The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has said it was saddened to receive the news about coordinated suicide bomb attacks on the Gwoza community of Borno State on Saturday last week.
The statement, which was signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the forum, Professor Muhammad Tukur Muhammad Baba, said the sordid events led to the deaths of at least 19 people, including women and children (perhaps still counting), with scores of people wounded.
“Although no persons or groups have claimed responsibility for the cowardly attacks, they had all the tale-telling hallmarks of the well-known terror strategies of Boko Haram religious extremist insurgents.
ACF observes that the attacks were specifically targeted, for maximum impact, at a wedding party, a funeral, and a hospital, all soft and defenceless targets, as undertaken by brainwashed female agents.
ACF also strongly condemns the dastardly and evil attacks and extends condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones affected by the loss of lives.
It also commiserates with all victims, the whole Gwoza community, and indeed the Federal and Borno State governments over the tragedy.
“That such attacks could be carried out so brazenly is a clear indication and a crude reminder that, although degraded by battles with security agents, Boko Haram insurgents still retain a modicum of capability and capacity to wreck misery on hapless communities on account of a misguided religious ideology.
It is indeed very worrisome and disheartening that such attacks would occur when the community has begun to look forward to relatively terror-free lives, away from the criminality-infested existence of the last few years.
ACF commends the quick response of relevant Federal and Borno State agencies to the tragedy, but more critically, ACF calls for doubling down on the efforts to exterminate the Boko Haram insurgency through strategic synergy between communities, state and federal authorities, religious leaders, and international bilateral and multilateral agencies.
“No efforts should be spared to ensure a speedy return to normalcy for the people of Borno and indeed for all communities across the nation under siege by extremists, insurgents, terrorists, and bandits.
“The fight against the criminal elements must be total and uncompromising and implemented first in the firefight and later at the ideological level.
The government needs to intensify its current policy on engaging with bandits, extremists, and insurgents, seeking to win them back into normal society.
However, the strategy must be anchored on the basis of overwhelming and demonstrable force. The terror merchants must be stopped from holding ground absolutely anywhere in Nigeria for much longer.
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