No doubt the biggest problems facing Nigeria as a nation today is the Boko Haram terrorism. It is a very dangerous trend in our nation today which if not quickly stopped is capable of throwing the country into another civil war. That is why every Nigeria and even the international community must all offer solutions to end the insurgency now before it is too late. I am not encouraged by the attitude of the Federal Government or even the statements of the President Goodluck Jonathan that Boko Haram insurgency is not capable of dividing the country. I totally disagree with the President. What we are experiencing today as Boko Haram is capable of dividing the country if not peacefully but violently, this is because there is a limit to what people will continue to watch their loved ones murdered in cold blood and all they hear from the security operatives and the government is that ,’ terrorism will soon end’. But what we see on a daily basis is that it is becoming more vicious , more deadly and more dangerous. It is so bad that you don’t even know who to trust again.
Those in government should be made to understand that there is a limit to human endurance and that there is a limit to ones patience to turn the other cheek when slapped. Has any body ever imagined a situation where Christians will no longer tolerate attack on worshippers in churches, decide to retaliate and attack a mosque during a Friday jumat service, a religious war will certainly ensure with Ministers, Police and the Military taking sides. So I expect the government of the day to stop deceiving itself that the Boko Haram is not capable of dividing the country.
The question to ask at this point is how did we get to the point we are in today. Different reasons had been adduced or advanced. There are two major reasons responsible for the current spate of killings in the country today. First is that Northern leaders have failed their youths over the years and have used religion to oppress them and have been too afraid to let the people know the truth. We have had so many killings of innocent Nigerians by Northern youths in the name of Religion over the years since after the civil war, and these Northern youths have gotten away with it. A few example will suffice. In 1991 or there about there was the Ronnard Bonnke killings which the government called riots then, over one hundred Christains were killed in Kano because a German Preacher Bonnke was coming to preach. Nothing happened to the killers. In 1992 during the National Sports Festival in Bauchi over one hundred Christians were killed because of one Naira suya. A suya seller , Christian an indigene of Bauchi state sold pork mean to a muslim whose Religion did not permit him to eat pork meat, so the disagreement between the two of them led to the murder of over one hundred Christians in the state, many of whom knew nothing about suya sale. At the end nothing was done to the murderers . in 2002 under Olusegun Obasanjo regime over one hundred and fifty Christians were killed in Kano because America attacked Afganistan in search of Osama Bin Ladin. In fact on that day the attackers invaded Runfa College at the heart of kano city gate and murdered school children between the ages of nine and twelve. They identified the Christians from their names and dressing dragged them out and killed. On that occasion Obasanjo cut short his tour of France flew straight to Kano to commiserate with the the dead. That was the period of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso first tenure in office. When Obasanjo visited about one hundred suspects were paraded, after he left for Abuja they were all released. So over the years the people have been made to believe that they can kill in the name of religion and gate away with it, so we are all facing the consequences of the North not bringing up their children with the fear of God and respect for human dignity and respect for human life.
Let me say that all these talks of linking the insurgency to what happened or events leading to the civil war is begging the issue. I have heard some retired Militarymen who participated in the last civil war the likes of General Theophilus Danjuma, General Jeremiah Useni and recently Adamawa Governor Admiral Murtala Nyako that the fight against Boko Haram is like the killing of Northern elites by people of Eastern Region during the 1966 coups which ultimately led to the civil war. In fact in his letter to the Northern Governor s Murtala Nyako said Jonathan who was from the Eastern Region is doing what those from the then Eastern Region did in the 1966 coup. This is really a shame. it is a shame because what Nyako is trying to do is to incite the North against Igbos once again as they did in the events leading to the civil war. Nyako and his likes like TY Danjuma, Jerry Useni among others knew that Goodluck Jonathan is an Ijaw man and the Ijaws sabotaged Biafra cause before, during and after the war, infact to compensate the Ijaws for sabotaging Biafra the North ensured that all Igbo properties in Port Harcourt were ceded to them in the name of abandoned properties. During that war an Ijaw man Chief E.K . Clark a former Federal Commissioner of Information now member of the National Conference led a delegation to the Then Pope , Pope Pius V1 that the war in Nigeria was not between Christian and Muslims, this he did so that the Igbos who were mostly Catholics did not get sympathy or support from the Vatican. So if the likes of Murtala Nyako believed that President Jonathan is cooking up the Boko Haram thing so he can kill Northern elites he should please leave Igbos out of it. Igbos are not interested in crisis in the North as they have nothing to gain from it. Eighty percent of Igbo business and investment in Northern Nigeria is located among the muslim dominated North than in Christian dominated area of North Central. There are more Igbo business interest in Kano, Gusau, Mubi, Maiduguri more than in Taraba ,Benue and Plateau states which are Christian dominated areas of the North. There are more Igbos in Maiduguri than in Bayelsa state . So why will Igbos destroy their own means of livelihood. Besides why will Jonathan use Military to kill Northern elites when his security operatives are from the North. The Chief of Defence is from the North, the Minister of Defence is from the North, the National Security Adviser is from the North and the Inspector General of Police is from the North, Yet Nyako want his fellow Northern governors to believe President Jonathan ‘ who come from the former Eastern Region of Nigeria is once again killing Northern elites as they did in 1966 coup’. This is another attempt by Murtala Nyako and the like to incite the North against Igbo. You can see why Nigeria is not moving forward, why there are no development and why the country is moving towards a failed state. It is clear that with the likes of Admiral Nyako who have ruled this country in the past and are still in control do not have any love for the country. Nigeria can only be peaceful only when they in power.
Another reason that has been attributed to the current Boko Haram insurgency is that it is actually an extension or a continuation of the resistance to Fulani control by the Kanuris. History had it that in 1804 Fulani Jihad led by Uthman Dan Fodio led a Jihad in Northern Nigeria and conquered it. It claimed that the Jihad was aimed at purifying Islamic Religion, among the places the Jihadist could not conquer included the Kanuris of the Bornu empire. However the fulanis is said to have used Islam to colonize the entire North and parts of South West and its influence covers the entire region. So far the Fulani area of the country known as the North West is the most developed part of the North and only the North West had produced elected Presidents in Nigeria. The Boko Haram insurgency is said to be Kanuris revolt against Fulani hegemony. The Fulanis in a reprisal attack were also said to have attacked some targets to incite Nigerians and indeed Christians against Boko Haram. The attack on St Theresa’s Catholic Church Madalla in Niger state was said to be one of such attacks .
I want to particularly appeal to President Goodluck Jonathan to immediately end the Boko Haram and other terrorist activities in the country before it consumes all of us. By now the President should have known those who are the main sponsors of the group, punish them and expose them to Nigerians. Nigerians need to know those behind the killing of their loved ones, those responsible for making some Nigerians homeless or orphans etc, if the Federal Government cannot summon the courage and the political will to punish them their victims will one day punish them or make their children pay for their crimes one day. The President should have gotten details of the Boko Haram from his security reports. If by now the security reports have not told him those behind the senseless killing of Nigerians, he should know that his security operatives are not loyal to him. The President should stop this idea of tagging someone a Boko Haram sponsor only when the person has openly criticized his administration as he has done in the case of suspended CBN Governor Lamido Sanusi and now Murtala Nyako.
From the utterances or Nyako letter to Northern governors it is clear that some powerful Nigerians are plotting another genocide against Igbo as they did in 1966. I only hope Igbo will see the handwriting on the wall and prepare fully so they are not caught unawares as they did in the period leading to civil war. Nyako is not alone in this thinking, General Jeremiah Useni and T Y Danjuma have also said the same at various times.. As I reflect on the current happenings in the country and some leading characters I immediately remember the Brigadier General Tunde Idiagbon a former Chief of staff Supreme Headquarters . idiagbon had predicted in his last media interview that there are 60 Nigerians that must die before this country can know peace and move forward, and he mentioned their names. Some of these Nigerians are still alive and in their seventies they have refused to die.
To end the Boko Haram insurgency and other terrorist agitation in Nigeria, I want the Federal Government to first settle whatever differences between various communities in the North in particular and in Nigeria in General, devise a new method of succession and power sharing in the country in a way that no part of the country feel cheated or made to believe they are second class citizens , every part of the country must be given sense of belonging and love. Another suggestion is that all anti people policies must be suspended until thing improved. The continued banning of commercial motor cycle, Keke NAPEB, buses, demolition of houses etc should stop and finally rich Nigerian must as a matter of urgency contribute to a common financial pool for social security to the unemployed. The billionaires and wealthy Nigerians must understand that they, their properties and Investments are not safe as long as majority of Nigerians live in abject poverty. The government must tackle electricity problem and unemployment in the country.
The government at all levels should stop behaving as if Boko Haram is not a problem or that it cannot divide the country. The Government should suspend all other project and see Boko Haram as the most important project or problem to solve. It is much more important than continued building project or road projects in Abuja , Abuja is never and can never be a centre of Unity, it belong to the Gwaris and one day it will be another resource control issue.
Vincent Egunyanga a freelance journalist live in Abuja
