Foiling Boko Haram’s plan in the South-West

IT  is doubtful that many people attached great importance to the startling revelation recently made by the military authorities that fleeing Boko Haram terrorists had infiltrated parts of the South-West. Perhaps what caught the attention of most people was the security alert issued by the United States on the possibility of terror attacks  on foreigners domiciled in Lagos.  However, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division, General Isidore Edet had, at a church service marking  the Army Day celebration at Saint Charles Catholic Church, Ikeja Cantonment, sounded a note of warning on Boko Haram fighters seeking refuge in Yorubaland. According to him, it was becoming a daily routine for security operatives to apprehend suspected Boko Haram members in Lagos and Ogun states, following sustained military operation against the terrorists.
General Isidore said: “Almost on a daily basis, we arrest Boko Haram members in Lagos. They have seen that the war is being won, so they are running. The army, in conjunction with other security agencies, arrests them almost daily. Initially, they deny when we ask them questions. But when we profile them, they start revealing where they fought, how they killed soldiers, how they detonated bombs in Maiduguri, and so on. ”
While we commend the gallantry and vigilance of the Nigerian military and other security agencies against the invidious activities of the terrorists, we warn that the incursion of the killer sect into Ogun and Lagos states cannot be handled with levity. Rather, the threat demands the concerted efforts and collaboration of  the civil populace and security operatives, to stave off possible catastrophe. The magnitude of the damage done by Boko Haram to the North-East and indeed the nation is too grave to treat the latest incursion of the blood-thirsty sect with levity. The South-West, being the industrial and commercial hub of the country, deserves a comprehensive security apparatus in all its nooks and crannies. On their part, state and local governments should, as a matter of urgency, step up campaigns aimed at achieving improved public awareness on security.
In August last year, the State Security Service (SSS) confirmed the arrest of nine suspected Boko Haram terrorists in Lagos. In October 2014, there were reports that no fewer than 1,000 fleeing Boko Haram fighters were arrested, also in Lagos. The third round of arrests took place in the densely populated Ijora, where security operatives apprehended two suspected terrorists and recovered arms, including AK 47 rifles and explosives, in a building on Aromire Street. A bomb kept in a cooler and hidden inside the ceiling of one of the rooms occupied by one of the suspects was recovered by soldiers. Sadly,  however, not much has been heard concerning all the arrests till date.