A former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor (retd.), has said that the Boko Haram insurgency has dragged on for more than a decade because of the sect’s guerrilla warfare, extremist ideology and weak political responses.
Naijaonpoint gathered that Irabor, in excerpts from his new book, Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum, also accused some politicians of making reckless statements that indirectly embolden insurgents while undermining the unity of the country.
According to him, Boko Haram’s resilience stems from its ideology, which promises “eternal reward” for fighters, making the group difficult to defeat.
Irabor said, “The war against Boko Haram has lasted over a decade, and the main reason the group persists is due to the guerrilla tactics it employs and the ideology that motivates it, which suggests there is eternal reward to be gained from fighting.”
He noted that the sect sustains itself by taxing farming and fishing communities and by leveraging external financial and technical support.
More critically, he warned that tacit support from some local populations and irresponsible political rhetoric serve as incentives for the group’s operations.
The retired General faulted politicians and influential Nigerians who, in his words, “inadvertently or otherwise eulogise Boko Haram activities” just to criticise government policies.
“Such behaviour is a disservice to the cause of peace and unity of the country,” he wrote, stressing that partisan politics had weakened the collective fight against insurgency.
Irabor further argued that Nigeria’s response to the insurgency had been crippled by the lack of political will.
He called on the Federal Government to proclaim a state of emergency, backed by the National Assembly, to consolidate all elements of national power in the war against Boko Haram.
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