BY: IFEANYI IZEZE
No matter how anybody wants to paint the picture, it can no longer be
disputed that Nigeria now faces one of her worst periods of insecurity
manifesting in violent extremism, rampant cases of kidnapping, cattle
rustling, herder/ farmers violent conflicts and murderous campaign of
bandits across Nigeria particularly in the Northwest.
Does anybody still doubt that the body language of this government is
showing that either it is complicit in the spate of massacres in the
Northwest and elsewhere across the country or has no iota of idea on
what to do and how to do it and do it well? Meanwhile, President
Mohammadu Buhari came with a three point agenda topmost of which was
ensuring security of lives and properties across the country. How he has
implemented this remains at best blurred and at worst obscured.
Adding to the absurd, the Nigerian Army now do more in gathering
intelligence on politicians that want to scuttle the May 29th
inauguration of Buhari’s second tenure than think of gathering
intelligence on the various terrorists miscreants that have taken over
the Northwest and the rest. So if a foreign country has cogent
intelligence on any Nigerian politician trying to cause trouble in this
country, is it the Army they would pass on such intelligence to announce
to the public through press statements or the DSS, Police and/or NIA? Do
we still need any convincing to know that something is happening in this
government that the ordinary Nigerians are not paying attention to?
When the massacre by Fulani bandits was localized in Zamfara, it was
described as fallout of the activities of illegal mining mafias
pillaging the abundant heavy minerals: gold, diamond and maybe Uranium
in the area.
The criminality gradually crept into Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi and now
Katsina. So do we still believe the illegal mining mafia conspiracy
theory by the government? If our leaders could only stop deceiving
themselves by giving us these explanations that could best be described
as stupid and call the spade what it really is, we will well on the road
to genuine and effective solution to the problem.
Now Miyetti Allah has been clearly identified by top managers of our
security agencies to be responsible for the spate of killings, massacre
of scores of villages, kidnappings, rape etc in the Northwest and across
the country but rather than carry out mass arrest of both their leaders
and the foot soldiers, our government is talking of giving them over a
hundred billion to pacify them while the group is insisting on N160
billion or nothing as widely reported. You see the country we call
Nigeria?
For the Presidency to muster the audacity to equate Miyetti Allah with
Afenifere, and Ohaneze Ndigbo and even PANDEF is the peak of callousness
by this government. do they think before they even talk? So Miyetti
Allah has replaced Arewa Consultative Forum? Haba maigaskiya!
The Buhari administration is on record as having paid billions in both
Naira and Dollars to the terrorists/bandits in ransom and protection
money over the last four years and what did it achieve? Only one thing
and that’s grossly strengthening the marauders and assisted their
mutiny and armed banditry against the Nigerian state. No wonder they are
being emboldened more and more everyday.
Who actually thinks for this government? Does it occur to the hollow
heads manning our security agencies that the mere idea of proposing such
“dole” has already created a problem for this country as several
other groups will now spring up over night to visit our people with
unprecedented mayhem that will attract and force this same government to
also negotiate their own largees?
Hear the President of Miyetti Allah, Muhammad Kiruwa: “This is the
first of its kind in the history of this country for a president of the
country to direct his security aids to interact with an aggrieved party
to air their views. This meeting will serve as a foundation for peace
between the Fulani herdsmen and farmers, and amongst the Fulanis
themselves.”
Without mincing words, the top command of the current national security
team made up of mostly one ethnic affiliation same with the armed fulani
herdsmen and bandits, have always made decisions that reflects their
biasness and inclination to pamper and protect these armed bandits who
ought to be dealt a heavy blow in line with the constitutional
provisions. Why are the pythons not dancing and crocodiles not smiling
in those areas of the Northwest?
Is it not clear that either the people at the top echelon of our
security apparatuses may be behind this problem or they know what the
rest of us don’t know? There is something the government people know
that they are not telling us. How can we continue like this as a country
of serious- minded people?
It will be an obvious tramadol trip in self deceit for anybody including
the service chiefs and those politicians that run the government to
continue to delude themselves that they are safer than the rest of the
people. The Daura kidnap incident is a clear case at hand except it was
staged managed.
Just look at: it started as a local banditry in Zamfara, gradually it
crept to Sokoto, Kebbi and Kaduna up to the extent that even top
military and government officials and their families can no longer go to
their homes in the entire Northwest except by train to Kaduna. Is it
when the criminals get to Abuja and the Presidential Villa that Buhari
and his security Chiefs will know that there is a problem?
Kaduna especially the southern parts is terribly decimated as villages
with its peoples are wiped -off almost on daily basis and nobody
including the state governor is doing anything serious and sincere to
address the spate of mayhem aside organizing arrangee visits with the
military top commanders to establish “it was an inter-tribal conflict
between the Fulanis and the indigenous people of Southern Kaduna.”
The Abuja Kaduna road spate of kidnapping and armed robbery, is also as
a result of the activities of the illegal mining mafias of Zamfara or
the inter -tribal conflict between Fulanis and the indigenous people of
Southern Kaduna, abi?
The situation in the Southern parts of the country is not better either
as kidnapping has become the new hobby of miscreants including security
officials as Port Harcourt and Benin people can boldly tell you.
Frankly speaking, Fani Kayode hit the nail on the head in one of his
comments as he said: “Our country is now exhibiting all the basic and
fundamental characteristics of a classic failed state where, in parts of
the north, the Federal Government and its security forces no longer have
any control and can no longer claim to exert a monopoly of violence.
If this is not the case why would the Federal Government be offering
Miyetti Allah and the terrorist Fulani herdsmen billions of naira to
stop butchering, maiming, kidnapping and tormenting the Nigerian people
and stealing their land and mineral resources. Governments are meant to
fight and crush terrorists and terrorist organisations and defend their
people and not beg or negotiate with them but this is the opposite of
what we see today in the North. How long can we continue like this as a
country? God help Nigeria!
(IFEANYI IZEZE: IIZEZE@YAHOO.COM; 234-8033043009)