Tinubu: Don’t negotiate with terrorists- Femi Adeoti Column

 

FEMI ADEOTI COLUMN

Damning and instructive at the same time! This coincidence couldn’t have been ordinary. It’s more than that. It’s one like no other.

Still wondering? Okay, listen. On Monday, July 9, 2023, Bishop Matthew Kukah sounded an alarm. That we’re sharing our sovereignty with terrorists.

That very hour, Islamic State of the West African Province (ISWAP), banned our farmers, fishermen. It claimed they encroached on its “territories” in Borno State. Imagine!

Fiery cleric Kukah blew the whistle at the Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Ekiti State. He came to celebrate with Aare Afe Babalola (SAN). The ABUAD founder marked his years at the Bar that Monday also.

He was profound in his utterance: “Nigeria is sharing its sovereignty, which is guaranteed in the Constitution, with bandits and other terrorists. Nobody is excited anymore about being a Nigerian. The country has been held hostage by people who threaten the very existence of its democracy.”

As if in direct response, ISWAP fired back. It declared its places of operation in Marte Local Government no-go areas.

It accused farmers of spying for the Nigerian military. The danger zones included Katikime, Bulungahe, Kutukungunla, Chikun Gudu, Tumbumma, Guma Kura, Guma Gana and New Marte.

Daily Sun reported: “The announcement was made after the terrorist group suffered strings of heavy losses from relentless airstrikes coordinated by the Nigerian military in some identified hideouts in Marte.”

The casualties were substantially massive. To enormous for the terrorists to bear. They were given doses they used to dish out to us heartlessly:

“The strikes led to the elimination of top commanders of ISWAP (Amir Mallam Bello and Amir Mallam Musa Modu), scores of foot soldiers, destruction of their logistics, VBIED factory and vehicles.”

It was quite huge: “It also denied the terrorists, sanctuary and freedom of action by forcing them to relocate from their camps.”

No terrorists would take kindly to this. This “new” military needs to be spurred on encouragingly. These evil men are really feeling the heat.

It must be intensified and sustained. There should be no looking back. There should be no ceasefire of any kind. No mercy. We won’t relent until the terrorists are no longer of any threat to our sovereignty.

That unwise call for negotiation with the bandits? It should be discarded forthwith. It will dampen the new spirit in the military.

It will rubbish the current onslaught. And make a mess out of our renewed hope. We don’t want anything of such. The Sani Yerimas of our time must not have their way. We stand solidly by our military.

He was in Aso Rock the other day. His thought process was warped. That he could cajole a President of Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ilk. He goofed badly. His mission was an awful disaster. His plan collapsed in his face.

How dare him! He wanted the President to go into the bush and negotiate with the devils. They call them bandits, we call them terrorists. To achieve what in particular? Nothingness, of course!

Our horrible past experiences teach us a bitter lesson. We are persuaded that will add up to emptiness. We won’t venture into deadly ambiguity again.

All the same, let’s hear the Zamfara State ex-governor out: “The major causes of this problem are poverty and ignorance. As Nigerians, if they are called upon or if the government comes up with a rehabilitation programme, we will have a successful end to this crisis.”

Instantly, this provoked ire in the land. We would not let Yerima breathe. We would breathe heavily on him. We could even choke him.

We don’t want to gamble again. No more trial and error. No more pretension. Neither deceit nor denial will be allowed anymore. We have seen enough blood.

This time around, the terrorists must be confronted headlong, frontally. Expectedly, Yerima came under the hammer. Voices from the crisis-ravaged Benue State rang the loudest against him. Don’t blame them. They feel the pinch more than others. And they said so in clear terms.

Chief Iorbee Ihagh is Director General, Mzough U Tiv (MUT). He also chairs three socio-cultural/ethnic groups in Benue. He was furious:

“These people were brought into the country from parts of West Africa to hold elections for some people in 2015. After they won the elections, they did not honour the deal they made with the thugs.

“That is why they launched into banditry and terrorism and ravaged the northern part of the country.” This has been in the public space for  some years now. Governments, immediate past and present, dare not debunk it. They are the beneficiaries.

Ihagh roared to high heavens: “There will be no negotiations. President Tinubu should never accept that. If he does that, no one will support him again. The government cannot go begging criminals. They must come and surrender.” True.

Bishop Pinot Ogbaji, vice chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Benue South District, couldn’t understand Yerima, a fellow party man. He detested him like a pandemic:

“When you negotiate with a deadly group in the North, another group is likely to show up in another part of the country and seek to negotiate.”

National president, Middle Belt Forum (MBF), Dr. Bitrus Pogu, capped it up: “People in the North have taken Boko Haram and banditry as their own game. The way forward is to crush them, to destroy them.”

Agreed. They need to be annihilated. Destroy all traces of them. Blot them out of the face of the earth. They don’t deserve a living. Not on our territory. We can do it but not by negotiation! Never again!

Perhaps, Yerima’s memory failed him so soon. Sheik Ahmad Abubakar Gumi, an Islamic cleric, was once involved. He negotiated with terrorists even deep into their forest.

He went, saw, but could not conquer. The evil men of the world remain as vibrant as ever. They are still calling the shots. Nothing happened. Nothing missing, nothing broken!

A farther recap of old, failed negotiations would shock Yerima. All of them ended in fatal tragedy. None worked. They only strengthened the terrorists the more.

Exemplars: In 2014, another former governor of Yerima’s same Zamfara, Abdulaziz Yari, granted amnesty to the gangs. It worked out in utter futility.

Aminu Masari, former governor, Katsina State, in 2016, granted a similar pardon. He even took photographs with their leaders, heavily armed. It couldn’t have ended well.

Yet another Zamfara governor, Bello Matawalle, came on board. He obliged the killer gangs amnesty. That was in 2019. The deal never survived.

Great pity! All resulted in endless bloodbath. The more we negotiated, the more terrorism and banditry festered. Not only that, it blossomed into a cash cow.

It eventually became a lucrative sub-sector of our struggling economy. Attracting huge budgetary allocations to our collateral detriment.

Why did these past negotiations collapse as quickly as they were sealed? Why didn’t they stand the test of time? Are there viable alternatives unexplored?

These should agitate our honest minds. What are the fault lines of the failed deals? A critical review of our past would give us viable alternatives. That’s my strong conviction.

Chief of Army Staff, Maj-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, blew our minds yesterday. He pointedly told state governors: “Give us free hand to wipe out terrorists.” That’s germane. He sent the message through Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, in Gusau. He sincerely asked to be given absolute free hand to annihilate the terrorists. That is a fundamental departure from our ugly past.

He was emphatic. Negotiation with these killers is not on the card again: “The criminal elements have proven to be incorrigible. Amnesty has created avenue for them to regroup, re-organise and launch attacks.”

We have a template at our beck and call. It is in the amnesty programme for militants in the South-South. How did late president Umaru Yar’Adua do it?

Let’s dig deeper than he did. It can be rejigged, retooled and redirected. The situation, issues and terrain are not the same. Perhaps. But we are in the same geographical contraption called Nigeria.

Our security eggheads should be seen to be honest enough. They will certainly pick some useful lessons. Yes, from the amnesty deal. They should think out of our small box.

Former president Olusegun Obasanjo once toyed with an idea. He called his “carrot and stick.” What happened to that? Was it ever considered or contemplated? The old man is still around. Let’s tap from his knowledge.

We even have the luxury of looking beyond our borders. Study other nations with similar security challenges with ours. What made them overcomers? This’s also a feasible option. And it is practicable, workable.

This is my simple thought process. It may look “ridiculous” and “naïve.” At least, I have a thought. How about you? What do you bring to the table? Let’s share thoughts.

That’s the way to do it.

Tunji Bello: A rare species

(Please, use Tunji Bello’s pic)

He is unassuming, modest. But he is not withdrawn or shy. Neither is he given to pretension. That’s far from it. He is down to earth with uncommon honesty.

Olatunji Bello is it! What a study in courage. He started his sojourn some 62 years ago. Yes, exactly on July 1, 1961. He almost hit the ground running immediately. And there has been no stopping him.

Our paths first crossed sometime in 1997. It was an evening event, Ikorodu Road, Lagos. He was editor, Sunday Concord, while I was editor, Sunday Tribune.

And we got stuck at that first sight. There has been no looking back. Rather, it’s forward ever. We keep on waxing stronger. He happened to me at some critical periods. He did make timely interventions.

I do confess, these were impactful and everlasting. I am forever grateful. He would not want me to make reference to any. Not even a remote or faint one, now or in future.

Bello’s media career started and grew in the Concord Group. He entered as a features writer. He ended editing the Sunday and the Daily titles at different times.

It was an accomplished journalism career for him. He landed as chairman, editorial board, Thisday newspapers. That was after the military junta of the time crippled Concord.

His journalism zeal came handy for him as a politician. And he reaps bountifully from his dedication, diligence and loyalty. His mentor and principal, now President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, couldn’t be wrong.

His testimony in his book, “In Pursuit of the Public Purpose – Essays in Honour of Tunji Bello at 60,” was profound: “Tunji is of strong character, integrity, honesty and intellect.

“I have had the unique pleasure to watch him grow and evolve over the years, always striving to do better and be better, although he was already more than good enough.” The President won’t stop at that.

He confirmed Bello as a perfectionist of repute: “A man of excellence, he never did a partial job or made excuses. He got the work done better than I thought possible.”

Tinubu’s final words. Only for the purpose of this piece: “What motivates Tunji is that he has the soul force of a humanitarian. Despite all he is and has done, he is among the most good-natured and kind-spirited of us all.” Gbam! He sealed it.

Bello knew what he wanted. He knew he would end up in politics. So? He started early enough at the premier University of Ibadan. He was elected vice president of the Students’ Union.

That aptly explains his exploits in politics. He has been commissioner and Secretary to State Government (SSG) in Lagos State. That has been his lot since 1999.

He has a strong home front. And in perfect partnership with Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, Vice Chancellor, Lagos State University (LASU). They jointly hold sway.

Olatunji Bello, the skilful journalist, lawyer and administrator. Continue to soar like an eagle, conquering new territories.

At 62, you have not even started!