Abubakar Shekau of Boko Haram. The United States government has placed a $7 million bounty on his head., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
Why we placed rewards on terrorists, by Washington
TUESDAY, 04 JUNE 2013 00:00
FROM LAOLU AKANDE (NEW YORK) AND TUNDE AKINOLA (LAGOS)
Nigerian Guardian
• American groups, others laud move
• Govt formally proscribes Boko Haram, Ansaru
• Minister, service chiefs brief Senate on emergency rule
THE United States (U.S.) Tuesday explained its move to offer $23 million reward to help track down five leaders of militant groups accused of spreading terror in West Africa, with the highest sum of $7 million placed on Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau.
Shekau last week called on Islamists in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq to join the bloody fight to create an Islamic state in Nigeria.
The Acting Assistant Director of Diplomatic Security’s Threat Investigations Analysis Directorate, U.S. Department of State, Kurt Rice, said the rewards were to ensure the availability of useful information on the location of the terror gangs’ leaders, which would in turn allow the citizens to live peacefully.
His explanation came as some U.S.-based groups also commended the move, having been campaigning for tougher policies against the Islamist terrorist organisation, including the outright designation of Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO.
Interestingly, President Goodluck Jonathan Tuesday formally proscribed the two major Islamist terrorist organisations in the country, Boko Haram and Ansaru, and authorised the gazetting of an order declaring their activities illegal and acts of terrorism.
Jonathan’s order, which has been gazetted as the Terrorism (Prevention) Proscription Order Notice 2013 affects both Boko Haram (Jamaatu Ahlis-Sunna Liddaawati Wal Jihad) and another group, Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan, pursuant to Section 2 of the Terrorism Prevention Act 2011 (As Amended).
A statement last night by the Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to the President, Dr. Reuben Abati, said the new law officially brings the activities of both groups within the purview of the Terrorism Prevention Act and any person associated with them could now be legally prosecuted and sentenced to penalties specified in the Act.
Moreover, the Minister of State for Defence, Olusola Obada, and other service chiefs were at the Senate yesterday to give situation report on the state of emergency declared last month in Adamawa, Yobe and Borno states.
Obada, who came with only the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim, as the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) and Chief of Army Staff (CAS) were on other national assignments, told lawmakers that anything that would bring about disunity in the country would be strictly resisted.
Responding, the Chairman, Senate Joint Committee on Defence and Army, National Security and Intelligence, Navy, Air Force and the Police, George Thompson Sekib, said the committee was mandated to monitor the progress of the emergency rule and report back at regular basis. Noting that it was a monthly briefing, Sekib said the committee would study the report.
Rice spoke yesterday during a teleconference on new U.S. counter-terrorists initiative for West African nations. Beside the $7 million on Shekau, he said, “what we are looking for is fruitful information that will lead to the location of AQIM leader, Yahya Abou Al-Hammam, and the current leader, Oumar Ould Hamaha.
“We are trying to work with Nigeria to ensure that their environments are free from terrorists throw-out for the first time. The reward is to ensure people can give us information that will lead to the apprehension of these leaders of terrorists.”
He added: “Anyone with useful information that could lead to the arrest of these terrorists can visit our website www.rewards4justice.com or frg@washington.org, or the person can visit the U.S. consulate.”
On their part, America-based Christian Association of Nigerian-Americans (CANAN) said the bounty on the terrorists was an encouraging development. CANAN President, Dr. James Fadele, said yesterday: “We want to commend the new U.S. Secretary of State, Senator John Kerry, for this decision in the hope that this move is an indication of greater forthrightness in dealing with the bane of terrorism in Nigeria and the West African sub-region.
“Boko Haram is a band of brutal terrorists who should be dealt with seriously, promptly and effectively to preserve the peace and stability of the West African sub-region and secure the freedom of worship of Nigerian Christians.”
Similarly, Jubilee Campaign, a Washington DC-based advocacy group formed by leading Americans concerned with religious freedom, also commended the decision.
Its executive director, Ann Buwalda, said in a statement yesterday: “Jubilee Campaign commends this offer of a reward by the U.S. Department of States for information leading to the capture of Shekau, a brutal terrorist responsible for the systematic effort to eradicate Christians from the north of Nigeria as well as impose Sharia law throughout the country of Nigeria.
“Our data shows that Boko Haram attacks more Christians than any other targeted group. Between 2010 and 2013, Boko Haram initiated attacks against Christians 297 times, and in 2012 killed 1,726 people and injured 613 more.
For U.S.-based religious freedom advocate, Emma Ogebe, “the decision by the U.S. to name a reward for the capture of Boko Haram’s leader is no doubt an indication of the strong pressure on the Obama administration to rethink its policy in the wake of the unrelenting genocide unleashed by the terrorists.”
Ogebe added: “The argument that Boko Haram is about northern poverty when the terrorists are using RPGs and anti-aircraft missiles is no longer tenable and makes a mockery of the U.S. government.”
Nevertheless, most of the groups are insisting that the U.S. goes all the way to designate the group an FTO, as Fadele disclosed, “we are hopeful that the U.S. will continue to do the right thing going forward regarding Boko Haram - and that is to actually call this band of terrorists what they in fact are: a foreign terrorist organisation.”
Ogebe shares his opinion, stating that while the bounty is a step in the right direction, the designation of the Islamist sect as a foreign terrorist organisation would have been the decent thing to do.
Nevertheless, former military Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, has urged Boko Haram to lay down their arms and embrace dialogue as means of resolving their grievances with the country.
Abubakar spoke yesterday while receiving the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North during a courtesy call at his residence in Minna.
A statement by the committee’s secretary, Esther Gonda, said that Abubakar pleaded with the group to take the opportunity of dialogue offered by government to end the suffering of people caught up in the conflict.
Abubakar, however, warned the government against retribution in the event that the group accepts to dialogue.
He expressed hope that with the committee, peace would return to the zone, as its members comprised people of impeccable character. He traced the crisis in the North to high level abject poverty occasioned by poor infrastructure, and advised government to address issues of electricity while strengthening the security agencies in the country.
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