A curious escape.

THESE are
desperate times
for the Jonathan
Administration
and the
government
might do worse
than seeking
desperate
solutions.
Although the
streets might be
free of
protesting
Nigerians, the
smoke from the
bonfires made by
them to register
their opposition
to the careless
increase in the
pump price of
petrol is nowhere
near being
cleared.
Indeed, Abuja
has had to resort
to a heavy-
handed approach
to keep things
from keeling
over. The streets
of Lagos are still
being kept by
soldiers and the
State
government and
the opposition
Action Congress
of Nigeria are
crying
themselves
hoarse
demanding that
the soldiers be
returned to their
barracks.
For the first time
since he became
president,
Goodluck
Jonathan is
baring his fang to
show he could
bite if he has to.
Except that he
might have
chosen the
wrong people to
bite now. It’s all
part of the
desperation that
a desperate
government has
to take to assure
itself it is still in
control.
Perhaps, the
government has
little choice in the
matter given the
security situation
in the country in
which Boko
Haram has no
doubt made
nonsense of our
security agencies.
The murderous
group has been
going about its
business, daring
the government
to stop it if it
could. Its
members are
always more
than a step
ahead of the
security
agencies, striking
with deadly
accuracy and
without
restraint. They
practically
advertise their
agenda and go
ahead to carry
them out as
planned.
In spite of police
claims to be atop
of the security
situation, Boko
Haram continues
to prove that
they could do
exactly as they
please. They kill
at random and
without any
motive beyond
inhuman
bloodlust. They
made the last
Christmas a
harvest of
deaths for many
Nigerians
especially
worshippers at
St. Theresa’s
Catholic Church in
Madalla, Suleija.
It was a
mindless
slaughter on one
of the holiest
days on the
Christian
calendar. They’ve
since harvested
more deaths and
are promising
more. And in
utter
helplessness
President
Jonathan cried
out that the
group has all but
taken over his
government. But
just when it
looked like the
drowsy police
hierarchy was
waking from its
slumber and
getting close to
unravelling the
people behind the
Madalla
massacre, up
came the curious
escape of their
prime suspect,
Kabiru Sokoto,
pouring cold
water over the
entire
investigation.
The escape of
Kabiru Sokoto is
proof of no other
that Boko Haram
enjoys the
sympathies of
people high in the
society. Quite
frankly such
support is not
limited to Boko
Haram but
available to
anyone or group
ready to lend
themselves to
any desperate
measures.
We cannot forget
too soon the
vow by some to
make the
country
ungovernable for
this president
after he won the
last election
despite
attempts by
those who
thought power
ought to have
remained in the
North following
the death of
President Umar
Yar’Adua. They
found a leader
who failed to
assert himself at
the very moment
he ought to have
done so; he
allowed some
cowards to
resuscitate a
finished group
that is now bent
on dragging the
country down
the slippery slope
of an ethnic or
religious war,
whichever could
happen first.
The entire secret
of the apparent
invincibility of
Boko Haram is
now out in the
open. I have said
it now and again
here that the
group has been
lionised
unnecessarily;
attributed
powers it does
not possess. It’s
impossible that a
so-called group of
illiterate zealots
would possess
the increasingly
sophisticated
means that Boko
Haram employs
without the
strong support
of influential
people.
One moment the
group is killing in
different parts
of the North-
East and the
next it has
moved its
operational base
to Kaduna and
then Abuja
where it bombed
the central
establishment of
Nigeria’s security,
nearly taking out
the IG, Hafiz
Ringim himself.
Sending out
messages on the
internet and
detonating
bombs, products
of so-called
Western
education it
loathes, like a
child who has
just found a
priced means of
diversion, Boko
Haram members
go about their
kind of business
under the nose
of our security
agencies.
Surely, the
incompetent
handling of the
investigation
that led to the
escape of Kabiru
Sokoto was
contrived. Even
reports indicating
he might have
been arrested, in
the first
instance, in a
facility of the
Borno State
government are
pointers to the
link of the
suspect and the
group he
represents to
influential
members of
society.
Sokoto’s Houdini-
like escape, with
handcuffs and all,
was a planned
work to cover
the trail of those
sponsoring Boko
Haram.
Demanding
explanation from
Hafiz Ringim and
suspending
Zakari Biu, Police
Commissioner in
charge of
Investigation
whose past
history and role
during the
Abacha regime
ought to have
disqualified him
from such
responsibility if
not the Police
Force, may be
necessary step.
But that is not
far enough. Abuja
has to dig deep
and should follow
this trail further.
It sure leads to
more preys.
The calibre of
people that have
been linked with
Boko Haram,
politicians and
security
personnel, says
something of
how connected
some Nigerian
leaders are to
the group. Even
those that have
been arrested
and pencilled for
investigation
have all been
granted some
form of bail or
another. It’s only
here that
terrorists are
granted bail and
made to visit
their homes
during a search.
My conclusion to
last week’s
column in which I
provided reason
for the Jonathan
administration’s
failure to take on
the so-called
cabal in the oil
sector seems
appropriate to
end this piece
and I quote it
here at some
length:
This government
plays too much
of the ostrich.
What it needs to
do is take on the
cabal that
continues to
make nonsense
of attempts to
make Nigerians
enjoy better life.
Expose the cabal
and let Nigerians
see those behind
their misery.
But we all know
things would
never come to
that level for the
very people
responsible for
the criminal
fleecing of Nigeria
are the same
ones sponsoring
candidates into
our legislative
and executive
arms of
government.
They are the big
financiers of
presidential and
gubernatorial
campaigns and
donate the
largest sums
during political
events.
They dictate
who become our
security chiefs
and heads of our
financial sectors.
How can a
commissioner of
police arrest
some goon in the
pay of the
moneybag who
sponsored his
appointment as
the head of
police? To cross
them is to incur
the wrath of the
devil himself.
And it is in this
sense that we
must understand
the cry by
Jonathan which
amounts to
abdication really
that his
government is
under the control
of Boko Haram.
Since he can’t
fight his
tormentors, the
president has
chosen to turn
his fear on
Nigerians. But as
I once warned
here, nobody
wins a war
against their own
people.