Borno: Divergent viewpoints and the difficult path to peace

Borno: Divergent viewpoints and the difficult path to peace

By: James Bwala

After more than 14 years of fighting the battles that have decimated Borno state, once regarded as the “home of peace,” a closer examination of the state’s path to peace in northeastern Nigeria has produced unclear viewpoints on the accomplishments and efforts being made by the administration to restore the state to glory. First, there were differences of opinion among the security personnel engaged in the battle. The war has continued up until this point because of the Divergent series.

On the other hand, the terrorists’ breakout within their own ranks While it was hoped that this would put an end to the insurgency’s daily suicides in the Sambisa Forest and around Lake Chad, the end appeared to be far off as both ISWAP and Boko Haram elements grew more powerful as each day came to an end and a new one began. 

The Northeast governors recently had to request help from the appropriate authorities to take the necessary steps and make progress toward peace as a result of this factor and the escalating factions. The call from the governors of the Northeast also revealed local residents’ concerns about the military’s effectiveness and the terrorists’ rising popularity, which contrasts with reports on many Nigerians’ tables who read about local conditions in newspapers and other media.

The local organization, which used sticks and matchsticks to fight the terrorists, is now facing internal conflict over what may be viewed as poor leadership. The Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), a group of local security personnel, was said to be in a state of open hostility as one faction accused its president of diverting 13 patrol cars.

Reports state that the faction’s president, Lawan Ja’afar, has been suspended by Bashir Abbas, the faction’s current auditor. Baba Shehu Abdulganiyu has been named the temporary president until a permanent leader is chosen, according to Abbas, who made the announcement during a press conference on Sunday in Maiduguri.

Regarding Article 6 Rule 2(vi) of the CJTF Constitution, according to Abbas, “the leadership has unanimously decided to suspend its president in the person of Lawan Ja’afar, who is alleged to have misappropriated some Hilux vehicles given to the organization (CJTF) by the Borno State Government for operational purposes and two other Hilux vehicles given to the organization by the NNPC for operational purposes too.

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However, Lawan Ja’afar, the president of the CJTF, has referred to it as unsubstantiated, unjustified, and deceptive. Insisting that the accusations against him were false, he dared the Abbass-led CJTF to submit the claims for review by the appropriate security authorities. Lawan also insisted that he was still the CJTF president and could not be removed from office by a small group of his colleagues.

“All claims made against me are false. If the Abbas group is sincere, they should contact the appropriate security services to conduct a comprehensive inquiry. Very few of my coworkers can remove me from office by violating the constitution, Ja’afar added. “We’re meeting with a superior security agency right away, and they’ll call the other group to a meeting.”

We have observed over time and in our ongoing experiences in Borno State that factions among the 14-year-old insurgency’s various actors have rather contributed to the drawn-out and ineffective methods of making progress on the side of the military, the local security organization, and the terrorist group itself. Is it possible to genuinely appreciate the path to peace when there are divergent views on that path? Should we hang on to the lines that simply provided us with reassurance for our upcoming worries?

Borno: Divergent viewpoints and the difficult path to peace