Following the exposure of ex-Borno state governor, Ali Modu Sheriff and ex-Chief of Staff, Azubuike Ihejirika as sponsors of Boko Haram by international hostage negotiator, Dr. Stephen Davis and the public outcry for the Nigerian authorities to quiz the duo, I was amazed and dumbfounded to listen to DSS spokesperson Ms. Marilyn Ogar on national television Saturday 6 September, 2014 exonerate Gen. Ihejirika (rtd) and going as far as telling us that it is absurd to link him with the scourge of Boko Haram just because in her words, “he was a former army chief who mobilized troops to combat the terrorists”.
Yet, she said Ali Modu Sheriff would be invited for questioning with regards to his links to Boko Haram based on this allegation. What came to my mind, is that this statement by Ms Ogar cannot be true but since I listened to her myself, I was taken aback.
Increasingly Marilyn Ogar has become tainted particularly after her show of shame with regards to DSS’s unconstitutional and partisan role in violating peoples fundamental rights in the conduct of the Osun state gubernatorial elections.
The questions that puzzled my mind and which should stun any right thinking person are:
Why this embarrassing double standard? Where is the intelligence sense of the DSS? How can the DSS spokesperson exonerate an alledged suspect based on the position he held in the past and not based on investigation? Whose script is the DSS acting with regards to the fight against terrorism? How can you question one and leave out another based on the same premise?
If this is how the DSS as represented by Ms Ogar, conducts its operations, then the war against insurgency cannot be fought talk less won. Based on present reality, every lead must be investigated thoroughly by the authorities if we are indeed serious and concerned about fighting terrorism. We are all living witnesses to how it has become public knowledge and awaiting official confirmation that there are moles within the government hierarchy providing support to insurgents which was even stated by President Goodluck Jonathan.
We are also aware that when foreign support was obliged the Nigerian government to aid the recovery of the abducted Chibok school girls, some of the foreign intelligence publicly asserted that they cannot share information with Nigerian authorities because of lack of trust. We are also aware of news of disaffection within the military circles and which is evident in their campaign because of leakages of information to the insurgents that have compromised the security of their operation and lives of our troops.
With this latest show of shame by Ms. Marilyn Ogar, with regards to her statement of clean bill of health to Azubuike Ihejirika while inviting Ali Modu Sheriff for questioning with regards to sponsoring Boko Haram, it has become evident that the war against insurgency has been given ethnic colouration by the authorities and this is wicked, uncivilized, criminal, unprofessional, threat to national peace and security, unconstitutional and must be condemned.
Thus, there is urgent need for Nigerians and all lovers of peace and freedom to speak up now and demand that the international community come in to do a thorough investigation of the Boko Haram insurgency because the Nigerian authorities have shown that they cannot be trusted to execute this war sincerely and professionally which is responsible for the upsurge in the boko haram activities which is inimical to human existence.
by Nelson Ekujumi
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