The Silent That Kills: How Suppressed Truth Fuels Boko Haram’s Resurgence

The Silence That Kills: How Suppressed Truth Fuels Boko Haram’s Resurgence.

By Junaid Jibrin Maiva

There is a growing unease sweeping through Borno and its neighbouring states, a silence that echoes louder than gunshots, a silence that kills. As the dust of propaganda settles, the reality becomes clear: the Boko Haram insurgency is far from over.

While the rest of the country clings to the illusion of peace, we in Borno and neighbouring states like Yobe are living a different reality. One marred by fear, abductions, killings, and the painful silence that follows every attack.

Governor Babagana Umara Zulum yesterday broke that silence, courageously admitting what many have been too afraid to say: Boko Haram is resurging. His statement is not only bold but timely, a long-overdue acknowledgment of a grim reality many of us face daily. The truth is, Boko Haram never left. Their activities never ceased. What has changed is the way we talk about it — or rather, how we no longer talk about it.

When news broke that the Damaturu–Biu road was allegedly closed due to security threats, it was later dismissed as false. But behind that lie lies a bigger truth, the fear was real, and the attacks have indeed intensified. The silence surrounding these incidents isn’t just misleading; it’s deadly.

Villages have been attacked, farmers killed, women abducted — but few stories make it to the headlines. These atrocities have become so frequent that they’ve slipped into the realm of normalcy. Yet, nothing is normal about living under the shadow of terror. Nothing is normal about relying on solar energy because the national grid was vandalized. Nothing is normal about celebrating silence when that very silence has cost us countless lives.

For those living outside Borno, the perception is that the war is over, that peace has been restored. But here on the frontlines, peace is a mirage. It is the silence that lingers after the gunfire, the hush that follows the cries for help. And that silence is killing us.

We are slowly dying, not just from the bullets, but from the lack of truth. The unwillingness to speak out has given Boko Haram an edge, a space to operate, to thrive, and to kill without consequence.

But there is hope. When leaders like Governor Zulum face the truth and speak it, they take the first step in fighting back. Acknowledgment is power. And perhaps, just perhaps, this brave admission will inspire more truth-telling, more action, and more resolve.

Because if we must survive this nightmare, we must break the silence. We must tell our stories. And we must never allow our voices to be drowned by the convenience of peace narratives.

Let the truth be loud, because silence, we have learned, is deadly.

~ Junaid Jibril Maiva.