Introduction
Nigeria is passing through tough security challenges masterminded by activities Islamic terror group Jama’atu Ahlis Suna Lid Da’awati Wal Jihad (a.k.a BOKO HARAM). The sole mission of the dreaded gang is establishment of an Islamic theocracy pillared on the 7th Century Wahhabist philosophy through forceful overthrow of the State. Boko Haram’s first open confrontation took place town called Kanammain the country’s north-eastern State of Yobe (Adeniyi,2011). Other lethal clashes were staged between the group and Nigeria Armed Forces which resulted to annihilation of their spiritual leader Sheik Mohammadu Yusuf along with his top spiritual comrades (Gorman, 2009). Sheik Yusuf’s killing by men of Nigeria Armed Forces after capturing and parading him hands tied to his back before cameras has been labelled by the country’s Human Rights Community and a section of the press as extra judicial killing. Calls have been made for a full investigation of this allegation, the Federal Government responded by forming a committee to look into claims of the group and their supporters in the Human Rights Community (PressTV,5th August 2009).
Introduction
Nigeria is passing through tough security challenges masterminded by activities Islamic terror group Jama’atu Ahlis Suna Lid Da’awati Wal Jihad (a.k.a BOKO HARAM). The sole mission of the dreaded gang is establishment of an Islamic theocracy pillared on the 7th Century Wahhabist philosophy through forceful overthrow of the State. Boko Haram’s first open confrontation took place town called Kanammain the country’s north-eastern State of Yobe (Adeniyi,2011). Other lethal clashes were staged between the group and Nigeria Armed Forces which resulted to annihilation of their spiritual leader Sheik Mohammadu Yusuf along with his top spiritual comrades (Gorman, 2009). Sheik Yusuf’s killing by men of Nigeria Armed Forces after capturing and parading him hands tied to his back before cameras has been labelled by the country’s Human Rights Community and a section of the press as extra judicial killing. Calls have been made for a full investigation of this allegation, the Federal Government responded by forming a committee to look into claims of the group and their supporters in the Human Rights Community (PressTV,5th August 2009).
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The bloody encounter that annihilated the Sheik and other top commanders inflicted a temporary set-back to Boko Haram and forced them to change their strategy and tactics of warfare. Their delusional and phantom tantrum of believing that they can square off with the country’s Armed forces frontally and directly bowed to reality of existing disproportionate might and combat experience between them and a force that once fought a 30 months civil war and participated in many successful peacekeeping operations in the continent and beyond (Agbese, 2013). The forces the terrorist challenged are one of a few in the black world with the robustness and capability of projecting their national forces to other countries without the support of any known force in the world.
Surviving commanders of the terror group went underground for a while and reappeared with a multifaceted strategy of suicide bombings of worship centres, selected military zones, buildings and public squares, and highway banditry in tandem with modus operandi of terrorists’ campaigns (Meehan and Spier 2011). Introduction of these guerrilla tactics of hit-and-run and bombings caught Nigeria Armed Forces off guard because it was something outside the bracket of their training and imagination. This gave the enemy an advantage and chance to execute their heinous acts of terror on their targeted victims with impunity. Within this period of re-emergence of an Improved Boko Haram brigade, both military and civilian zones were not immune; Nigeria Police Headquarters, Nigeria Command and Staff College Jaji, and others became easy targets and were successfully attacked (Vanguard 25th November 2012).
Other features of Boko Haram’s campaign are banks and highway robberies. Many banks in the north especially in north eastern cities of Nigeria were robbed and millions of local and international currencies carted away. Similarly, some of their combatants blocked highways and international tracks linking the country and neighbouring countries and robbed commuters engaged in intra and inter States commerce. Because of poor and inadequate banking system in the country, most of these businessmen shuttle with large sums of local and foreign currencies for their trading. Both the highways and banks robberies are to provide financial support for their Holy War against the state and believers of other faiths. This became necessary because of the need to fund their Jihad and also support their large families they left in cities and villages for Allah’s service and propagation of his will in Nigeria through force (Sahara Reporters 6th July 2013).
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Efforts were made by notable Islamic clerics and senior citizens to broker peace between Boko Haram and the Federal Government to no avail. All through, Nigeria Government expressed willingness to sit on the table and talk with the group. The Federal Government unilaterally declared amnesty and formed a committee to work out the modalities of an amnesty programme like what was done for the Niger Delta Militants (News Express, 4th April 2013). Imam Shekau via a YouTube message refused the Federal Government’s carrot dangling policy and vowed to continue with his campaign against the State (Vanguard Newspapers 11th April 2013). His refusal message, continued terror activities, and supplanting of their flag in remote Local Governments along Nigerian borders with Chad and Niger pushed the back of Nigerian Government to the wall. On 4th April 2013 the President and Commander-in-Chief of Nigeria Armed Forces declared a State of Emergency in three north eastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa and ordered the Armed Forces to cleanse the states of Boko Haram insurgents (News Express 4th April 2013). The Presidential emergency declaration marked the beginning of another phase of open military confrontation with the group. Terror combatants have been flushed out of their training camps and bases in the three States; they are now over borderlines of neighbouring countries and sneaking in through thousands of illegal entry points to hit targets and dash back to their bases across the borders.
As the war against terror progresses, a rather strange phenomenon appeared, which is; the presence of foreign fighters among the ranks of the Jihadists. This was confirmed by surviving victims of their highway banditry and banks robbery who saw their distinct biological features and heard their different ascent of Hausa language while on operations. Hausa language is spoken in all the neighbouring countries and in most of the West African countries,but there are minor differences in pronunciations. The version of Hausa used in Nigeria is the Kano version. Other dependable sources that gave support to this claim of the presence of foreign jihadists were captured combatants and dead bodies seen in theatre of war. Nigeria Armed forces have severally paraded live combatants or dead bodies that are not Nigerians (Nigerian Tribune 19th September 2011). It is difficult to ascertain the number of foreign combatants involved in planning and execution of their assaults and confrontation with the armed forces in the north-eastern Nigeria and other spots in other northern parts of the country because of the unconventional nature of how they conduct their affairs (National Mirror 27th February 2013). However, this brought the issues of borders management by agencies charged with manning the country’s legal and illegal borders to the fore.
Complete defeat of Boko Haram Jihadists by Nigeria Armed Forces despite presidential orders to use all necessary might to liquidate them is proving a hard nut to crack because of the porous nature of the country’s borders and thousands of illegal entry points with neighbouring countries like Cameroon, Chad and Niger Republics. Apart from operational quandaries these poorly demarcated borders are posing, international protocols prohibiting sending forces in pretext of hot pursuit beyond a certain limit into neighbouring territories are yet another cluster of quagmires. It is a tight rope to walk because if not properly done, it can lead to clashes with forces of neighbours in their own territories. If that happens, Nigeria Armed forces will face two foes, simultaneously. And that again could ruin bi-lateral relations existing with neighbours that their complete cooperation is highly desirable in the war against Jihadists operating across the borders.
FEATURES OF NIGERIA BORDER
There is no universally acceptable definition of borders because of its concomitant perspectives and connotations and typology. Much of the difficulties associated with definitions originated from varieties of borders and contextual usage at any point in time. There are administrative, economic, social-cultural, national, international, regional, military,and sub-regional borders. In this study, we are focusing on international separating lines or zones between sovereign States. A border is a demarcating line or zone between two or more independent states and these borders can be categorised into sea, air and land borders. Nigeria is one of the luckiest States in Sub-Sahara Africa to have sea, air and land borders. Sometimes rivers, valleys, oceans, and some distinct geographical features are used as demarcating lines of the end and beginning of territories of States.
Nigeria is a West African State with a vast expanse of land covering an area of 923,768 square kilometres with about 13,000 square kilometres of water stretching from the coastal city of Lagos up to the semi desert state of Maiduguri to the North-East and Sokoto to the North West. Nigeria shares common boundaries with Benin Republic (773 kilometres), Cameroon (1,690 kilometres), Niger Republic (1,497 kilometres), and Chad Republic (87 kilometres) and Islands Sao Tome and Principe. Some areas in the southern part are bounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the rest are land borders. Nigeria’s Coastline along the Gulf of Guinea totals 853 kilometres (www.mongabay.com/reference/new_profile/183ng.hmtl). Through nature and mans’ scientific knowhow the country has sea, air and land borders with land entry points constitutes over 99% of the borders, and followed by airports.
Like most borders created by Europeans imperialist in the Black World, they are poorly demarcated with titanic quagmire of comprehending and accepting where the dividing contours falls and which settlement belongs to State A or B. Division of conquered territories among great European powers of 17th, 18th, and early 19th centuries in 1884 Berlin Germany did not take cognisance of many variables, and that has created a major source of inter-states skirmishes in post-colonial era in Africa (Dahou, 2004). It has been reported that many houses or settlements along inter-States borders often have some sections in one State and some in another. A clear example of this mix-up is the Banki Mosque on Nigeria-Niger Republic border, the Southern entrance is within a portion recognised to be within Nigeria territory while the Northern entrance is in Niger Republic (Achibong, 2012). This scenario of settlements in two States through building on borderlines is not peculiar with Niger-Nigeria borders but in all other borders shared with neighbouring States.
Borders along the Riverine State of Bayelsa are characterized with rivers, streams and the ocean. Crisscrossing them is more herculean than other land borders. Settlements and moving pattern is quite different and difficult because of the geography which has more water than land. The many rivers, streams and ocean provided a clearer demarcation line between Cameroon Republic and Nigeria. This also made movement of goods and persons low due to factors like climate and lack of advanced means of water transports in the areas. Transportation is still done with local canoes, on foot, and small bridges linking various parts. In situations of heavy rains the rivers overflow thereby denying dwellers of such areas the capacity to cross to either side.
Nigeria borders are centres of trans-borders trades where nationals of Nigeria and bordering States import and export goods with minimal restrictions. Most of these entry points are big settlements with two tolls checking entries and exits of persons and goods. Currencies of the two States and others are exchanged without regard to existing currency policies of the nations or regions. Demand and supply dictates the value of all currencies on exchange in these borders (Nte, 2011). Currency traders in these borders are competing with many banks situated along the borders for such and allied services. Legal and illegal businessmen finds going to the banks unpalatable and inimical to their businesses due to protocols and security measures demanding full disclosures of the nature of their activities and appropriate taxation. Where customers have a large quantum of money they cannot handle, currencies traders help them by crossing over with the cash to any side of the border desired. Legal and illegal businesses along Nigeria and its neighbours borders runs into hundreds of millions of dollars annually (ThisDay Live, 27th October 2013).Yet, very little taxes are accruing to public treasuries of the States.
Another feature of Nigeria borders is its thousands of entry routes and few legal points. The federal government of Nigeria admitted this fact through a press interview the minister of Internal Affair on 5th January 2013, the Minister estimated these illegal routes to 1,497 (National Mirror 6th February 2013). Internal Affairs disclosure complimented official reports of Nigeria Immigration Service which had a figure a bit higher than what their supervising minister said. Lt. Col Sagir Musa a Joint Task Force officer fighting insurgents in North East piqued “there are well over 250 footpaths from Damaturu/Maiduguri axis that link or lead direct to Cameroon, Chad, or Niger” (Musa, 2013). There are less than one hundred legal entry routes alongside over fifteen hundreds illegal posts. Goods and persons move in and out of these on foot, on bicycles, motorcycles, donkeys, boats, and small ships. And means enumerated above constitutes major avenues where legal and illegal goods and persons slip in and out of Nigeria (Nte, 2011).
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of SaharaReporters
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