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| Nigeria Territory including Continental Shelves |
Nigeria State since its inception as a trading product has
never being problem-free. Not necessarily one-week one-trouble! Nevertheless in
terms of internal security, uncertainty is the watch-word. However in the age
of ‘war-against-terrorism’ whatever it means, the country is faced with one the
most gruesome episodes in her history. In view of this development the article
attempts to explore ongoing Boko Haram debacle and reconstruct solution
narrative considering both geopolitical designs and complexity of internal
forces.
Battle of Contexts
Security in Nigeria is most maximised in the private space
which is ubiquitously expressed in the prison-like fences crowned with
electrified barbed wire. In the front is usually massive steel gate, gate house
with an Hausa or professional security operative. Differentiation reflects
value of location and income of occupant even in many villages. The spatial
dimension seem slightly modified with minor difference. Those on low incomes
combine survival budget with security initiative if possible.
In contrast the public space offers interesting investment in
security. State/Federal buildings offer arrangements ranging from total
exposure to fortified Dodan Barrack-style presentation around governors’
offices and the Presidential Palace. Heavyweight Traditional Rulers share in
the more secure spaces. Banks and other business places have a variety of
arrangements which can be appreciated within the context of their raison
d’etre. Roads, ports, stadia, border points, and armed forces installation
share something in common.
They are not in themselves secure as suggested rather in that
they are to all intents and purpose militarised and regimented by
preponderance/dominance by members of various armed forces even in under civilian
administrations. These state assets are now arrogated to the armed forces in
defiance of constitutional definitions and the commons have adjusted to this
form of asset colonisation by armed forces institutions. It is now a norm.
After gaining independence from United Kingdom without clear
understanding of geopolitical designs on it, Nigerian leadership lurched
towards a domestic policy confusion and foreign policy ‘moderate’ status
setting the course for a drifting ship of state. The binary existential struggle
of leadership between the civilian and the military has marked the country. When
it comes to national security both leaderships failed miserably over time due
to the myopic perception that refuses to elevate clear national interest. The
military leadership always usurp power claiming corruption while the civilian
are (s) elected to power claiming to tackle corruption while perpetuating it.
Between these groups citizens see through the rhetoric clearly and more so
confirm that the military cannot appropriate sanity from corruption creation and
corruption contamination.
Domestic Instability
Various domestic conflicts in Nigeria have come and gone and
are ongoing with massive fatalities without serious government response including
successful legal redress. Some of the conflicts are repeat performances and
irrespective of the underlying causes; economic, social, resources and
religion, the main feature is the government inability to invest truly in the fundamental
national project and in transparent resolution. Even the military have played
direct/indirect roles in creating conflicts in peace time turning into
instrument of peace disruption in many communities across the land.
No serious country can advance with careless attitude towards
internal discontent & national security. The preponderance of the
leadership and elite to dismiss onset of social instability, internal conflicts
or threats against national security is suffocating. Issues that could have
been avoided are initially manipulated for regressive economic interest and
contraction of national interest. The ongoing Boko Haram conflict started in
the usual pattern as local violence. The elite deposited confidence on the
myopic & hollow religious template of Muslim-Christian despite its obvious flaws.
The problematic on the religious argument suggest a positive
justification, but why should there be justification for violence and murder?
Such justification is a mask for failure of leadership of the political and
religious levels. Extending the condemnation is the obvious complexity in
victim identification. If those who latently support murder and violence by
non-state actors stop briefly, then who are the victims beyond their religious
identity? Are Christians non-indigenes and non-citizens of their states? Does their
ethnic nationality override their local government/state citizenship? Does
Christian indigenes/citizens forfeit their national rights in the face of
unprovoked violence?
If a citizen of Borno State of Ijaw nationality and of
Christian persuasion has his/her home in the state for more than a generation,
doesn’t he/she and his/her family deserve to be protected by the same state?
Does he/she run off to Bayelsa/Rivers State, his/her genetic origin for
assistance and will the state legitimately respond to his/her emergency? These
questions expose a weakness that it is potent in Nigeria, that is the question
of citizenship/residency remains a black box.
Beyond the above questions and fast-forward to the present,
Boko Haram has increased in stature from a ragtag hit-and-run group to a
formidable fighting force able to hold down territory in Nigeria. Muslims are not
excluded from her victims! Boko Haram has presented real evidence indicating
that Nigeria State can no longer justify its constitutional mandate of being
the sole authority over its territory, islands, airspace and continental
shelves. This is a very strong indictment and every citizen must be concerned.
Geopolitics of Instability
Tackling national security problems requires legal
instruments and statutory authorities including deployment of national
intelligence agencies and their actions need not be presented publicly. It may
also require collaboration with other countries including exchange of resources
and purchase of necessary equipments. On the basis of tackling issues of
national security, the key to maintaining Nigeria’s territory integrity
vis-a-vis Boko Haram, national independence and sovereignty are paramount. In the
order of priority, democracy and human right are dependencies of the national
independence and sovereignty.
Nevertheless it is obvious that Boko Haram is a geopolitical
instrument targeted towards the weakening of the country. With a malaise in
geopolitical projection for the last 2 decades, Nigeria is poised to be caught
on the rearguard by reactionaries including members of her own elite. With influx
of weapons, satellite telephones and covert military operatives, Nigeria is now
caught in the middle of an existential crisis while citizens are bombarded with
misinformation and negative information warfare. The leadership remains
confused, uncertain and folded while innocent citizens are murdered, properties/infrastructures
destroyed and territories occupied and held by Boko Haram.
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| Boko Haram Catchment Area of Operation |
This situation presents a tarnished image of Nigeria, the
so-called ‘giant of Africa’ who is unfortunately placed in a position of agency
of instability and threat to her neighbour’s national security. The absence of
decisive leadership, geopolitical leadership inertia, corroding national
security delivery mechanism and a disorganised operational strategy has reduced
Abuja to international ridicule.
Without going into many details of national security strategies,
Nigeria needs to revise her current strategies of dealing with Boko Haram. This
problem must be de-politicised and de-militarised from a strategic decision
making viewpoint towards a credible and positive result-oriented operation. It
is doubtful that Boko Haram will be defeated on the battlefield considering
apparent evidence of its connections to some powerful geopolitical forces. Direct/indirect
engaging of these regressive geopolitical relationships by Abuja has the
potential for generating positive breakthrough. This will among other things
provide a subscript for final burial of colonial narrative and the resurrection
of a progressive post-colonial narrative of Nigeria that is independent,
sovereign, proud and tall.
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