Yobe school massacre: A positive litmus test

By Sheik Ahmad Gumi

This horrific heinous crime can never go unpunished. It is a divine assurance. However, if now anyone will only condemn and condole with the victims yet desist from doing or suggesting ways to get out of this mess while capable of doing so, such a person is an accomplice in this heinous crime.

The federal government should bear the responsibility in many ways. One, too much of its endeavor is mere rhetoric. Secondly, nepotism and mediocrity is evident in the selection of military chiefs and commanders. This is the greatest morale destroyer among fighting officers and men. Thirdly, the whole saga – i.e the insecurity- arms the government in siphoning trillions of naira that is not able to be audited – it will then be difficult to absolve motives.

A ragtag army of semi-illiterates coming full in nine Hilux Toyota vehicles, wearing soldiers’ uniforms carrying out a bloody rampage and massacre for about five hours just a day after the withdrawal of the army from the area says a lot. The Litmus Test is Positive.

It is either the government doesn’t want to fight or it’s the government that is doing the act. Whichever way it’s deplorable. In case of the former, it’s still a criminality for failing to act appropriately and adequately. As for the later, no comment is needed.

The security forces have to start looking inwards. Within them is the concealed ‘Boko Haram’ command structure while the local Boko Haram are just pawns. They should stop castigating innocent people especially scholars and political opponents. With billions of dollars missing from the government coffers and an empty military with virtually no intelligence, reconnaissance helicopters, drones, infiltrated agents etc while in a military state of emergency, the test is positive.

This war is fought secretly and if we continue this secretive way where even the press is left in the dark, the least is that a big room is left for avoidable conspiracy theories from both sides of the divide. There are people that think Boko Haram is a Northern politicians’ plot to destabilize Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s government by killing their kith and keen who are both both Muslims and Christians. Others believe it’s the Biafran ‘revenge’. L

et there be a balanced and proportional representation in the armed forces as low as a Recee group. Select people that are of nil interest in the case to fight it out. Remove North East, South South and South East commanders and soldiers from the scenario- to exclude any interest in the operations. Get the North West, North Central and South West commanders and soldiers to fight it out. With Allah’ grace the whole truth will surface and the evil will be flushed out. May Allah see us all through this trial. Amin.

Sheik Ahmad Gumi is a Kaduna-based Islamic scholar