Secret Graveyard: Echoes of Defeated Terrorists

By Ajogwu Jerry Ochada

As a student of diplomacy, one of the first lessons I learnt under the tutelage of my teachers is to decipher the aims of terrorism; the activites of terrorists. The major targets of these inimical elements all over the world is to instill fear in the minds of the populace. Another notable propaganda often utilized by terrorists is to hit a target where it could record high number of casualties (to make news headlines) by so doing the media would accord the orchestrated attack a wildfire styled reportage. It is pitiably unfortunate that on this part of the globe, terrorism is thriving in contemporary assessments as a result of the "5th columnists" who are ever ready to publish fallacious documents in solidarity with terrorist bound but are always at large whenever our armed forces record greater feat against the insurgents. As a result of these deficit, there is a breeding section of divergent public opinion promoted by misguided nationals and international observers who are flexibly gullible to be blindfolded with fake reports and statistics championed on the wider margin by social media terrorists but above all, fact is forever sacred. 

Terrorism in Nigeria did not come into play with the advent of Boko Haram in 2009 but the activities of the now dissipating elements gained momentum with the erroneous switch of many self acclaimed journalists who are always on standby to report any hit attack by the insurgents while the vibrant onslaught of our gallant troops continue to be ignored perhaps in disbelief. It is gravely unpatriotic when citizens cannot support and applaud the successes of the Federal Troops but are are showcasing the traits of insensitivity of the highest order by trending videos, pictures and stories of terrorist attacks which are randomly verified to be false.

I can vividly recall that in 2017, I was on the entourage of the Global Amnesty Watch (GAW) to the North East to dig up fact and study the ongoing war at that time at the Theatre Command, Operation Lafiya Dole. Alongside my team, we transverse the various detention facilities in the Northeast and discovered that contrary to allegations by Amnesty International (AI) that many arrested insurgents are dying in captivity, they were living in comfort with many of the repented terrorists learning different skills in the camp. At first, I was perplexed at such gesture and strived in silence amidst confusion to unravel the leniency of the Nigerian Army (NA) in this regard. Why is the Federal Government spending such amount of monies on terrorists that have killed scores of innocent citizens? I queried myself and commenced a short phase of introspection: The incumbent Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai is a disciplined officer par excellence who is reputably revered for his firm conscience and prominent engagement anchored on a new style of effective civil military relations ably juxtaposed by the Nigerian army under his watch. No doubts, many Boko Haram insurgents were captured alive and were rehabilitated to become better citizens instead of reciprocating same misdeeds; they were accorded a second chance. A climax of this rare gesture was the recent relocation of repented terrorists and formerly displaced persons to their ancestral homes during the 2018 farming season to continue with their normal activities.

Few days ago, I came across a mischievous publication in the media space alleging that many troops who died in the front line were buried in a secret cementry without the knowledge of their families and loved ones somewhere in the Northeast. The story was unethically demeaning but the rude shocker that pinched my wild imagination without a stitch is the ignominious aberration that a supposed news platform can publish such story even when a mad man walking stark naked on the streets can attest it is another fake report projected by fleeing terrorists to sell their poorly schemed ware in the market square of deception. 

Positing from the experience garnered from my short venture working as a Defence Correspondent for TheNigerian News, I understand the obvious reality that the Nigerian Armed forces (the Nigerian Army) have a well established modus operandi in performing funeral rites for personnel who paid the supreme price. During such ceremonies, journalists and defence correspondents are always invited to cover the event. It is noteworthy, that General Buratai, the incumbent Army Chief is always present to pay final respect to any soldier who transited in the course of active service; any time he is not free to attend such funeral due to exigencies of duty, he is ably represented by high powered delegation from the Army headquarters because he does not toil with the welfare of his officers and men.

For the records: Many slain soldiers are professionally interred at the Military Cemetery located along the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport road, Abuja or the Military Cemetery located at Maimalari Cantonment, headquarters of 7 Division Nigerian Army in Maiduguri, Borno State. Each time this funeral rites are conducted, the bereaved families are always in attendance and televized on national TVs. There is no secret cemetery utilized by the Nigerian Army or the Nigerian Military anywhere in Nigeria or across the shore of the country. Every citizen who is passionate about security enhancements / development in Nigeria should be able to read the recent ugly handwritings scripted by the fleeing terrorists to weaken the morale of our gallant troops; distract our soldiers and to win sympathy. It is no longer news that Boko Haram has been defeated and the recent dimension sponsored by the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) is another lame attempt to resurrect the dead which is eternally impossible. Borrowing the lines of the indefatigable COAS, "the recent strivings of the insurgents can be graded as the last kick of a dying horse". This is the truth. 

Nigerians and international observers should ignore the latest echoes of the fleeing terrorists who are now striving on daily basis to win sympathy by utilizing cheap propaganda. We must be armed with the undiluted fact: An army that does not kill the insurgents but prefer to capture and rehabilitate them will not toil with the lives of the federal troops by burying the dead in secret cemeteries. At the end of any encounter with the insurgents (either by repelling an attack or a raid by our gallant troops) the Nigerian Army have a well established, conventional style of making public the outcome of such operation where casualties recorded is cited without distortion. There is no secrecy in making known the obvious fact. The recent twist by the terrorists accusing the Nigerian Military of operating secret cemeteries should not be taken serious because Nigerians are wiser!

Ajogwu,  a current affairs commentator contributed this piece from Abuja, Nigeria