Our Chibok Girls Are Never Coming Home
If you are remotely aware of #BringBackOurGirls, then you must be privy to the recent developments. The astounding rumors of the impending release of the Chibok girls have media outlets jumping on the bandwagon of hope. Every news piece pertaining to the matter reads exactly the same, which is a sure indication that what is being shopped around as fact is highly contaminated.
A few weeks ago, Boko Haram’s very vocal and erratic leader Abubakar Shekau was declared dead. The Nigerian military swore it had proof of Shekau’s demise, but its claims were blown to bits when the man it promised had been defeated posted a video mocking his supposed captors.
Not only is Shekau thriving and causing more chaos and mayhem than ever, but he’s also playing Russian roulette with the lives of innocent girls who by now are not so innocent. Reports of negotiations taking place between the Islamic extremist sect and the Nigerian government have been circulating for weeks but the specifics have been mired by a brew of utter nonsense.
Thankfully, renegade reporters like Ahmad Salkida do exist, despite the danger that comes with calling out government officials on their bullshit. His uncanny ability to infiltrate the system and unearth the cold, hard truth has been a gift to those of us who always crave the undiluted version of things. His latest discovery has been so damning that he is now in self-exile — a consequence that afflicts any Nigerian who dares to challenge an institution rife with iniquities.
Salkida has been able to sustain a long-standing relationship with the top leaders of Boko Haram, and this special access makes him a pain in the ass for the Nigerian government, mainly because it can no longer concoct baseless tales in an effort to assuage naysayers. It can’t tell the world that it’s working behind the scenes with an alleged negotiator whose credentials don’t even qualify him for the position he’s weirdly assuming.
Danladi Ahmadu has been brought to task by Salkida, who not only calls him an “imposter,” but also explains that Ahmadu is absolutely not a representative of Boko Haram, or the group’s guru Shekau. So basically the Nigerian government is attempting to broker a deal with someone who’s not even qualified to be a facilitator. Ahmadu is just some guy in the shadows manipulating officials who tragically are not well-versed in the dialects of this particular sect. It’s obvious from the released transcript detailing Ahmadu’s demands and assurances of the girls’ “good health” that he and Shekau are not on the same page.
Boko Haram’s frontman is not interested in peace talks nor does he intend to relax his violent mantra. Shekau is in a position that affords him the luxury to be as bad as he wants to be with little or no consequences. His self-awareness makes him incredibly dangerous. A man like that will certainly not recruit a glorified mouthpiece to do his dirty work. He likes to get into the filth and reap the recognition that comes with his stunts.
That’s probably why, despite reports about the ceasefire agreement, days later Boko Haram terrorized two villages in the already ravaged Northern state of Borno, killing at least eight people.
So, as you can see, there is very little hope that there will be any resolve. We can thank President Goodluck Jonathan for his lack of authoritativeness and inability to implement innovative ways to plot the downfall of Abubakar Shekau. He has instead relied on ineffective tactics and misleading information, while pretending to be engaged and aware. The United States has the CIA and London can rest easy with Scotland Yard acting as their watchdogs. Nigerians will have to accept their vulnerability, as long as their government remains self-serving, conveniently oblivious, and administratively dysfunctional.
It is also quite timely that all of a sudden the Nigerian government is desperate to announce to the world that the girls are almost on their way home as President Jonathan gears up for election season. Hmmm…perhaps a clever ploy to entice voters into believing that their present leader isn’t as incapacitated as he seems? Nice try, but we know better. Our missing girls will not be returned to the lives they once knew anytime soon, if ever. And, oh yeah, even the supposed victory over the Ebola crisis can’t and won’t make up for all the black marks that we’ve accumulated over the decades. Rest assured, we’ve added 219 more.
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