Date Published: 12/31/09

December 30, 2009                           PRESS RELEASE

UMAR FAROUK ABDULMUTALLAB ABORTED TERROR ACT AND THE REACTIONS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY-A CALL FOR RESTRAINT AND UNDERSTANDING

Over the last few days, there have been genuine expressions of concerns by Nigerians in the Diaspora over the treatment being meted to them as a result of the attempted terror attack on a US-bound plane by a Nigerian, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab.

While we once again condemn the aborted terror attack in its entirety, we are also worried by the avalanche of complaints from Nigerians home and abroad over the improper treatment being received these past few days. We fear innocent Nigerians are being subjected to humiliation and discrimination for no fault of theirs; Nigerians are being stigmatised unduly.

Against this backdrop, we want to call on the International Community, in particular the United States, to exercise some level of patience and controls over this incidence and not give the blanket name of “Terrorists” to Nigerians or regard our beloved country, Nigeria as “A haven of terrorists”. We urge them to display a high level of understanding and exercise due restraints by treating the Abdulmutallab issue as an isolated case, because Nigerians are not terrorists; on the contrary, they are very peaceful people, and they are certainly not suicidal either. The average Nigerian born and raised up in this country is not willing to die even in the midst of excruciating poverty, and unbearable hardship, much less taking to such extremism. We also want the International Community, especially the United States to take into cognizance the fact that the father of the suspect lodged a complaint about his son’s unusual behaviour with the US Mission in Nigeria days before the botched attack. This we ask even as we understand their fears and legitimate concerns. These are days which demand wise restraints and calm reasonableness

Furthermore, we call on our own government to wake up from its slumber and take serious steps to prevent a re-occurrence of this saga. The Yar Adua-Jonathan Administration must swing immediately into positive action to remove those conditions of poverty, insecurity, injustice, sectarian violence arising from Islamic fundamentalism, and extremism in Northern Nigeria, religious bigotry, racism and tribalism which are the fertile soil on which terrorism and extreme hatred for fellow human beings thrives.

In the final analysis, we call on all citizens of the world, in particular the Muslim world (for Islam as we know it is not a violent religion) to take a decisive stand against the menace of terrorism, for an act of terror anywhere constitutes a grave threat to life, and a threat to life anywhere, is a threat to life everywhere. Grappling with the reality of terrorism demands that we must be honest with ourselves. These are times for real choices and not false ones.

  Comrade Eneruvie Enakoko

  (CLO Chairman in Lagos)