Doubts, scepticism trails Nigeria’s government claim of Boko Haram ceasefire

By Blogger

Opinions from Nigerians, especially those in Maiduguri the capital of Borno state, the epicentre of the Boko Haram insurgency indicated that they would rather take the claims of the federal government that Boko Haram terrorists had yesterday agreed to a ceasefire deal with a pinch of salt.

Though most of those who spoke with our reporter had described a ceasefire deal from the Boko Haram as “a very welcomed development, many still doubted the veracity of such claims giving the manner in which the announcement was made. 

Abba Shehu, a local security operative and resident of Maiduguri said “it is part of every ones wish that this madness called Boko Haram insurgency comes to an end; but we have learnt a lot of lessons in the past to believe that this is true.” 

“As far as I am concerned, and many other people of Borno state are concerned as well, the whole thing looked like a gimmick”, Abba added. How could Boko Haram be announcing ceasefire just like that when we know that the soldiers are still fighting them, and they too are still in control of Bama and Gwoza where they are still killing people there? If my opinion is to be taken seriously I will advise that we don't even need their ceasefire. Why should we settle for that kind of nonsense after they had killed and maimed thousands of lives? The Nigeria military should better do its job and forget about this gimmick of ceasefire that is nothing but a sham”. 

To Ahmad Salkida, a journalists and one of the few reliable sources that has a working link with top leaders of the Boko Haram, the declaration made by the Chief of Defence Staff was another huge gimmick orchestrated by the federal government to hoodwink Nigerians and the world at large. 

Salkida reacted to the ceasefire claim via his twitter handle thus; “I guess Nigerians r tired & at such, any news that offers respite on this protracted war between Nigeria and Boko Haram is always welcomed; Sadly anybody that demised such good news becomes Nigeria's enemy. But the leadership of Boko Haram are said to be miffed that a nation of the profile and magnitude of Nigeria, with high level of intelligent people is being  easily encased in deceit and nobody seems to be asking tough questions. 

“What is most worrying here is, government at the highest level & d intelligence formations in Nigeria has embraced this 'good news, this shows lack of understanding of d reality that this is an ideology that can only be neutralised after long hard work that is yet to start. It also appears that govt is more interested in shadows and bubbles, than in substance and clear headed engagement with the Boko Haram ideology. May God help Nigeria”.

Barrister Zannah, the founder of Future Prowess Islamic School for children orphaned by the Boko Haram insurgency who is also another authority when it comes to the Boko Haram analysis, insisted that though the declaration was what every Borno persons had been longing for, but the package was too fantastic to be true. 

“If that is true, then everybody in Borno needs to celebrate  because that is what we all yearn to get. But I don't want to lay content to this declaration that a ceasefire has been reached; because there has to be a framework of engagement between the two parties involved. For once I could recall that Shekau came out to say that his group would want to swap their colleagues in the prisons with the Chibok girls; that much I heard him say. But I don't know if such synergy has been reached on the side of the government.

However, now that we all woke up to hear the news that a ceasefire has been agreed upon, we are all happy; but some of us with discerning minds still believed that it takes two to tangle. We don't know how they may have come around the ceasefire because to the best of our knowledge, for once they did not even sat for any form of dialogue that we know about. 

The legal luminary and humanitarian worker added that for federal government and the military to be taken seriously by Nigerians, they have to provide copious evidence of interface with the Boko Haram representatives; and not a unilateral declaration. 

“This is not the first time that we are hearing declarations of ceasefire or its proposal by the Boko Haram”, said Zannah. “There was a time when some members of the Boko Haram, though unknown, came out to say if we must ceasefire, the federal government had to arrest so and so personality and even rebuild their destroyed central mosque in Maiduguri. The pattern with which such declarations were made were very unique and consistent. But from the tone of the declaration made by the federal government as well as the manner with which the so-called secretary of the group had spoken in the radio, one tend to have some doubts. 

“There is doubt because there had never been a time in the life of the Boko Haram leaders where we hear them lamenting loss of members or admitting the magnitude of pains they have suffered. If Shekau is to speak, his message is all about the doctrines of his group and what they stand for. He would emphasise that dying in the course of what they are doing is a thing of pride to them. But the problem is that we don't even learn from history; if we are to follow the trend of these kind of announcement, right from the time of Abukaka (the erstwhile spokesman of Boko Haram) period, there wasn't a time where any persons speaking on behalf of the Boko Haram, be it Shekau or any other Amir would come and talk without reciting some verses of the holy quran first. But here we have one coming out to say he is the Secretary of the group and they have decided to ceasefire. It is really difficult to believe; but we all hope for a true ceasefire, anyway”. 

A top security official in Borno state, who spoke with this Reporter on phone, but pleaded anonymity as the matter was not under his purview to make officials comments, said he was not in the know of any of such kind of ceasefire deal. 

“We all pray and hope for a ceasefire deal with the Boko Haram”, he said. “But honestly I cannot comment further on this matter because as far a we are concerned in Borno state which is the centre of the whole insurgency, we are not aware of such kind of ceasefire, and we don't have the name of that character, who claimed to be a scribe of the group in our list of top Boko Haram leaders”. 

To Mr Ahmed Shehu of the Coordinator of Peace Ambassadors in Borno state the declared cease-fire remains a welcome development if it is a sincere declaration. 

"It's a wellcome development if it's a genuine one,conventionally we are always advocating for use of dialogue to bring an end to this lingering security challenges as in the history of world crisis no war was won comfortably through warfare. Dialogue is the key. But my concern is on the nature of the present crisis and it's timing; it would be very difficult for people and humanity to forgive BH and allow them to integrate to the society just like that, considering the atrocities they have committed and the timing for the cease-fire is suspicious. Why now; why would they wait for the 4 African countries to step up the fight before they announce a cease-fire; why would they wait until their capacity and strength be weakened before they announce a cease-fire? For me there is more to it than meet the eye. It's a suspicious, and I don't want to sound as pessimist it is ill timed and it's not feasible".

Mrs Asabe Kwambura, Principal of the Government Secondary School, Chibok, from where the 219 abducted girls were taken on the 14th of April, said she is receiving the news about the ceasefire and the proposed release of the Chibok girls by Boko Haram with mixed-feelings.

“If what we hear is true, I will be the the most grateful person to God today and always; I will the the happiest person in the world to see these girls of mine return home in one piece; nothing will supersede my joy. But all this will not be possible if the federal government does not follow this declaration with action, honesty and sincerity. Government must see to the fact that the parents of these girls are suffering, some are dying many have died of high blood pressure and post trauma stress disorder. I was in Chibok with the parents yesterday, and their plight is beyond words. We need to have these girls back; this is another opportunity for us to do so; but many of us are still forced to doubt government because we thought since our last meeting with the president in Abuja, we thought by now these girls may have since been rescued and reunited with their parents”

Meanwhile, the Borno state governor, Kashim Shettima had said that he will not be in hast to make any comment on the purported ceasefire, but may do so at a later time when it consider it appropriate. 

The Governor spoke through his spokesman, Isa Umar Gusau who reached out to the media via an emailed message. 

“Governor Kashim Shettima whose State, Borno has been at the centre of Boko Haram attacks since 2009, said he has no comment for now over the reports, noting that he would speak at an appropriate time”, said Gusau.

Gusau said "hundreds of journalists, local and International have been making inquiries following widely circulated reports about a cease fire over Boko Haram attacks. 

“Governor Kashim Shettima has no comment for now regarding the issue. He would make comments at an appropriate time. Governor Shettima has always believed in a tripartite approach that involves dialogue for peaceful resolution, military and economic strategies in addressing the Boko Haram problems and he has been a strong advocate of these measures through his practical efforts and sustained public appeals at various fora, which was why he firmly supported the efforts initiated by the President, Goodluck Jonathan through the setting up of the Tanimu Turaki led committee on dialogue and peaceful resolution of security challenges, in 2013, which worked actively and remained in force. 

“Governor Shettima is permanently committed to all genuine efforts that would bring the insurgency to an end especially given the fact that Borno State and its people have remained the worse hit by the unfortunate killings and destructions since 2009”. 

Meanwhile Maiduguri the Borno state capital where the headquarters of the 7 Division Nigeria Army that is executing the war against the Boko Haram insurgency is domicile, has been quite despite the declaration by  Nigeria’s chief of defence staff that every military base in the volatile northeast Nigeria should comply with the ceasefire agreement. 

Our  reporter observed how soldiers at various check points still went on with their normal duties, just as the news about the ceasefire did not ignite any form of electric amongst the residents of the city.