Nigerians declare 2014 as the “year of Boko Haram”

Emeka Ibemere

Despite the huge budgetary allocation mapped out this ending year to fight insurgency and other forms of insecurity in the country, the ending 2014, would go down in history as the worse year for Nigerian government and her citizens in terms of security.

 Security operations received the lion's share of the 2014 budget, based on estimates submitted by the Federal Government.

2014 budget was the third consecutive year security budget tops the highest allocation.

In 2013, Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala submitted the N4.91 trillion appropriation bill to the two chambers of the National Assembly in Abuja.

Out of the total budgeted sum, about N1.1 trillion, representing 27 percent, is for capital expenditure, while N2.43 trillion was to go for recurrent spending.

The remaining amounts are for debt service, N712 billion; statutory transfers, N399.7 billion; and Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), N268 billion. Government's expected revenue target was put at N3.73 trillion, while the budget deficit stands at 1.9 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), slightly up from that of the 2013 budget, which stood at 1.85 per cent.

A total of N845 billion was provided for recurrent and service-wide votes for the security sector, which includes the Armed Forces, Police, National Security Adviser's office, and the Para-military services. If the capital vote is put at 27 per cent of the total for the security sector, then the security vote could hit about N1 trillion. This is about the same as the amounts received by the sector in two previous budgets of 2012 and 2013.

However, based on the estimates submitted by the Finance Minister, recurrent allocation for Defence (including Army, Air Force and Navy), is N306 billion; police formation and commands, N286 billion; office of the National Security Adviser, N67 billion; Interior Ministry, N145 billion; and Police Affairs Ministry, N4.5 billion. Also part of the security spending are provisions under 'service-wide votes' for Nigerian Army Quick Response Group and arrears, N12 billion; and Operations-Internal for the Armed Forces, N24 billion.

Inspite of this lion share of the budget, the nation suffered huge security lapses in 2014 which saw Nigerians taking their heels to neighbouring countries while men and women were taken hostage in their own country without any trace of their whereabouts. Also, it was the year towns were literarily ‘colonized’ by Boko Haram.

Former Chairman of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Oshodi Isolo Local government and a pastor, Simple Celestine Nwosu told our Correspondent that it was a year of insecurity managed by Boko Haram insurgents. According to him, there was no security throughout the country. It was God who saved Nigerians.

 “At a point, I thought we are facing another war, so there was no security at all,” Nwosu quipped.

Speaking through the phone, former Lagos State Commissioner of police stated that security in 2014 was very poor and was compounded by President Jonathan’s insensitivity to security matters. In fact, Nigeria has never had it so badly. Asari Dokubo threatens the whole nation and nothing happens to him because Jonathan’s support”, Tsav explained.

For Raphael Mbaegbu Program Officer - Research and Strategy Development of CLEEN Foundation, 2014 security was worse than ever, adding that insecurity reigned unabated. Anike Charles, President of Easter Union, based in Abuja told our reporter that the year 2014, seemed to be the worst of all the years for Nigeria in terms of internal security. “The Boko Haram terrorist activities got to its peak in 2014, w2ith series of bombing and kidnapping of school girls and women in the North East”, Anike added.

“People were killed in hundreds and thousands unchecked. In some other part of the country, kidnapping is still a thriving business. Today, Dr. Oguntuese of Akure was slained and his home was set ablaze and so many communal wars in some states”.

Anike described the security situation in Nigeria in 2014, as in hopeless situation. According to him, the security operatives seem to be in total disarray. “The constant reports of sabotage within the military are a big case. The Cameroonian soldiers have been doing great job in the war against insurgence while the Nigerian forces are in taters and rags due to sentiments, which was not part of the military. The Nigeria security need serious and total overhauling, if we must succeed next year”, he concluded.

According to EU’s leader, in other climes, He said most of them want to continue to maintain relevance.

 Anike said in the other countries, security is a serious issue that every well meaning citizens show concern and commitment, irrespective of their political or religious groupings but that the opposition seeks every opportunity to pull down those in power, not minding whose blood is shared.

“They keep issuing threats and making unwarranted and unguarded comments, which always increase tension. They also sponsor self centred protest and rallies. When America was attacked in 2011, the opposition didn’t rain abuses or blames on their President Bush”, he stated further.

“All hands were on deck to safe America from terrorists but in Nigeria, the opposition wants to be in power before they could join forces to safe Nigeria from terrorists. The unguarded statements of some respected senior citizens of Nigeria are another form of threat to security”.  

Nnamdi Cos -Ukwuoma, a Public Analyst, writer and social commentator, based in Owerri, Imo State capital stated, explained that there were improvements in various sectors which were very noticeable in Nigeria, especially in the area of security.

According to him, security improved noticeably this year despite the activities of Boko Haram insurgency which seems to be one of the evil machinations of those desperate for power and vendetta. He said, “To say that certain persons have the key to fixing the Boko Haram problem is worrisome and a slap on our collective psyche as a people”, he added.

“Certainly, the problem of Boko Haram can be taken care of when the leaders of the North openly condemned and take decisive steps against it. Most agitating is the fact that Nigerians expected quick fix over this menace, not realising that the problem was created over time. I’m confident the situation is redeemable. We shall get there, to the glory of God”.

It would be recalled that in April 2014, Boko Haram kidnapped 276 female students from Chibok, Borno. More than 50 of them soon escaped, but the remainder have not been released. Instead, Shekau, who has a reward of $7 million offered by the US DOS since June 2013, for information leading to his capture, announced his intention of selling them into slavery.

Between May and July 2014, 8,000 Nigerian refugees arrived in the country, up to 25% suffering from acute malnutrition. Cameroon, which ranked 150 out of 186 on the 2012 UNDP HDI, currently (August 2014) hosts 107,000 refugees fleeing unrest in the CAR, expected to increase to 180,000 by the end of the year. A further 11,000 Nigerian refugees crossed the border into Cameroon and Chad during August.

Beginning in August 2014, they changed their tactics, instead occupying swathes of territory in northeast Nigeria from which the increasingly beleaguered Nigerian military were unable or unwilling to expel them

Suicide bomber dressed as a student killed at least 48, most of them students, and injured 79 others at a school assembly in the northern-eastern Nigerian town of Potiskum, hospital official says

The goons attack Gwoza as the group continued to capture territory in north-east and eastern areas of Borno, as well as in Adamawa and Yobe States. Attacks across the border were repelled by the Cameroon military. The territorial gains were officially denied by the Nigerian military.

The town of Bama, 45 miles from the state capital Maiduguri, was reported to have been captured at the beginning of September, resulting in thousands of residents fleeing to Maiduguri, even as residents there were themselves attempting to flee.

The militants were reportedly killing men and teenage boys in the town of over 250,000 inhabitants. Soldiers refused orders to advance on the occupied town, and hundreds of deserters fled across the border into Cameroon.

On 17 October, the Chief of the Defence Staff announced that a ceasefire had been brokered, stating "I have accordingly directed the service chiefs to ensure immediate compliance with this development in the field."

On 29 October Mubi, a town of 200,000 in Adamawa, fell to the militants, further undermining confidence in the peace talks. Thousands fled south to Adamawa's capital city, Yola. Amid media speculation that the ceasefire announcement had been part of President Jonathan's re-election campaign. Mubi was said to have been recaptured by the army on 13 November. On the same day, Boko Haram seized Chibok; two days later, the army recaptured the largely deserted town. As of 16 November it was estimated that more than twenty towns and villages had been taken control of by the militants. There were 27 Boko Haram attacks during the month of November, killing at least 786. 120 died in an attack at the central mosque in Kano during Friday prayers on 28 November.

On 3 December, it was reported that several towns in North Adamawa had been recovered by the Nigerian military with the help of local vigilantes. Bala Ngilari, the governor of Adamawa state, said that the military were aiming to recruit 4,000 vigilantes.

On 13 December, Boko Haram reportedly attacked the village of Gumsuri in Borno, killed 35 people, and kidnapped 185 women and children. The incident was not announced for several days, until village survivors reached Maiduguri.