Murder of 47 students: Stop political campaign, step up military campaign

Following the killings of 47 students in the Government Senior Secondary School in Potiskum, Yobe State, the President of Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria (AISSON) Dr. Ona Ekhomu has advised the Federal government to halt all political campaigns in the North East of the country and declare war on the Boko Haram terrorists, with emphasis on intensify military campaign in the areas under emergency rule.

The security expert said that the carnival atmosphere that accompanied political campaign rallies would make mockery of the memory of innocent school students slaughtered by Boko Haram in the Potiskum attack and several other recent school attacks including the abduction of the over 200 school girls from Chibok, Borno State.

Ekhomu said that politicking in the states under Emergency rule was insensitive and detracted from the military effort.  He said that since Boko Haram has a penchant for attacking large crowds, political rallies could come under person borne IED (PB IED) attacks or Vehicle Borne IED (VBIED) attacks.

Ekhomu deplored the lack of security awareness in schools. 

He cited the September 2014 suicide bombing attack at the Federal College of Education Kano which claimed 17 lives and the bombing of the School of Hygiene in Kano in June which killed eight.  In February 2014, BH terrorists attacked Government Secondary School Buni Yadi, Yobe State with IEDS and Molotov cocktails killing 49 students in that horrific attack.

Also in February 2014, 25 students were killed in an attack against a Christian School in Shuwa, Adamawa State. 

The Gujba, Yobe School Massacre took place in September 2013 while the Government Secondary School Mamudo (Yobe State) massacre occurred in July 2013.  Based upon the observed pattern of attacks, it is clear that BH is systematically exterminating students and attempting to ensure the total shut down of the educational infrastructure in Nigeria’s North East States.

Ekhomu called for the implementation of tough security measure when students are in school including good identification procedures, training of students in observation skills, security awareness training for students, IED recognition and response training, crisis management protocols including notification of suspicious packages or persons, evacuation of an area with suspicious package, reporting of suspicious objects to the school authorities and to security officials, and provision of armed security personnel to guard school buildings.

 Ekhomu praised the residents of Azare, Bauchi who at an ATM challenged a man who wanted to leave behind a package. As an argument ensued between the man and the citizens waiting in line at the ATM, the bomb detonated and killed the bomber along with nine others.

Ekhomu called for the deployment of civilian JTF throughout the states under emergency rule to guard school facilities, students, teachers and school officials.

He said that since civilian JTF have mystical and physical means of identifying BH elements, they will better guard schools when students were present.

Ekhomu urged the Jonathan administration to urgently approach the national assembly and seek authority for declaration of war on BH.  Declaring war will create the necessary focus of resources and political will to quickly conclude the armed conflict.

He advised the FG that it was fighting a well-resourced international terror organization that was well armed, determined, zealous and not bound by rules of war.

He advised the government to execute a troops surge into the North East region to overwhelm the enemy. He said it was unacceptable to right-thinking Nigerians for Boko Haram to control 16 local government areas in the northeast. He described it as “a violation of the territorial integrity of Nigeria.”