Death Sentence of 12 Nigerian Soldiers: Is It Another Mistake of Biafra?

It will be an unforgivable historical mistake if we don't look back and point out mistakes of others in order to learn and win this war against the Boko Haramists. It is no longer news that Nigeria and her children once turned the barrel of guns against themselves in order to stick together or disintegrate. Atlas, they are together! Now, some evil Nigerians in collaboration with foreign governments (outside and within Africa) who are serious benefitting from the Nigerian state resource are sponsoring evil men with hired machineries to break-up the 'sleeping giant' Nigeria.

No doubt, Nigerian soldiers are capable to deal with this insurgency only and only if we listen to them (soldiers) and their demands to bust their morale and fight like the gallant soldiers we know and the international community once rated high. I am not a military personnel but I know that conventional warfare is not limited to AK 47 rather it's all-encompassing as intelligence-gathering is hallmark. In the prosecussion of this on-going war against the Boko Haram, it's evidence based that the Nigerian military intelligence-gathering is not as superb as that of the insurgents as on many occasions they (Boko Haam) have laid ambush and successfully dealt with our fine Nigerian soldiers and the most recent was the attack along Okene-Lokoja road where they attacked some soldiers who were going to Kotongora for training. Of course, we have heard even from the 'head of everything' that “Boko Haram is everywhere.” No matter how crude the method of planting their members everywhere might look like, I am still convinced it is one of the ancient traditional methods of intelligence gathering and it is working for them. The Australian international negotiator, Davis recently alleged that, a very senior official of the Central Bank of Nigeria is helping the terrorists to move fund in such a highly professional way that it could not be traced to the terrorists. O! It's quite unfortunate in Nigeria, my beloved Nigeria.

It is evidence based as many Nigerian soldiers have complained of sabotage by some military personnel who will leak highly confidential information to the opponent-enemy and thereby using it to score high point against our fine Nigerian soldiers. It is not animalistic but only human to react to these negative things around us which hinder us from progressing especially when we know that the people sending us on errand are the people behind our woes, fiasco and waterloo.

It is high time we needed to remind our military officers that, these Nigerian soldiers emanate from the society; there was no time they were ever severed from the larger society even though they lived in the 'bush.' There is no information the senior officers can twist without the society knowing the truth because the fine soldiers are brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, uncles, aunties, cousins and so on to every other person in the society. Who are the true mutineers? Personally, it is not these 12 young, fine soldiers who are on their way to Golgotha but the military personnel who are conniving with these monstrous blood suckers to commit heinous act against the state, Nigeria by leaking information to terrorists. Verily, verily, I know these 12 fine soldiers are not the ones leaking the information because the counts against them never included it. This is the more reason I want the Nigerian military to look inward and deal decisively with the saboteurs within its rank.

Once upon a time a Nigerian military officer who hailed from the eastern part of the country felt slighted and saw the maltreatment of his people and decided to take up arms against his own state to protect his own people from one time his own people. You know, I am referring to late Ojukwu, who is today a hero to at least an average easterner. Even though, the insatiability of human nature might never be ruled out but there were verifiable grounds upon which he stood to prosecute that war. As we all know, quickly, he found faults in some of the finest hands helping him in the prosecution of this war, he hurriedly court-martialled the likes of Adebanjo, Okafor among others and also, they were hurriedly executed even against internal and international pressure and Ojukwu never won the war. This was not the only reason but surely, it's one of the reasons he lost the war. For some individuals who might also felt disgruntled with the outcome of the 'civil war' and probably saw an opportunity to deal with his/her perceived enemies and these people are capitalising on opportunities including state offices which are supposed to be used judiciously for national interest but are being used for personal, regional or clannish benefits/interests should be reminded that the arms of the law is very long and one day they will stand to account for every misconduct they have perpetrated while given opportunities to serve their fathers land. It is only but a question of time.

Death sentence of 12 soldiers who were court-martialled for mutiny among others, are there no other ways to manage this situation better? I think we could look into many indices which could help us better in order to allow our house remain intact and win this war against these insurgents and some of my suggestions will include:

• Let the death sentence be reversed into life imprisonment as there is hope for the living

• Let the Nigerian military upgrade its intelligence gathering by using the integrated approach (traditional and modern methods)

• With the second point, the military should block all the sources of fund and arm supplies of Boko Haram

• Let there be procurement of modern military gadgets that can withstand the ones these rag-tied boys are carrying

• The welfare of these fine soldiers should be given priority as they are never 'tools.'

• The military should know that extra-judicial killing of every Boko Haram member will only compound our plight

• The would be suicidal-bomber who refused to detonate the bomb and said, 'I thought why should I kill myself and other innocent people' should be unconditionally released and should be given national award. He should also be sent abroad as peace ambassador. Definitely, it sounds crazy but if we do this, it will negatively affect Boko Haram's camp

• Patriotism should be the watch word, the budget for security should be released as at when due and those who receive should also be able to account for the tax-payers' money

• NBA and civil society at large should rise to the occasion by putting pressure on the people in corridor of power to allow the prosecution of those suspected to be sponsors of this insurgency. Personally, I have my reserve for people that seem to have more than 32 teeth in their mouths as it's evident with the case of a vampire-footballer on the pitch

• Never should we absolutely trust our neighbouring countries if need be let's close the borders. 'Never you take chances.'

If you insist on executing these 12 fine soldiers remember your house will divide no matter what and that might be the beginning of losing this war. You must 'temper justice with mercy' so that we will not begin to have more mutinies in a house that is supposed to be united and fight a common enemy.

Osobu S. Alexander
The writer of
'Tomorrow Will Never Cease'
08033819701
[email protected]
Kaduna, Nigeria.