Boko Haram militants                                 Photo courtesy

Jama'atu ahlis Sunna lidda'awati wal-jihad or Boko Haram in Hausa, is but haram as its name denotes. 'Haram' in Arabic means something illegal and dirty. Boko Haram can be translated as “Western education is sacrilege" in Hausa. Between western education and the wild education upheld by Boko Haram militants, which is sacrilege? If western education is sacrilegious as Boko Haram think, what is an alternative education to it?

Boko Haram, is by all standards illegal.Why has the Nigerian government  which has been able to contain groups such as The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (mossop) and Niger Delta People Salvation Front (NDPSF) failed to eradicate the terrorist group - Boko Haram?

While it is against human rights to punish people without being heard, this prerequisite does not hold when it comes to terrorist groups such Boko Haram. Since Boko Haram militants are not ready to follow proper channels, it is difficult to handle them under human rights parameters where natural justice, the right to be heard, presumption of innocence until proved guilty and the like apply. How can Boko Haram be presumed innocent while they unashamedly brag for committing atrocities like the Christmas eve attack  that saw  over 40 innocent people die?  

The Nigerian government  must declare Boko Haram a terrorist group. Its  ringleaders must be identified and charged before the court of law. The claim by the group that it has been repsponsible for some attrocities must be used as evidence against it. This is possible given that the jurisdiction of courts have expanded especially in dealing with atrocities and terrorism internationally. The financiers of this group must also be identified. Such a ragtag group cannot survive without support by foreign entities.

The Nigerian public should take on Boko Haram instead of waiting for the government. They should apprehend Boko Haram sympathizers and hand them over to the government. Nigerians should not be fooled by Boko Haram’s razzmatazz and circus to believe that the war against Boko Haram is war against Islam. It is war against terrorists who want to destabilize the country. The Nigerian government must not sleep on the wheel. Boko Haram must be history.

By Nkwazi Mhango

The author is a Canada based Tanzanian and author of Saa ya Ukombozi.