THE Christmas Day simultaneous bombings which took place in Niger, Plateau, Borno and Yobe States must be roundly condemned. In the first incident, no fewer than 40 people, including whole families in their vehicles, lost their lives and numerous others injured, while attending the Sunday morning mass held at St. Theresa's Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State. Similar attacks in Jos and Damaturu also led to loss of lives, injuries and wanton destruction of property.Boko Haram, the Islamic terrorist group, has claimed responsibility for these horrific crimes against humanity. These acts are the latest in a series of deadly bombings, killings and arson that have plagued Northern Nigeria, sending shockwaves around the country and the world.We join voices with the rest of the world in total condemnation of these acts of violence. The group's sustained campaign of violence and bloodshed has the terrible significance of heightening the tenor of incivility and set off panic around the country. The Christmas Day attacks on churches can quite dangerously raise the spectre of bloody sectarian conflicts. These attacks made on innocent people attending church service have the potential to promote religious polarisation and conflicts, the magnitude of which Nigerians do not wish to experience. Besides, this is the categorisation of Nigeria as an unstable and violent entity by the international community, with grave implications for foreign investments in the country and the economy generally. In addition to this, is the continued heating up of the polity, by this terrible menace.The far-reaching implications of this bombing campaign by the Boko Haram, should convince all that the struggle to stem this perilous tide should not be left to the government alone. The collective existence of Nigerians and Nigeria is so much at stake, that all must brace up to join hands with the government and security agencies to tackle this murderous group. Governors, traditional rulers, clerics, community leaders and civil society groups, among others, must speak out powerfully and consistently against these heinous crimes against the Nigerian State and its people. Clerics and community leaders are closest to the grassroots. They must act now.These acts of violence are nothing short of a war against the people. Elements within the communities who are determined to decimate the populace through acts of terror must be weakened, isolated and rooted out before they irreparably damage society. Since these attacks are so in the northern parts of the country, northern elite can no longer afford to stay silent and lethargic but must envision the potentially ghastly consequences for Nigeria, if the situation is allowed to persist. In specific terms, intelligence gathering and sharing are vital to tackling the sect. It is necessary to proactively engage and gain the trust of local communities where the sect operates from. Sustained community intelligence flow is essential to infiltrating and forestalling the sect's dark agenda of destabilisation. Up-to-date, counter-terrorism training and manpower capacity building have become crucial for security agencies to invest in. Whittling down and neutralising the sect's activities must now be government's top priority. We urge the three tiers of government, Nigerians themselves, and even the international community, to fight this debilitating menace. This is not one of the instances when anyone in Nigeria should stand aloof and play the ostrich. All are involved and all must fight this nagging evil.
Click here to read full news..
