- Something is wrong somewhere, truth can’t be hidden forever – Arewa
Killed farmers did not get military clearance to farm, says Presidency
Explanations provocative, height of government irresponsibility – CSOs
Olalekan Adetayo, Eniola Akinkuotu, John Alechenu, Sunday Aborisade, Adelani Adepegba, Godwin Isenyo and John Charles
The Federal Government on Monday gave three different reasons why Boko Haram insurgents succeeded in attacking Kwashebe village in Borno State on Saturday and killing no fewer than 110 rice farmers.
The Coordinator of Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenche, in an interview with Channels Television, blamed some residents of the North-East for sabotaging the war against insurgents.
Also Monday, the Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in an interview with the BBC said the rice farmers did not get military clearance before going to their farms, where they were killed by the insurgents.
In Makurdi, the Benue State capital, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said Boko Haram remained undefeated because Nigeria was denied access to adequate weapons to fight terrorists.
Recall that the Federal Government and top military officials had repeatedly said the insurgents and other criminal groups had been defeated.
In an interview with the BBC in 2016, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), said Boko Haram had been technically defeated.
In May last year, the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, said that the Boko Haram terrorist group had been defeated, adding that the military was fighting an international criminal gang known as Islamic State of West Africa Province.
Organisations such as the pan-northern socio-political group, the Arewa Consultative Forum, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, faulted government’s explanations and advised it to tackle insurgency.
Despite government’s claim of victory over the insurgents, the terrorists rounded up rice farmers on their farms at Kwashebe, Borno State on Saturday.Although the government said 43 people were killed, the United Nations on Sunday stated 110 farmers lost their lives.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Mohammed, in an interview with journalists after paying a courtesy visit to the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, said that Nigerians would remain at the mercy of terrorists.
The minister described the killing of the rice farmers as ‘unfortunate’ but noted that to decimate the terrorist group, the country needed more support from global partners as well as acquiring adequate weapons to fight them.
The minister said, “When we talk about terrorism, people don’t seem to appreciate that terrorism is not a local issue, it is a global issue and there is no part of the world that doesn’t experience its own pocket of terrorism.”
Nigeria denied weapons to fight insurgents – Lai Mohammed
“But you must also note that we are dealing with terrorists who are financed globally and we also need more support from global partners, for instance, Nigeria has made attempts to acquire better and more effective a platform to deal with the terrorists but for one reason or the other we have been denied this platform, these weapons and without adequate weapons or platform, we remain at the mercy of terrorists.”
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Shehu, in his interview with the BBC on Monday, explained what led to the attack.
Shehu stated, “The government is sad that this tragic incident has happened. 43 or thereabout of innocent farm workers, most of them had their throats slit by a heartless band of terrorists. People need to know what it is like in the Lake Chad Basin area.
“Much of those areas have been liberated from Boko Haram terrorists but there are a number of spaces that have not been cleared for the return of villagers who have been displaced. So, ideally, all of these places ought to pass the test of military clearances before farmers or settlers resume activities on those fields.”
When asked if he was not blaming the farmers for going to the area, Shehu responded, “Not exactly but the truth has to be said. Was there any clearance by the military which is in total control of those areas? Did anybody ask to resume activity? I have been told by the military leaders that they had not been so advised and certainly therefore it was a window that the terrorists exploited.”
My explanation not a sign of lack of sympathy for victims – Shehu
But later on Monday, Shehu said his earlier explanation on the killing of the rice farmers did not mean that he lacked sympathy for the victims.
He said he was only explaining the military procedures on safe movement and not that he was supporting the massacre.
Shehu gave the explanation in a message he posted on his Facebook page and Twitter handle, @GarShehu, while reacting to criticisms that trailed his earlier comment in an interview with the BBC.
The presidential aide explained that Borno State still remained essentially a military zone, hence much of where people go or what they do are governed by the exigencies of security.
He wrote, “Routinely, traders, administration officials and even the UN agencies get the green light to go to many of the areas to avoid trouble.
“Information from security agencies says that the Zabarmari marshlands are infested with land mines and movements in around those areas subject to military oversight.
“No one is delighted with the massacre in Zabarmari and there is nothing anybody will gain by playing blame game.
“The question I tried to answer on BBC was: did the security sign off on the area as being free of mines and terrorists? The honest answer is, no.
I’m human with tons of compassion and empathy, and could not have said that the victims deserved their fate for ignoring security clearance.
“I was merely explaining the mode of military operations in the war zone of the Northeast. There are areas that are still volatile that require security clearance which is intended to put people out of harm’s way.
“When tragedies occur, questions arise in terms of how something happened in order to avoid a recurrence. Informing the military of our movements in an area of volatility and uncertainty is intended to preserve public safety.
“Explaining why something happened doesn’t mean I have no sympathy for the victims. I was just explaining the military procedures on the safe movement of the people and not supporting the death of the victims.”
North-East residents sabotaging military operations – DHQ
The Defence headquarters on its part said some residents of the North-East sabotaged security operatives’ efforts to combat insurgency in the North-East.
The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Enenche, said the people kept important intelligence away from the military.
Speaking on the Sunrise Daily programme on Channels Television at 7:30 am on Monday, Enenche explained that the military was working to build better trust with the populace.
But responding to questions on the failure of the military to prevent the attack, Enenche stated, “It’s a concern to us. You need a guide, you need information. Will they tell us? That’s a question that we have to ask. Yes, sometimes. And most times, no.
“And that was one of the issues we have been ensuring to overcome, with civil-military cooperation activities, reaching out to them, even sending people by proxy to talk to them. Those are the things that have been the bane of the final success in the whole of this operation