This week Boko Haram freed almost all of the 110 girls who were kidnapped last month, and the girls, their families, and the country is happy to have them home. “No ransoms were paid,” the information minister, Lai Mohammed, said in a statement. The girls were released “through back-channel efforts and with the help of some friends of the country, and it was unconditional.”
Unfortunately it is tough to see a reason why Boko Haram would release the girls unless the government paid a ransom. Moreover, the Nigerian government has a history of being less than candid with the people.
In the attack last month, the government and its security forces received a great deal of criticism for not implementing security measures after the massive 2014 attack and kidnapping. As a result, the government downplayed the extent of the last attack and sent out a vague statement similar to the one that claims they didn’t pay a ransom.
Going as far back as 2013, the government has been heavily criticized for paying a ransom to Boko Haram and trying to deny it. The defense of this method is that it’s better to win a battle without fighting. The payments bring back girls quickly at what could be less cost in men and money than in trying to fight them. But that might be a way of putting lip stick on a pig. I’m sure most members of the Nigerian military would rather get the girls back by fighting and winning against the terrorists, not by buying them off. So the payments and continued government duplicity reek of weakness.
These payments are dangerous on several levels. As Cicero said, “The sinews of war are infinite money.” This means that Boko Haram can further finance its operations in the regions. The collapse of Libya and looting of former Soviet- supported countries has flooded the black market with weapons that ransom money can buy. Leaders can distribute the cash as rewards to their followers which strengthens their leadership and recruiting efforts. Most importantly, once the money runs out, they can simply attack and kidnap more school girls with the best weapons money can buy.
Ernesto “Che” Guevara (June 14th, 1928 to October 9th, 1967) was originally from Argentina. He became a Latin American freedom fighter, an anti-imperialist and communist. He was trained as a medical doctor. He traveled Latin America as a medical student. He was radicalized by his travels. (Credit: Facebook/Dawn of the Red)
Undermining the government through targeted violence by a small group of revolutionaries is a Che Guevara inspired tactic called Focoism. In this case, the attacks against school girls inspire fear in citizens and undermine the government as more and more villages realize they won’t or can’t be protected by the government and should make peace with Boko Haram as best they can. This usually takes the form of paying protection money, or in acceding to their demands not to send their children to school. Either case becomes a victory for the terrorists, makes them stronger, spreads their influence, and makes it tougher for the government to stop this insurgency.
It is fantastic that these girls don’t have to live in captivity as sexual slaves. But the government got them back in such a way that will only make kidnapping school girls more attractive and likely in the future. Give a mouse a cookie, he’ll want a glass of milk. The best way to prevent their capture and end the insurgency would be to establish a vigorous counter insurgency presence that protects villages, particularly their schools, and saps the attractiveness and fighting strength of the terrorists through political reform and targeted military operations.
