The last one month has been particularly heart-rending for the terrorists that have killed close to 20, 000 people and rendered almost 2million homeless in north-east Nigeria and parts of the country’s neighbours.
Since the gallant troops from Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and, mercifully, Chad joined forces, the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) has been bombarding the terrorists’ hideouts and killing hundreds of them. Remote villages and even the notorious Sambisa Forest have been cleared of the insurgents.
From Mafa to Baga and Gwoza, from Chibok to Hawul, and from Kaga to Maiduguri, relief is returning to traumatised residents. All peace-loving people of the world have been clapping for these soldiers for peace.
Had the momentum been maintained like this, the insurgency would have since ended. A large majority of Nigerians have been clapping for the troops as they liberate one town after another.
By Election Day, likely, there would be relative peace even in the troubled north-east.
However, by March 28, when the first round of elections will take place in Nigeria, at least one of two things should happen: freedom for the Chibok girls and killing/capturing of terrorist Abubakar Shekau. If neither happened, the credibility of two presidents would be at stake: Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria who announced, for the umpteenth time, that the 200 girls seized from Chibok on April 14, 2014, were alive and well and would be rescued “soon”, and Idris Debby of Chad who said he knew where Shekau was hiding and ordered him to surrender or get killed.
Nigeria’s security chiefs promised to end the menace of insurgency [called “Boko Haram” by many] in north-east Nigeria before the general election would hold.
They have been striving to keep the promise.
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