President Goodluck Jonathan told participants at the World Economic Forum on Africa in Abuja on Thursday that the abduction of over 200 girls of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, by the Boko Haram Islamic terrorists would mark the beginning of the end of terrorism in the country. Indeed, the kidnapping has sparked an international outrage and solidarity. Across the world, governments, organisations, and individuals are speaking with one voice against the atrocity and acting in concert with Nigeria in the efforts to rescue the girls and end the terrorist onslaught.
The Nigerian government must leverage this huge outpouring of empathy to decisively deal with the menace of terrorism. The country has a rare chance to ask any shared values from civilised humanity in the fight against terror. This is a golden opportunity to tackle this hydra-headed problem.