By Bello Adisa
Kaduna (Nigeria) – The recurring and unabated killings in Borno, Yobe, Jos and recently Zaria which has claimed hundreds of lives are clear indications that the dreaded Boko Haram sect are daring President Muhammadu Buhari, that as a retired general he would not make any difference, an elder statesman, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai said.
The Northern Elders Council, Chairman, Alhaji Yakassai, told Africa Prime News that the emergence of Buhari administration is not an indication that activities of Boko Haram has come to an end.
He said what the Boko Haram are telling nigerians now is that despite the fact that President Buhari is an experienced and retired general, he can not make any difference in the fight against them [Boko Haram].
He said, “what is happening now is clear that Boko Haram are trying to tell nigerians that although President Buhari was a retired General, four star general, but Boko Haram is not seeing him differently from other four star generals that have been engaged under the period of Jonathan and other administrations from Obasanjo to Jonathan.
“So what they are saying now is there is no difference, that Buhari is a retired four star general and they will deal with him in the same way as they dealt with former President Olusegun Obasanjo who was also a retired four star general. And generals under late President Umar Musa Ya’ardua and Jonathan were equally four star generals.
“So therefore the election of Buhari as President as far as Boko Haram is concerned will not make much difference. And that is what they are telling nigerians. Because since the election of PMB till date, Boko Haram has carried out its mayhem in so many different places and that they have killed hundreds of people. And it makes no differences between the regime of Buhari and his predecessors. Till today, Chibok girls are not found. Even with the collaboration of our neighbouring states we are yet to get Shekau and clear the forest which is their headquarters. And therefore I think the country should be more prepared for an encounter for a very long time to come.
“Fighting insurgency is different from fighting conventional war. We’ve seen how America spent many years in fighting cops and yet after operations for many years with the deployment of many thousands of armed forces, many fighting aircrafts, helicopters and tanks and yet Americans were yet to defeat those cops. The same is now happening in Syria and Iraq as well as Somalia. Somalia encounter has been going on and on for more than 20 years. Even with the involvement of OAU, military intervention, they are yet to be overcome.
“So nigerians should not expect a quick victory in this matter because of change in government. Agreed that we would succeed in next one week. It will be naïve for us to think that a mere change of the President will make all the difference because the President whether a past military officer or civilian don’t go to the war front. He only provide equipments for the men to fight the war,” Yakassai however said.
