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THERE are strong indications that the militant Boko Haram sect may have gone underground in the face of onslaught by the Nigerian Armed forces, while there are increasing concerns about the emergence of vigilante groups reportedly hunting down sect members, but whose source of funding is not known.This is coming as the international dimension to the Nigerian war on terror was confirmed by the Commander of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), General David Rodriguez, who said US forces were paying close attention to Boko Haram militants in Northern Nigeria as the group expands its ties with terrorist organisations on the continent.
Insurgency threats still exist
Sunday Tribune investigation showed that while the military claimed successes in the operations, some other insiders were warning that the rebels had simply disappeared, meaning that the threat of resurgence still existed. According to those hinting at this prospect, the jihadists were trained to hit and run and not necessarily to hold a territory, especially when facing conventional military forces.
It was learnt that few hours to the deployment of the troops, many jihadists had left the Borno /Yobe axis with many reports confirming that traffic towards the North-Western cities of Bauchi, Kano and Kaduna were high.
An eyewitness even posted how some of these militants changed their appearances and successfully crawled over to the more peaceful North-Western and lower part of the troubled North-East. Checks showed that the natural blending into other parts of the core North by these sect members was aided by what some insiders described as local sympathy, due to a build-up of anger over alleged negative conduct of some members of the security forces.
Investigations showed that while the disappearance was being perfected, the foreign elements among the sect offered only weak resistance before they escaped through the border, after burning leftovers at their camps.
Sunday Tribune was told that just as the Malian Islamists retreated into Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and others at the advance of the French Army, the foreign jihadists in Nigeria also reportedly made their way out of Nigeria through porous and hardly-policed international boundaries with Chad and Niger republics.
Unconfirmed reports indicated that some sect members entered refugee camps being maintained by the International Committee of Red Cross in Niger and Chad from where they flocked to other jihadist bases in Southern Libya and other areas in the weakly-policed Sahel region.
This reality was cited as responsible for the Nigerian military‘s inability to report any further combat, after the initial bombardment of the forest reserve where the jihadists had their major base.
Concerns over vigilance group
Meanwhile, there are growing concerns within a section of the security forces about the emerging vigilance groups alleged to be hunting down the Islamists in support of the war on terror.
While the vigilantes are said to be doing a good job of tracking the fleeing jihadists, there are fears that the new groups may pose even more serious security challenge to the nation in future as is the case currently in Libya.
Security sources hinted that the emergence of the groups may not be unconnected with the 2015 elections as unconfirmed reports said the groups are sponsored by the state government as a way of helping the military.
Our source noted that while the military may have tacitly supported the vigilante groups as a civilian component of the war on terror, “this may be a move to rebuild a new group ahead of the 2015 governorship election in Borno State.
“We are concerned with the new groups. This is how Boko Haram started here. We also have what we called ECOMOG here. We are worried as this appears to be a regrouping for 2015. If this is about hunting down Boko Haram, why is it just starting now after the Islamists have either fled or have melted into the population?
“If the state government is sponsoring this effort, why now? And how do we disarm them after the emergence? If it is the military, how do we integrate them or disband them after the war?”
It will be recalled that the insurgency has been regularly blamed on politicians training and arming groups for electoral purposes.
US confirms surveillance of sect
After months of denial, the United States military has confirmed that it is closely monitoring the war on terror in Nigeria and particularly activities of the Boko Haram sect.
AFRICOM, based in Stuttgart, Germany, is the newest of the US military’s combatant commands. Its mission is to defend US national security interests by strengthening the defense capabilities of African states.
Rodriguez said one of the command’s top concerns was the spread of militant groups on the continent.
“We are very concerned about that because those connections expand opportunities, expand capabilities and things like that to those networks as they grow and develop. And Boko Haram is a very, very violent network. It is one that has had a very, very negative impact on the Northern part of Nigeria as well as Niger and Chad; and it crosses borders. It is going to take a coordinated effort by all those nations as well as some good decisions and good thought process for the Nigerian government to help solve that problem,” said General Rodriguez.
Rodriguez added that the US military’s role on the continent was to provide training and other assistance to the militaries of partner nations that requested the help. He said US forces were keeping a close eye on Boko Haram.
Despite the clarifications by the general, reports within the American media had pointed to a covert Drone war in Nigeria for resource grab, insinuations that drew sharp rebuke from the American African military command.
Nigerian Army Chief Visits American Command
Meanwhile, Nigeria‘s Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Azubuike Ihejirika paid a strategic visit to the United States Africa Army ahead of ongoing operations in Northern Nigeria. It is not clear whether the visit had anything to do with Nigeria‘s preparation against Islamist insurgents in Northern Nigeria.
Tribune
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