BOKO HARAM IN NIGER STATE?

It is not an understatement to say that Niger State has been battling rapacious bandits who have sacked many of its communities and displaced thousands of people. The activities of bandits have forced many peasant farmers to flee their ancestral lands. However, the statement credited to Governor Sani Bello on the infiltration of Boko Haram in the state, two hours drive to Abuja, the capital of the country, is frightening to say the least. Although, before Governor Sani’s outburst, many security experts have expressed fear that Boko Haram must have tied a knot with bandits in the north west states and some parts of Niger State to carry out their dastardly activities. The recent abduction of Kankara school boys, reminiscent of Chibok and Dapchi’s, heightened apprehension that the group has finally carved its fiefdom in North West.

It was baffling that our security and intelligence agencies looked the other way when sensitive information on the infiltration of Boko Haram kept emerging. Now, Governor Sani Bello has revealed that the deadly group has conquered some communities and hoisted their flags. Niger State will now have to contend with two variants of insecurity viz: banditry and Boko Haram with likely spilling effect on other communities that are bordering the state. The emergency of Boko Haram in Niger State came at a time when Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State raised similar alarm on the presence of Boko Haram in his state. Unless pragmatic and coordinated military actions are pursued, the group will in no distant time start carry out their attacks on the remaining helpless communities, including the nation’s capital.

Ibrahim Mustapha, Pambegua, Kaduna State