SEVERAL military sources have attributed the recent resurgence of Boko Haram to the fact that the terrorist sect has been able to purchase a new cache of arms having been paid substantially by the federal government for releasing some of the Chibok girls.
Last month, 21 of the abducted Chibok girls were released by Boko Haram and subsequently picked up by a military helicopter in the Banki area of Borno State. They are among the 209 pupils abducted by the terrorist sect in April 2014 and their release is seen as part of an exchange programme believed to have been agreed between the terrorists and the government.
Some commentators have suggested that the government paid the sect for the release while others have indicated that about five Boko Haram commanders were set free under the terms of the deal. Last weekend, the remnants of Boko Haram launched a surprise attack on the 272 Special Task Force Task Battalion's outpost in Mallam Fatori in Borno State, killing about nine soldiers, including its commander Lt Col Abubakar Ali.
Several military commentators have now suggested that the recent ransom paid to Boko Haram in exchange for the release of some of the Chibok girls has contributed to the upsurge in the killings and disappearances of soldiers. It was learnt that the insurgents demanded $50m for the release of the girls but about a quarter of the sum was eventually paid, although the government has denied this.
According to some analysts, the federal government paid the cash in the naira and the CFA Franc to Boko Haram leaders to facilitate the release of the girls. Prior to the current increase in the attacks by the insurgents, troops of Operation Lafiya Dole, deployed in the northeast, had effectively cut off food and logistics supply to the insurgents but it appears that Boko Haram has now been able to thwart this.
Military sources said that the troops had effectively defeated Boko Haram, whose members were on the run while a good number of them had surrendered and had been taken to a rehabilitation camp established by the Defence Headquarters in Yola. Last month, however, following the exchange of the girls, 83 soldiers were reported missing days after they came under a Boko Haram attack.
However, the federal government denied exchanging insurgents for the abducted girls and paying a ransom to the sect. Military sources insisted, however, that Boko Haram did not release the girls without getting anything in return and that the government indeed paid a ransom and released some of the group’s strategists that were detainees.
One of the sources said it was sad that the same government that was initially seen as tough enough to end insurgency in the country, failed to negotiate with Boko Haram from a position of strength. According to another source, left to the military, the ransom and the exchange of Boko Haram members for Chibok girls would not have taken place.
“It is unfortunate that in government’s desperation to secure the release of the Chibok girls, it has put our soldiers’ lives in danger by yielding to the demands of the group to collect a ransom and secure the release of its commanders. It is now obvious that the group has reinforced and bought more weapons to fight us,” One soldier said.
Another officer added: “Funds were given to Boko Haram and now we can all see the result of that action. There have been renewed attacks recently and many of our men have been killed in the process but we will not relent, as we will continue to do our best to secure this nation.
“The military had reservations about the arrangement but it was not in our hands. It was a political decision that we had to abide with and it was the Department of State Security that was directly in charge of the operation."
Another source added that they got the Chibok girls and suddenly Boko Haram had beaten and chased out of Sambisa Forest are attacking and killing men of quality. He said it is very obvious that they have used the money they got from the deal to buy equipment and recruit men to carry out their heinous acts.
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