It is frightening to see the level of tribalization and sectionalization of
Nigeria’s security departments. The recent report of alleged IPOB
affiliated persons being responsible for the deaths of five Hausa-Fulani
Nigerians in Abia state was a final straw.
Nigeria’s Department of State Security, DSS added that report to one on the
capture of one of the most deadly terrorists in the world, the leader of
Ansaru faction of Boko Haram, Khalid al-Barnawi. While all acts of terror
can be lumped together, the disparity in the reactions of the security
departments to acts of terror by different ethnic and religious groups, of
note, the so-called 95 and 5%s is catastrophically dangerous for Nigeria.
*NOTE:*
1. The DSS has never released a single statement (to my knowledge) on
systematic and synchronized Fulani “herder” massacres across Nigeria.
(Qualified as Boko Haram by the Nigerian senate
<http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/199855-agatu-killings-senate-blames-boko-haram-not-fulani-herdsmen.html>
).
2. The DSS has never released a statement describing how it is
investigating suspected Fulani murders (assuming they are not the
perpetrators), but in its statement against IPOB, the DSS described how it
made immediate arrests and interrogations to unearth the suspects.
3. The DSS has not released a single statement in regard to the Agatu
genocide of hundreds of “enemies” of Fulani herders, that has caused mass
displacement and untold suffering with properties burned in several
communities and hundreds killed.
4. The Attorney General, Mr Malami of the federation has defended murderous
Boko Haram terrorists
;
the likes of Khalid al-Barnawi from death, their due sentence as prescribed
by the law. This while State security departments murder protesting and
praying youth with no blood and lives on their hands in Aba and Zaria.
5. While in the IPOB case, a prompt investigation was launched according to
Tony of the DSS, in the Agatu massacre case, the police were sent to
mediate between the killers and their victims and murderers who openly
defended their acts of carnage were left to go home with no single arrest
till today. In news reports, suspected above-the-law Fulani have since killed
an APC youth leader
<http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/04/apc-youth-leader-3-others-killed-fresh-fulani-herdsmen-farmers-clash-benue/>
in
Benue and just killed University staff and others
<http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/04/fulani-herdsmen-kill-university-staff-farmer-in-delta/>
in
Delta, while the DSS focuses only on IPOB.
6. Not a single Fulani suspect has been arrested by the DSS, at least
according to their Press statements or lack of them in the regard. In the
past when Hussaini Monguno was arrested
<http://abusidiqu.com/nigeria-running-a-gestapogovernment-by-peregrino-brimah/>,
we mentioned this fact: on how State agencies are quick to investigate and
arrest those they personally hate or feel personally attacked by; but the
same agencies fail to arrest terrorists, especially Boko Haram and Fulani
brand and when they do, they promise them repatriation into society,
amnesty and safety from death sentences.
7. There is no similar report of a DSS investigation into the Zaria
massacre, even if to arrest more Shia Muslims. The Police and DSS should by
now have been involved in such investigations into the incidents of the
massacre including the allegations of mass murder, mass burials, the
reported mass graves found, demolitions and other potential legal
infractions and crimes. These are state security tasks of the professional
police and DSS and not civilian conference-room panels. However the DSS has
its apparent personal priorities.
8. The state security agencies while harsh on other groups are appearing
frighteningly compassionate to Boko Haram and Fulani Fulani terrorists. The
promised repatriation camps for terrorists including those who have killed
and raped our women is a violation of the laws of the land and God. This
seems to serve foreign fanatic Takfiri sponsor governments’ interests.
Nigeria’s laws clearly state that terrorists who have killed must be killed
<http://abusidiqu.com/nigerias-agf-ignorant-death-penalty-terrorists-law-peregrino-brimah/>.
We see Reverends being sentenced to death
<http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/199082-supreme-court-affirms-death-sentence-rev-king.html>;
robbers being so-sentenced; but Boko Haram and Fulani herder rampaging
murderers being spared.
9. In remarkable contrast, the Buhari government addresses Fulani herder
open violence and frank terror with a promise to create ranches and
“address their agitations.” While in contrast, non-violent IPOB Igbo
protests are not addressed based on their agitations and concerns, but this
section of Nigerian society is rather further undermined, castigated,
implicated, killed in protest and prayer and associated with Khalid
al-Barnawi.
10. There is ample evidence that the Security department is once again
being used as an intimidation instrument of the ruling political party; as
it was in prior administrations. There is video evidence
<https://www.naij.com/774158-shocking-rivers-apc-candidate-storms-inec-office-shouts-money-video.html>
of an alleged APC politician/candidate harassing an INEC officer in Rivers
to refund bribe money paid him, while State military and police look on.
This video gives merit to many other tales of security officers being
dispatched by the security chiefs to protect ruling party interests and not
those of the people.
We would like to urgently call on the repositioning of the Nigerian police,
DSS and army to be detribalized, desectionalized and nonreligious
instruments. These agencies must remember that they are employed and paid
by all Nigerians and there to protect all Nigerians and their interests
equally.
We understand that this fresh administration has exuberant, excited agents
eager to “impress” the President in whatever ways they deem valuable,
however they must realize that they do harm to themselves, the president
and Nigeria, planting seeds of tomorrow’s terror and chaos with their
disproportionate brutality and lack of equity and justice.
If there is no justice, there can never be peace; and if there is no peace,
there can never be progress and development.
Dr Peregrino Brimah; @EveryNigerian