South-West remains on high alert, bracing for potential terrorist attack, according to Rotimi Fasan

In exactly two weeks, Nigerians will be celebrating the Muslim festival of Eid-al-Adha, marking a fortnight since a faction of Boko Haram terrorists disrupted the peace in Ahoro-Esinele and Yawota, both located in Oriire LGA, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, abducting around fifty Nigerians, mostly comprising school pupils, students, and their teachers, including at least one infant.

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Among the abducted individuals, two men, Joel Adesiyan and Michael Oyedokun, have lost their lives, with the latter being beheaded in a gruesome act intended to convey the terrorists' deadly intentions and brook no interference from any quarter, while another victim, an Okada man, was killed earlier.

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The terrorists' demands are yet to be met, and their actions have seemingly given them the upper hand, with the authorities appearing to wait for their next move, as evidenced by the terrorists' recent demand to speak directly with Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, highlighting their boldness.

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The government's response has been marked by inaction, leaving everyone anxious about the fate of the remaining abductees, with the authorities seemingly waiting for the terrorists' next decision regarding the people in their custody.

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The death of Michael Oyedokun was reportedly a deliberate act, possibly intended to reduce the threat posed by male captives, although it was also suggested that it might have been due to his Christian faith, a factor that had previously led to Leah Sharibu's continued captivity since 2018, during which time she has been forced to marry multiple Boko Haram commanders and raise their children.

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The heart-wrenching pleas of two female captives, Mrs. Temitope Mary Dahunsi and Mrs. Grace Alamu, have further highlighted the plight of those still being held, making it unbearable to contemplate their experiences, particularly in light of the gruesome fate that befell Mr. Michael Oyedokun.

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Some northern leaders, such as Sheik Ahmad Gumi, have been advocating for clemency towards these terrorists, describing them as "brothers and children" who are merely misguided and deserving of rehabilitation rather than recrimination, despite their brutal actions.

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It was only recently that the Sultan, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, mustered the courage to refer to these criminals as "terrorists," emphasizing that they should not be described as "Muslim terrorists" or "Islamic bandits," in an apparent attempt to distance their actions from the Muslim faith.

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Senior officials, including National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and Chief of the Defence Staff General Olufemi Oluyede, have also struggled to acknowledge the true nature of these terrorists, with Ribadu referring to them as "our brothers" and Oluyede likening them to the prodigal son, a sentiment echoed by many other northerners.

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These northern leaders have been vocal in their criticism of President Bola Tinubu's handling of the country's security concerns, making it a campaign issue for the upcoming presidential election and demanding that he should not be re-elected, while attempting to connect the activities of the terrorists to the economic reforms implemented during his presidency.

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However, discerning Nigerians, including some Fulani leaders and northerners, recognize that President Tinubu has chosen to adopt a lenient approach towards the terrorists, deferring to the sentiments of northerners hostile to the deployment of force necessary to combat terrorism, despite the country's federal structure.

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These critics pretend that this is not the case, instead pointing to the harsh consequences of fiscal and monetary reforms, as well as the APC's dominance of the political space, which they characterize as a drive towards a one-party dictatorship, and also decry the marginalization of the north, which they claim is a result of losing power to a southerner.

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A president of northern extraction at this time, just four years after a Fulani-led eight-year rule, would be a recipe for national disintegration, a fact acknowledged by many Fulani leaders despite their complaints, as evidenced by Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso's willingness to serve as a vice-presidential candidate to a man he considers his inferior.

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Similarly, PRP chairman Hakeem Baba-Ahmed has opted for three lightweight southerners as aspirants for the PRP's presidential position, indicating that it is President Tinubu's understanding of their game that they oppose, rather than any other southerner, except perhaps one who promises to serve a single term.

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Since the Ogbomoso incident, both the Abuja and Oyo State governments have been awaiting the terrorists' next move, and by the time a ransom is paid to end the stalemate, the terrorists will be freed, and the cycle of empty promises to prevent a reoccurrence will begin anew, until the next attack.

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Meanwhile, the terrorists will continue to entrench themselves in the South-West and sustain their attacks in other parts of the country, as they have since the Ahoro-Esinele and Yawota incidents, an unacceptable state of affairs.