The traditional ruler of Bama, Kyari Ibrahim Ibn Elkanemi who is currently not a happy man due to the repeated attacks witnessed in Bama, Borno state in a recent interview with Premium Times held at his burnt palace blames the Federal Government of Nigeria for the spate of terrorism in Borno State.
Excerpts
On how he survived the Boko Haram attack in February
Well that is by the grace of Allah and also part of my personal security arrangement. I don’t think I should discuss that for obvious reasons.
On the response of the security agencies
Well, I will say the security agencies have tried their best. But if one is to rate their performance in this attack, I will say it was poor, not because they have failed as soldiers but because they were ill-equipped to confront the Boko Haram gunmen. The soldiers were merely carrying AK-47, while the Boko Haram were armed with RPGs, Grenades, anti-Aircraft rifles and even Improvised Explosive Devices.
On his call to the Federal government
My prayers are that all Nigerian leaders rise up and show responsibility. As it is presently, it seems everyone one is losing confidence in the leaders, and looking up to Almighty Allah who is the ultimate leader to take control. But these are times of telling each other the home truth, which is that the Nigerian leadership has failed. Every leader who is struggling to maintain his or her status quo at the neglect of the overall interest of the general populace should realise that one day the people will be forced to challenge.
For now the morale of the people is down on the trust they have for the president, the governors, the local government chairmen, and even us, the traditional rulers, because a system that was designed to protect them failed them. I repeat, the confidence our people are having on the President down to the local council officers is nil!
This is a call to the President, to the governors and the local government chairmen; we should fear nobody but Allah. The media should help to say the truth, which is bitter. The journalists should see this issue beyond saving his job or life, because the trouble in Nigeria today is beyond individual interest. We should desist from the politics of selfishness and money-grabbing at the expense of our collective security. With the trend of happenings in this country today, nobody is safe.
The government has failed; it is not protecting anything, and I have no reservation in saying this. It is constitutional responsibility of government to protect lives, but here lives are not protected at all. And the irony of the whole thing is that what is happening and being condoned by the government of Nigeria, can bring down the entire country within six months if it were in the other part of the country, because of the way and manner the people will react. And I know if it were to happen in the other part of Nigeria the government will react better than the way it is doing now. We now know it is because of our culture of patience, that we are being taken for granted.
The Federal government is not really serious about tackling the Boko Haram insurgency. I realise this given some of the interactions I had with the soldiers who told me honestly that they have limitation in combating the insurgents; they said they are ill-equipped.
On what needs to be done urgently
The federal government and all relevant security chiefs should link with us at the grassroots for the real situation reports and analysis and desist from relying on the so-called concocted and arm-chair security reports that don’t reflect the true situation up here. They should reach out to us on ground, because we always have the real time security alert. But very unfortunately, it is as if the authorities have connived with the insurgents, all networks are not functioning during the attack and up to this present moment, as if we are not in Nigeria. We want to appeal to the government to immediately restore all networks in all crannies of Nigeria so that the people that are willing to reach out with relevant information can do so without difficulties.
It is an undisputable fact that these insurgents have established known camps around the forests within Borno state but the security agencies are always afraid to go there. And more unfortunately, our youth Civilian-JTF who are willing to lead in going there are even being discouraged by the soldiers. I have other suggestions that I need to oblige the federal government which I cannot make public, but if the government is very serious and open the door of advise I will be ready to talk to them one on one. But above all, I wish to state it clearly here without any fear of being challenged that I support the stand of the Governor of Borno state on what he said in Abuja last week Monday concerning the state of insecurity in Borno state and Nigeria as a whole.
To me, the governor is even being too diplomatic in his declaration, because he merely said half of what is happening.
So some persons down there in Abuja should not annoy us by defending his so-called political interest. It is amazing that somebody who has probably not visited Kano before, should sit in Abuja and be saying things he has no knowledge. If he wants to comment on Borno or the insecurity facing the North-East, he should come up here and appreciate what the people are facing before making rash comments.
Excerpts
On how he survived the Boko Haram attack in February
Well that is by the grace of Allah and also part of my personal security arrangement. I don’t think I should discuss that for obvious reasons.
On the response of the security agencies
Well, I will say the security agencies have tried their best. But if one is to rate their performance in this attack, I will say it was poor, not because they have failed as soldiers but because they were ill-equipped to confront the Boko Haram gunmen. The soldiers were merely carrying AK-47, while the Boko Haram were armed with RPGs, Grenades, anti-Aircraft rifles and even Improvised Explosive Devices.
On his call to the Federal government
My prayers are that all Nigerian leaders rise up and show responsibility. As it is presently, it seems everyone one is losing confidence in the leaders, and looking up to Almighty Allah who is the ultimate leader to take control. But these are times of telling each other the home truth, which is that the Nigerian leadership has failed. Every leader who is struggling to maintain his or her status quo at the neglect of the overall interest of the general populace should realise that one day the people will be forced to challenge.
For now the morale of the people is down on the trust they have for the president, the governors, the local government chairmen, and even us, the traditional rulers, because a system that was designed to protect them failed them. I repeat, the confidence our people are having on the President down to the local council officers is nil!
This is a call to the President, to the governors and the local government chairmen; we should fear nobody but Allah. The media should help to say the truth, which is bitter. The journalists should see this issue beyond saving his job or life, because the trouble in Nigeria today is beyond individual interest. We should desist from the politics of selfishness and money-grabbing at the expense of our collective security. With the trend of happenings in this country today, nobody is safe.
The government has failed; it is not protecting anything, and I have no reservation in saying this. It is constitutional responsibility of government to protect lives, but here lives are not protected at all. And the irony of the whole thing is that what is happening and being condoned by the government of Nigeria, can bring down the entire country within six months if it were in the other part of the country, because of the way and manner the people will react. And I know if it were to happen in the other part of Nigeria the government will react better than the way it is doing now. We now know it is because of our culture of patience, that we are being taken for granted.
The Federal government is not really serious about tackling the Boko Haram insurgency. I realise this given some of the interactions I had with the soldiers who told me honestly that they have limitation in combating the insurgents; they said they are ill-equipped.
On what needs to be done urgently
The federal government and all relevant security chiefs should link with us at the grassroots for the real situation reports and analysis and desist from relying on the so-called concocted and arm-chair security reports that don’t reflect the true situation up here. They should reach out to us on ground, because we always have the real time security alert. But very unfortunately, it is as if the authorities have connived with the insurgents, all networks are not functioning during the attack and up to this present moment, as if we are not in Nigeria. We want to appeal to the government to immediately restore all networks in all crannies of Nigeria so that the people that are willing to reach out with relevant information can do so without difficulties.
It is an undisputable fact that these insurgents have established known camps around the forests within Borno state but the security agencies are always afraid to go there. And more unfortunately, our youth Civilian-JTF who are willing to lead in going there are even being discouraged by the soldiers. I have other suggestions that I need to oblige the federal government which I cannot make public, but if the government is very serious and open the door of advise I will be ready to talk to them one on one. But above all, I wish to state it clearly here without any fear of being challenged that I support the stand of the Governor of Borno state on what he said in Abuja last week Monday concerning the state of insecurity in Borno state and Nigeria as a whole.
To me, the governor is even being too diplomatic in his declaration, because he merely said half of what is happening.
So some persons down there in Abuja should not annoy us by defending his so-called political interest. It is amazing that somebody who has probably not visited Kano before, should sit in Abuja and be saying things he has no knowledge. If he wants to comment on Borno or the insecurity facing the North-East, he should come up here and appreciate what the people are facing before making rash comments.
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