"Defend yourselves against Boko Haram"

The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar representing Islamic body, Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) has asked Muslims in the country to defend themselves against attacks by the dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram.

Speaking on behalf of the JNI, the Sultan Alhaji Abubakar said it had become obvious that the Federal Government was incapable of dealing with the insurgents.

In a communiqué signed by the JNI’s Secretary-General, Khalid Abubakar-Aliyu, said on Wednesday in Kaduna, the Sultan read: “That Muslims are strongly urged to defend themselves, in appropriate manner against any attack by insurgents and all other acts of violence by criminals, as it is a religious obligation to do so, particularly that government forces currently seem to be incapable,”

Evaluating the government's efforts in halting the activities of insurgents, the Islamic body said the government had failed and was indeed incapable of tackling the Boko Haram members.

The communiqué was the outcome of a one-day stakeholders’ meeting on “the security situation in the country,” organised by the JNI.

It partly read: “That the current security challenges bedevilling the country persist largely as a result of the inability of government to deploy effective strategies to tackle them.

“That the manifest low morale of troops due to inadequate welfare, lack of desired weaponry and failure of intelligence among other reasons are severely hindering the fight against insurgency.

“That despite the devastation being caused by the incessant sophisticated bombings evidenced by huge losses of innocent lives and gross destruction of properties, our politicians at all levels and in all political parties regrettably show very scanty or no concern about the national predicament and anguish but are only busy with political campaigns.

“That the economic base and development of the country are being systematically and grossly crippled by all forms of insurgencies, from Boko Haram to cattle rustling, oil bunkering/theft and other militancy.

“That Muslims are strongly urged to defend themselves, in appropriate manner against any attack by insurgents and all other acts of violence by criminals, as it a religious obligation to do so, particularly that government forces currently seem to be incapable.”

JNI therefore, noted that for Nigeria to regain and maintain its glory anchored on peace and progress, government must wake up to its fundamental constitutional responsibility of providing adequate security to the citizens of this country so as to stop the increasing human carnage and destruction of valuable properties.

The Islamic body advised the government to consider alternative means of finding solution to the Boko Haram menace, such as infrastructural development, youth employment programmes and stepping up the dialogue option “rather than depending on force alone since it has so far proved to be ineffective.”

It added that there was the urgent need to deploy necessary intelligence and security measures to curtail or possibly stop the illegal importation and proliferation of arms and ammunition, saying these had been contributing to the escalation of insurgency and other related criminal activities.

The JNI stated that the Civilian Joint Task Forces, hunters and retired security officers, who had gallantly assisted the Nigerian security forces in the fight against insurgency, cattle rustling and other crimes should be given all the necessary support and encouragement as their intervention had helped positively in frontline states.