline vandals event in Ikorodu, hints at the complicity of the police in the pipeline vandalism. We recommend that the Police be taken off this role and the NSCDC be properly equipped with the right tools to combat this menace in line with the NNPC plan. The Nigerian Police has failed in protecting the pipelines.
• We urge the Inspector General of Police and the DG SSS to evolve a practicable approach in destroying the kidnapping syndicates across the country who has made it a multi billion naira industry and also call.
• Finally, we repeat what has become a weekly call for the appointment of an economic team to give a direction for the country’s flagging economy.