Gwoza Attacks: Northern Leaders Want Action Against Religious Extremism

Apex sociocultural northern group, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), has expressed sadness over the news about coordinated suicide bomb attacks on the Gwoza community of Borno State, as experienced on Saturday, June 29, 2024.

This is just as it called for renewed efforts to take religious extremism, banditry and all forms of insurgencies seriously.

ACF, in a statement issued by its national publicity secretary, Professor T.A. Muhammad Baba, said that the sordid events which led to the death of at least 19 persons, including women and children (perhaps still counting), with scores of people wounded are regrettable.

The forum said that although no persons or groups have claimed responsibility for the cowardly attacks, they had all the tales tell hallmarks of the well-known terror strategies of Boko Haram, religious extremist insurgents.

ACF observed 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 strongly condemned the cruel and evil attacks and extends condolences to the families, friends and loved ones on the loss of lives. ACF also commiserates with all victims, the Gwoza community, and 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,” it said.

ACF, however, commended the quick response of relevant Federal and Borno State agencies to the tragedy, but more critically, called for doubling down on the efforts to exterminate the Boko Haram insurgency through strategic synergy between communities, state and federal authorities, religious leaders, international bilateral and multilateral agencies.

No efforts should be spared to ensure speedy return to normalcy for the people of Borno and indeed all communities across the nation under siege by extremists, insurgents, terrorists and bandits. The fight against the criminal elements must be total, uncompromising, and implemented first on firefight and later at the ideological levels. The government needs to intensify the current policy on engaging with bandits, extremists and insurgents, seeking to win them back into normal society“.

However, the forum said the strategy must be anchored on the basis of overwhelming and demonstrable force while the terror merchants must be stopped from holding grounds, absolutely anywhere in Nigeria, for much longer.