That threat from Boko Haram BY PRISCILLA CHRISTOPHER

Book Haram has no doubt become a dreaded name in the North and Nigeria at large in the past few years. For those in the North, the heartlessness and brutality meted on them by their fellow brothers is despicable and those outside this region have not failed to marvel at the total absence of conscience exhibited by the masked men as they go about shedding blood with glee.

While people outside the Northern territory have always watched with pity from their screens, the scenes of smokes ascending into the air, carcasses and corpses lying in wastes and properties razed down after a bomb blast, and others read daily of reported killings, maiming, kidnap and abductions; no one (outside northern borders) has ever envisioned Boko Haram’s presence around his/her area of domicile. 

Alas, the plague of Boko Haram is gradually shifting and their tentacles are expanding beyond their home zone. 

When sometimes ago, an alarm was raised on a group of Northerners observed to have been loitering around the Akpan Andem market in disguise of yam sellers was made public, the fear of being attacked, kidnapped or even cremated in bomb blasts filled people’s minds and fortunately, the State Security Service handled the case with no less levity as it demanded.

However, a fortnight ago, members of the public raised alarm over a short message received via their mobile phones which read thus:
“Jama Atu Ahlis sunna hidda Awati Wal-Jihad. We will attack your church; we will attack your school,

We will attack your market, unless you accept Islam. We will slit your throat. We are with you in Akwa Ibom State. From Ibrahim Bashir, Commander Boko Haram.
It then became evident that the reality of being victimized and dehumanized by members of this sect was no longer a child’s play. The state security operatives were again alerted and one hopes the stench of this unbecoming phenomenon would soon be done away with. 

Surprisingly, some right-thinking members of the public termed the sent message a frame-work or self-composed threat by some individuals to their rivals in a bid to frighten them. And one wonders why a sane being would treat such matter with levity given the daily reports on insurgencies in the country. Perhaps those of this view would need to pay a visit to those deprived of their loved ones as a result of this wickedness, to know really the pains of these victims.  The reality of Boko Haram may not have been felt in this part of the world and may for this reason, seem like a jest to some narrow-thinkers. That they have not attacked this part of the country does not mean they cannot strike at anytime.

Irrespective of people’s perception, the need for security agencies to wake-up has never been this urgent. The sternacity of this message does not require a deliberation as to whether it is coming from the right source or not. What should rather be our concern is how to protect ourselves from this blood-thirsty maffians. As it stands, Akwa Ibom is vulnerable to insurgence attack and unless we put up a collective force against their cruelty, we may as well lose the fight to insecurity as with other states. 

In cases like this the government is always held responsible for the security of her citizens. Strategies are mapped out and policies are made to cross-check records of immigrants into the state, and most often, surveillance is kept in areas liable to be logged by these miscreants. 

However, a first attempt to solving the problem of insecurity and its associated allies like abduction and kidnapping lies solely in the hands of the individual.  By exercising intuition, one gets to discern an impending danger around an environment, a stranger or even a friend. Times like this calls for a discreet observation of one’s environment to ascertain an unusual presence or movement.

Similarly, those who are yearning to get free phones from an assumed “MTN” should be wary of being taken to death. The same goes for females who fall into the snare of accepting free lifts. Most importantly, we must learn to keep a safe distance from people met for the first time and at lonely places especially if they happen to be Northerners. One may argue that this point defies the unity drive of the nation but on a second thought, since the northerners have refused to be identified with this belief, should there be any need accommodating them amongst us? Would we enjoy the peaceful ambiance the Udi Street Northerners do if we were to be in the North? Are we even safe with these men around us? I Perhaps this would be a discuss for another day. 

To be on a safe side, citizens must as a matter of seriousness avoid unfamiliar routes at odd times. It is our collective responsibility to keep safe hence; we must do the best we can, surveying our smaller environments while the government does her part by watching the larger society.  

That notwithstanding, government agencies should keep the northerners amongst us under strict surveillance. Places like the motor parks and other entrances should also be kept on check. While we strive to keep the state secured and safe for our habitation, it is necessary to also continue in prayers for our fatherland. The peace we need can only come from a continuous renewal of our relationship with God and the optimal cooperation of all and sundry to fight terrorism.