By Tunji Light Ariyomo

Let’s be honest about something; the response of our military to the unfortunate incidence of kidnapping of 344 school boys in the town of Kankara in Katsina State in December 2020 is diametrically different from the response of our military to the kidnapping of 276 girls on the night of 14–15 April 2014 in the town of Chibok in Borno State.

How? Time. Response time.

From available records, Nigeria wasted useful time in 2014 debating whether the kidnapping was real or fake thereby giving the insurgents ample opportunity to transfer the girls or share them into smaller groups. The US authority has also stated that we compromised intelligence that the US military shared with us on the subject. Patience Jonathan had to rally womenfolk in an emotionally charged meeting with her now famous “there is God o” outcry before the men woke up.

In December 2020, our Army from information I have now gathered immediately ring fenced the Zamfara forest where the boys were first sighted. All the perimeters were said to have been blocked and cordoned off in a massive military action. Our Airforce took to the sky and maintained continuous aerial surveillance that ensured that the army knew all that the insurgents were up to throughout the ordeal.

President Mohammodu Buhari’s response in the matter of the 2020 kidnapping incidence is therefore commendable.

Lesson learnt
What we have done right in 2020 is not a difficult thing. It is in fact a simple tactics that our forefathers have employed on the farm whilst hunting rodents. First you act immediately upon sighting a rodent because time matters. Then you encircle it as our Army did. Next you post lookouts who will shout to tell you the rodent’s every movement like the Nigerian Airforce did. Finally, the team moves in determining and on purpose for the kill.

Boko Haram and widening insecurity can be defeated in Nigeria if we do very simple things – with purposeful determination.

Ariyomo wrote from Akure, Nigeria.