BY ADEKOLA BOLUWAJI NIFEMI
For over a decade, the Boko Haram insurgency has ravaged northeastern Nigeria, leaving a trail of death, displacement, and despair. The militant group has massacred tens of thousands, abducted schoolchildren, bombed churches and mosques, and turned entire towns into ghost communities. Yet, more damning than the brutality of the terrorists is the betrayal of the Nigerian people by their own government—a betrayal marked by negligence, corruption, denial, and political manipulation.
The tragedy of Boko Haram is not just the story of religious extremism or armed rebellion. It is also the story of a state that chose power over people, propaganda over policy, and silence over justice.
Warnings Ignored, Lives Lost
The origins of Boko Haram trace back to the early 2000s, but it was in 2009—following the extrajudicial killing of founder Mohammed Yusuf by Nigerian security forces—that the group transformed into a violent insurgency. In the years that followed, the Nigerian government consistently downplayed the threat, failing to act until Boko Haram had overrun large parts of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states.
Even as towns fell and civilians fled in droves, the government often denied the scale of the crisis. Military leaders claimed victory while insurgents hoisted their flags over captured territory. The infamous abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls in 2014, which shocked the world, was initially dismissed by government officials as a hoax.
This willful ignorance cost thousands of lives.
Corruption in the Face of War
One of the most unforgivable aspects of Nigeria’s failure against Boko Haram is the systemic corruption within the military and political class. Funds earmarked for arms procurement were looted on a grand scale.
The most notorious example was the $2.1 billion arms scandal involving former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki, in which funds meant for weapons and equipment were diverted to political campaigns and private accounts. Soldiers were sent to the frontlines with obsolete rifles, unpaid salaries, and little to no protection, while generals and politicians lived lavishly off stolen war funds.
This betrayal left the military weak and ill-prepared, and it directly endangered the lives of civilians and troops. Many soldiers reportedly refused to fight not out of cowardice, but because they were deliberately under-armed by a system that prioritized profit over patriotism.
Failure to Protect the Most Vulnerable
Throughout the conflict, Nigerian authorities have failed to protect the most vulnerable populations—particularly women and children. The kidnapping of schoolgirls in Chibok (2014) and Dapchi (2018) were not isolated incidents, but part of a larger pattern of government inaction and poor intelligence.
In the case of Dapchi, Boko Haram operatives drove into the town in broad daylight, abducted over 100 girls, and left unchallenged. Days later, they returned the girls to the same town, in a motorcade, without interference. It was a chilling indictment of the state’s absence or possible collusion.
Many abductees remain unaccounted for to this day, their fate unknown—while officials offer empty reassurances and media-friendly photo ops.
Propaganda, Secrecy, and the Politicization of Terror
Rather than respond with transparency and accountability, successive Nigerian governments have treated the Boko Haram crisis as a public relations challenge rather than a national emergency. Official briefings often contradict eyewitness accounts. Successes are exaggerated; failures are ignored.
Security updates are shrouded in secrecy, while critical journalism is stifled or labelled as “unpatriotic.” Under both the Jonathan and Buhari administrations, the insurgency became a political football, with each side blaming the other while ordinary Nigerians bore the brunt of the violence.
The result has been a war fought as much for political optics as for national security — with civilians as collateral damage.
The Displaced and Forgotten
As of 2024, over 2 million Nigerians remain internally displaced in the northeast, living in overcrowded camps with inadequate food, water, and medical care. These camps are poorly funded, often insecure, and sometimes exploited by corrupt officials diverting relief supplies.
Despite billions of naira in humanitarian budgets and foreign aid, displaced persons remain trapped in limbo — unable to return home, rebuild, or resume normal life. The government has failed to create a credible post-insurgency recovery plan, and donor fatigue is setting in.
A Nation Betrayed, But Not Broken
The Nigerian government’s handling of the Boko Haram insurgency will go down as one of the gravest betrayals in the country’s history. Through corruption, denial, political manipulation, and sheer negligence, those entrusted with protecting the people instead abandoned them to terror and insecurity.
But amid the failure of the state, Nigeria’s people — especially those in the northeast — have shown extraordinary resilience. Local vigilante groups, humanitarian workers, teachers in makeshift classrooms, and parents of the missing have carried burdens the government should have shouldered.
They deserve more than condolences. They deserve justice, reform, and leadership.
Until Nigeria confronts the truth of this betrayal and holds those responsible accountable, the wounds of Boko Haram will remain unhealed — and the ghosts of those betrayed will continue to haunt the conscience of the nation.