Three Boko Haram Groups: Which Is Responsible For Catholic Church Bombing - Akin' Okunowo, Monday, September 24, 2012

According to President Goodluck Jonathan at the 52nd Independence Anniversary Lecture, "...when we talk about the Boko Haram, we have political Boko Haram, religious Boko Haram and criminal Boko Haram. So also in the media, you have the professional media and the political media...."
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Considering the implication of ongoing back door dialogue by the Federal Government with the Boko Haram, it is important for clarification on which of the Boko Haram government have been meeting. Before the sect rejected the claim of the government that they were having meetings in Nigeria and abroad, the impression initially created was that the government is meeting the sect as a single body. The confusing aspect of this development now is that government might have been dealing with the wrong set of people all along.

However, the president is yet to mention which of the three class of the sect government have been meeting. But it is easy to conclude that government meetings and dialogue are not targeted at the terrorists. And whenever it appeared that the government is making progress, the real sect or the 'Criminal Boko Haram' comes up to debunk government claims. Likewise, the government too won't not make meaningful response against such claims, rather it sends state forces and other law enforcers after them while dialogue upon dialogue still continue.

Since the government have not been meeting with the real terrorists as the public was made to understand before now, then this crisis is becoming more complicated by the government itself; otherwise, there is need to check and review the role of government from the time Mohammed Yusuf was murdered up till date. It is worrisome with the level of the complication today that government will find it very difficult to fight terrorism in our Nigeria. The high level of corruption and confusion involved makes it obvious that the government cannot deal with the crisis accordingly than cover up its key political and religious government players in the sect.

From the outset, the government approach was poor in handling the matter, and it appear there are conspiracy to create mystery around the some people's involved in the sect. Now classifying Boko Haram membership into three different kind at this stage that so much time and resources have been wasted on the dialogue with no good result to show for is not encouraging. Now, the three-in-one sect consists of the following classes: the rich politicians (sponsors) as "Political Boko Haram," the non-political leaders as "Religious Boko Haram" and the poor as "Criminal Boko Haram." Meanwhile, both the rich and the leaders are known by the government. Those the government had emphasized not to know from the first day this sect started its terrorist assaults are the poor class.



It is advisable that government need not to protect the leaders and sponsors of the sect. There should be no secret amnesty for any one of them because this will have grave consequences on the security of the nation, and as well as, promote more corruption in Jonathan's government. Government is expected to be dealing with the those who are responsible for the various terrorist attacks committed by the sect. The Nigerian public are not requesting for detailed video and report of meetings and discussion, but desire meaningful approach and good result. They are not in support of the government organising secret meetings to protect the identities of sponsors and leaders of Boko Haram.

The implications are more because the good image of the entire northern politicians and leaders is stylishly put at stake by those covering up the terrorists. Of course, all the northern politicians and leaders cannot be terrorists, but it might be assumed that they are the ones playing on the President's intelligence or influencing the success of government being on top of the problem.

It is disheartening that this crisis that started from the refusal of the sect to follow a motor-bike helmet law in July 2009 was mismanaged by government to a level that many lives and properties are lost and harmed without solution. To be frank, the kind of knowledge and experience needed in handling this matter is very different. What is the background, experience and knowledge of those handling this matter? Why are the not confident at carrying out their duty in such encouraging manner with less errors and failure? Please, note that the insurgency is not based on religion issues alone, it is an aftermath of the extra-judicial killing of the sect against injustice, corruption, poor education and poverty indictment they made against their political class and government in the northern region.

From the beginning, there are religious and political back up for the sect. This confusion started long ago when Mohammed Yusuf was killed and the name of the sect was nicknamed Boko Haram. The original name of the sect is "Jama'atul Alhul Sunnah Lidda'wati wal Jihad" or "People committed to the propagation of the Prophet's teachings and jihad". There is need to know the reasons for this change; otherwise, many issues will still be covered along with the murder of Mohammed Yusuf. The word "Boko Haram" have not occur to many people that it was the re-branding master plan to create artificial confusion around the sect membership, operations and ideologies, allow the insecurity to linger much longer to distract the mass populace and later rig elections in future.

Therefore, any cover up by the government to protect the politicians and leaders involved before, during and after the sect is labelled Boko Haram will be counter productive for this nation, the government itself and the international community. The ongoing government "back door" dialogue with the Boko Haram is supposed address those bombing and killing to stop. Meeting any other people apart from the terrorists should not be the focus of government secret dialogue with the sect. And since the process is already ongoing, it is good to ask who are the Boko Haram the government have been meeting and having dialogue with?