By Ochereome  Nnanna
LONG before they took their bombing misadventure to the premises of THISDAY Newspapers in Abuja and other media in Kaduna last week, I had the feeling that Boko Haram, Nigeria’s cell of the Al Qaeda Jihadist terrorist network, would try it, though exactly where they might start was not clear. When you are dealing with a sophisticated enemy it pays to study and understand the way they think and move. Then you will be able to anticipate what they are likely to do next.

When Boko Haram made their deadly resurgence shortly before the general elections of last year, they started targeting individuals and institutions and personnel of certain agencies of the Executive Branch, particularly the security forces (Police, Army, the State Security Services and others). They made a brief effort to intimidate the Judiciary handling the trial of their apprehended members. For a time, most members of the National Assembly from the North were intimidated into silence or when they spoke they, just like many Northern leaders, tried to curry the favour of the terrorists by canvassing “dialogue” and “amnesty”.

The media, being the Fourth Estate of the Realm and the marketplace of public opinion, was bound to be found attractive for the purposes of psychological warfare. In doing so, Boko Haram would not be the first or the only terrorist outfit gunning for the Press around the world. There is abundant evidence that right now we live in a world of terror, and Islamic terrorism is just one of the many such dangers that confront media people worldwide. Figures show a growing trend. For instance, in 2010 some 97 journalists lost their lives to terrorism in the world. The following year (2011) the figure accreted to 106.

Already in the first four months of 2012, 43 journalists have lost their lives around the world to anarchists. If the trend continues the figure for this year would be a startling 129, and experts say the figure is an increase of 50 per cent over the corresponding period of last year. Syria, due to the war within, leads the pack with nine lives of journalists lost closely followed by Brazil (five). Somalia under Jihadist terror stands third with three lives, while India, Bolivia and Nigeria have officially recorded two deaths each. Had the terrorists come at a more opportune period of the day it would have probably been a sorrier tale.

A Boko Haram spokesperson claimed THISDAY in particular was targeted over what he called “biased reporting” of their activities and propaganda, a “sin” it alleged was not peculiar to the newspaper. However, in a swift reaction, the editors of the newspaper expressed defiance, insisting no amount of intimidation would force them to abandon their quest for truth and reason and begin dancing to the tune of terrorists. And I say, Bravo! Resist the devil and he will flee! The spirit of courage displayed by the THISDAY editors must permeate the industry as a whole. Boko Haram and other agents of terror, be they ethnic, religious or regional armed groups seeking to dismantle our country and impose alien, devilish and unconstitutional ideologies must be apprehended and put out of harm’s way.

Boko Haram wants to cow the media and force it to give it the kind of space and attention it does not deserve. It does not deserve it because officially Boko Haram is an enemy of Nigeria. It has killed Muslims, Christians, Northerners, Southerners, foreigners and it is working for an agenda that is not acceptable to overwhelming majority of people of this country. If the media buckles to intimidation, the siege on our freedoms will succeed. It will be the first time the Nigerian media will be conquered in its long-standing trench wars against enemies of our nation’s freedom, such as the British colonialists, the various military despots and even civilian governments’ attempts to curtail access to information.

However, Boko Haram spokesman brought out a point that the media as a whole needs to take more serious: The need for fairness. You may argue (correctly) that it is a great irony that a terrorist group that does not subscribe to civilised and lawful means of expressing grievances is the one complaining of “unfairness”. Let it be reiterated that in the media profession, being fair to anyone is not doing that person a favour. Fairness is an essential ingredient of professional journalism. We can be fair even to Boko Haram, at least by reporting their activities and views as accurately as possible without pushing their objectionable propaganda. Accurate reporting will help the people to have a fair idea of just what is going on.

I still believe that Nigeria can, will and must win the war on terror. The good point is that Boko Haram does not have a viable agenda. Its “Western education is a sin” and dreams of eliminating Christians and God-fearing Moslems will never see the light of day. It is a quixotic venture. They can only cause terror, loss, pain and even death but just like their cohorts who, in the past, tried the will of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, this one will also find its place in the dunghill of history. It is a question of how willing we are in closing ranks against it.

For a time, Osisikankwu, the terror kingpin of Abia State, had seemingly become so invincible that he started negotiating political relevance for himself, his followers and his “people”. The government and people of Abia State, in tandem with the Federal Government, closed ranks and in a jiffy, Osisikankwu’s “invincibility” came to a sudden end and his body was displayed for public viewing before it was buried like the common criminal he was. That is what happens when people decide they have had enough of outlaws.

The Nigerian media is battle-tested and has won or survived many wars. This was possible because of the spirit of courage exhibited in the face of daunting odds. The Boko Haram challenge requires more vigilance, information sharing (especially with security agencies) and greater investment in modern security technology.

We shall overcome.