With degrading of terrorism in the Middle East, America won't allow Boko Haram and others in Nigeria

With degrading of terrorism in the Middle East, America won’t allow Boko Haram and others in Nigeria

Femi OGUNLANA

Terror acts have in all ages been contradictory, and negate the unquenchable desire for peace in the world. Terrorism interrupts, disrupts, disturbs and punctures all that is norm. It inflicts deaths and maiming, unleashes wastes and losses. It is an anathema. Thus, whichever power assumes dominance will not want it to thrive and so, strong arm is often resorted to, to eliminate it. It is anti-civilization, it is barbaric.

In modern times, terrorism took roots in the Middle East perpetrated by various groups and individuals who were mostly guided, shaped and propelled by their religious beliefs and desire to elevate it above others’. Desire for dominance and supremacy is its heartbeat. Their list is long but in recent years names like Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis and so on assumed prominence. The terror attack, launched by Hamas of Gaza, on October 7, 2023, against Israel, in which close to 2, 000 Israelis and other foreign nationals were butchered in cold blood and about 251 others kidnapped, sparked the recent rounds of wars in the region. Hamas believed to be backed by Iran had been decimated by Israel, unyieldingly supported by the US. During the conflicts, Yemeni Houthi, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iran and other allies dubbed “Axis of Evil,” tasted bitter pills of devastating Israeli invasions. The pulsating drones, missiles, jets attacks led to fall of regimes, extermination of top leaders, of nuclear scientists, of military commanders and so on. It was a purging of suspected evil doers. Today, sequel to the latest ceasefire deal brokered by the US, terrorism in the region has subsided, it has quietened. There is silence.

To now hear of terrorism thriving with impunity in Nigeria could only rile America. Nigeria appears to be the only country with active terrorism currently and it is only normal Donald Trump turns his attention to her. A world free of terror acts is the ideal. Nigeria cannot be a bastion of terrorism. Nigeria’s form of terrorism is even considered pampered terrorism. Bandits, Boko Haram insurgents, ISWAP jihadists, killer herdsmen ravage the land without serious challenge to their reign. The terrorists dictate terms, boast, walk the streets with unmeasured audacity, drive through without fear, collect protection fees, levy taxes, kidnap for ransom, cart people’s properties away, while governments at different levels are content looking the other way because they lack the guts to confront their sponsors. Such naturally irks Trump, moreover when death tolls continue to mount.

Thus, his sudden turn on Nigeria first designating her a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) and subsequently declaring possible military intervention can be understood in the above context. It can’t allow terrorism anywhere in the world not after major victories against it. And if it says it is coming to Nigeria on that basis no one can stop it. Could China, Russia, North Korea, Indonesia and so on stop America when it went after Osama bin Laden, Souleymane and so on? As Adewuyi Adegbite in a Facebook comment noted, if terrorism is allowed to fester in Nigeria and it escalates into religious war, the refuge crisis is better imagined, in view of the huge population of Nigeria, and so, America would rather nip it in the bud in the spirit of “ti ara ile eni ba n je kokoro ti a ko soro, hoho re o ni je ki a sun ni oru’ (If someone’s relative is eating insects and we refuse to caution him, when he comes with disturbance arising from it in the middle of the night, our sleep will likewise be disturbed).

Terrorism must be exterminated or at least degraded everywhere in the world.

Welcome, Trump!