By Hassan I. Conteh (Editor)
Boko Haram, an Islamic militants group, is tenaciously having grip on northeast Nigeria and other parts in Africa.
The Nigerian army has tried several times to restrain its influence and expansion but militants are still growing feathers.
Since 2009, which is 13 years now, the militants are still wrecking havock in Nigeria.
About 300,000 people have died since the conflict began in northeast Nigeria. The Boko Haram militants are frowning at Western education. So they arrest and killed those propagating Western culture.
The extremists have swelled up their numbers by capturing towns and kinapping innocent civilians.
The kinapping of 276 schoolgirls in 2014 from northeastern town of Chibok particularly grew fear among Nigerians. But on the side of the extremists, the campaign to seeking the release of those Chibok girls reinforced militants’ influence and existence.
While the whole world sympathised with aggrieved parents of Chibok girls, Boko Haram expand their authority by attacking communities.
The condolences shared globally to Chibok parents got the attention of the government of Nigeria to strengthen a counterinsurgency campaign in northeast Nigeria.
Despite those moves, the federal government is still unable to defeat Islamists and rescue all the Chibok girls. Only few are said to have been released.
A number of those arrested in 2014 still face growing problems though.
A recent report by Reuters, an international news gathering agency, paints a stark picture on the status of women and girls.
Reuters’ investigation reveals that Nigerian army regularly conducts abortions on women and girls earlier captured by insurgents.
This practice has provoked wider condemnation among Christians and Muslims parents who frown at abortion.
However, Nigerian military leaders denied allegations that series of abortions are secretly conducted on those released girls and women.
While the government still wrestles with the fight against Islamic militants in northeast Nigeria and in some parts, human rights abuses are allegedly committed by Nigerian soldiers.
President Mohammed Buhari like former President GoodLuck Jonathan have failed to defeat Boko Haram militants.
The fight itself seems to be undermined by some factions within the Nigerian army.
Over the allegations of abortions on women and girls, Reuters quoted Major General Christopher Musa, head of counterinsurgency campaign in northeast Nigeria, in an interview to have said:
“Not in Nigeria; not in Nigeri. Everybody respects life. We respect families.We respect women and children. We respect every living soul” .
The militants across Africa have wrecked gravest havock and have exposed government military system.
The establishments of joint military forces have recorded greater successes. But the continuous and systematic attacks by the militants discourage the fight to end the war on extremists.
Owing to several weaknesses, al-Qaeda affiliate group, Jama’at Nasral-Isam wal Muslimin (JNIM) together with Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) and Boko Haram, has overrun several national military bases, killing many civilians and soldiers, according to UN reports, in Mali and Burkina Faso, Niger and their neighboring borders.
Thousands of people in Islamists affected nations have flown to other counties seeking asylum.
About 100,000 people are displaced from north Cameron.
The latest report by UNHCR says humanitarians are attacked on roads, ambushed and carjacking is common in those areas.
Humanitarian responses are weakened due to limited resources.
However, power struggle among African leaders is rife as it waters down the spirit and ideals of nationalism and pan- Africanism.
Lately, there have been coup d’etats undertaken by the military. Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, the Gambia have seen coups or attempts of coups by the military.
Whereas Nigerian federal government, one of the fastest growing economy and the largest combatants in Africa, still finds it hard to negotiate peace deal or put an end to Boko Haram militants in northeast parts of Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Africans’ attention must not be distracted by coups and counter coups.
The world now is a global village. Leaders must not forget about those voiceless Chibok girls.
They are Africans but are children like other children in Africa countries , Europe, Asia, South America and North America.
As we sojourn to 2023, government leaders in Africa must work fast to better the lives of ordinary people and give opposition members a voice to chart their course.