A retired Director of Military
Procurement at the Defence Headquarters, Brig. Gen. Ayodele Ojo, and a
Lagos-based security expert, Dr. Ona Ekhomu, has said the Boko Haram was
planning a nationwide expansion of its Islamic caliphate.
The retired army general and Ekhomu
stated that the exploits of the Sunni Jihadist group in the Middle East,
the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, was motivating the Boko Haram
insurgents to overrun communities and towns in the North East.
In a telephone interview with one of our
correspondents, Ojo warned the Nigerian armed forces to change their
tactics from waging a “counter-insurgency operation” to an “all-out war”
to prevent the security situation from further deteriorating.
He said, “It is obvious that their (Boko
Haram) plan is to expand their Caliphate with the aim of establishing
an Islamic State in Nigeria. They started with the hoisting of their
flag in Damboa, Borno State.
“The exploits of ISIS in Syria and Iraq
was the tonic they, the Boko Haram insurgents, needed. From the North
East, they would now expand their caliphate to cover the entire country.
I believe the Federal Government is aware of this.”
The general, who during his military
service participated in several peace keeping operations, including the
ECOMOG Operation in Liberia, said it was shocking to note that terrorism
which was alien to the Nigerian culture was becoming a regular feature
of its national life.
Stating that members of the Nigerian
armed forces were up to the task of maintaining the territorial
integrity of the country, he added that the Defence Headquarters should
improve upon specialised training for its men in battling terrorism.
In an interview with one of our
correspondents, Ekhomu said the sect was trying to actualise its
aspiration to rule Nigeria and introduce its fundamental brand of Islam
into the system.
He said, “Their real goal was to grab
territory to exercise sovereignty over the land. If you remember, they
had in the past controlled about eight local government areas in Borno
State. They control these places before the emergency rule was declared
on May 14, 2013.
“With the emergency rule and the
subsequent troop surge, they were chased away into the Sambisa forest.
Now, they are resurgent; they are pushing to regain what they lost. They
are reading news and they can see what is happening around the world.”
The security expect said the sect
members could have links with ISIS and other terrorist organisations,
adding that they were all cut from the fundamental cloth.
Ekhomu added that some foreigners had
been fighting on the side of the insurgents and giving them tactical
support. The expert urged the government to declare a total war on the
insurgents to end their reign.
