By Jonathan Ekene Ifeanyi<\/p>\n
I’ve marvelled most about the way the Islamic party (the APC) has turned
\nthe issue of insecurity in the county into an instrument of political
\ncampaign. In particular, the posters I saw in Lagos Island some days ago
\nwere simply irritating. In the posters were written the following: \u201cNo
\nEquipment for Security Forces\u2026But 4.3 Trillion Security Budget.\u201d
\n\u201cCorruption over Security.\u201d \u201cVote for Change!\u201d<\/p>\n
I’ve simply over-heard foreigners asking what the hell Nigerian people
\nwere doing over the past few years while Boko Haram murdered about 20, 000
\ninnocent Nigerians! \u201cGovernment can\u2019t do this if not solidly backed by the
\npeople,\u201d said one foreigner. \u201cCan\u2019t the entire citizens unite to defeat
\nthe evil forces?\u201d he asked. Indeed they can\u2019t! Rather, many do not only
\nfeel less concerned, they have been busy joining their fellow selfish and
\nunpatriotic cabal that make up the Islamic party to crucify the innocent
\nGoodluck. Just about three weeks ago, French President, Francois Hollande
\ndeclared that the battle to rout Boko Haram must be total and collective,
\nadding that his country\u2019s efforts to checkmate the sect in Nigeria was to
\nstop their activities from engulfing the West Africa sub-region and
\nbeyond. The French leader who spoke while hosting a well-attended
\n\u201cAfrica-France Economic Forum for a Shared Growth\u201d in Paris on Friday,
\nFebruary 7,2015, said France was not only concerned about preserving the
\nworld but committed to efforts to tackle insurgency in the world. His
\ndeclaration came just as Jonathan insisted that his administration would
\nhave no respite until insurgency is defeated, assuring that the government
\nhad not given up on its commitment to rescue the abducted Chibok girls. On
\na number of occasions, France had led initiatives and hosted meetings of
\ncountries within the Lake Chad basin, including Chad, Nigeria, Cameroon
\nand Niger Republic in an effort to adopt an integrated approach in
\nstopping the activities of Boko Haram. Now Francois Hollande remarkably
\nnoted that achieving growth and development was a mirage in an atmosphere
\nof insecurity.<\/p>\n
These words of a mere foreigner touched me, particularly when I considered
\nthat, with the spate of insecurity on the increase, especially in a
\nsection of the North, attention is being shifted from the concrete efforts
\nof the present administration to transform the economy, to the continued
\ndestruction of lives and property by Boko Haram terrorists who now pose
\nserious security threat since they intensified their dastardly acts about
\nfive years ago. So foreigners are aware of the terrible kind of situation
\nthe present administration is facing and are finding ways of assisting,
\nbut here in Nigeria, everybody folds hands while hurling unimaginable
\ndiabolical accusations on Jonathan\u2019s administration, accusations of not
\njust being a weak system that cannot fight \u201cinsurgency,\u201d but also\u2014in
\nfact\u2014of being the very brain behind Boko Haram!<\/p>\n
Indeed it is true that a democratic system\u2014government by the people\u2014is
\nevil, but the Nigerian case under Jonathan, a system in which even a
\nten-year old child can insult the President and it is simply normal, has
\nsimply become extraordinary!<\/p>\n
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan became the President of the Federal Republic of
\nNigeria in 2010 following the death of President Musa Yar\u2019Adua. First, we
\nrecall the drama that took place when Yar\u2019Adua died\u2014I mean the physical
\nbattle that was fought before Jonathan was eventually sworn in as
\nPresident of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, even though it was his
\nconstitutional right to be sworn in.<\/p>\n
The first bomb explosion witnessed by Jonathan\u2019s administration was the
\nOctober 2010 Abuja Bomb Blast\u2014the same October Lawal Kaita said (on behalf
\nof Northern Elders Political Forum) that \u201cWe\u2019ll make Nigeria ungovernable
\nfor Jonathan.\u201d The same Lawal Kaita recently stated that \u201cNorth Will
\nConfront Jonathan,\u201dthat \u201cAnything short of a Northern President is
\ntantamount to stealing our presidency. Jonathan has to go and he will go.
\nEven if he uses incumbency powers to get his nomination on the platform of
\nthe PDP, he will be frustrated out.\u201d In the same 2010 Junaid Mohammed
\ndeclared that \u201cIt must be a Northerner or no Nigeria.\u201d Asked what he
\nexpected would happen if Goodluck Jonathan won the PDP\u2019s endorsement to
\ncontest the 2011 presidential election, Junaid said, prophetically: \u201cThere
\nwould be violence. First, the PDP would never be the same again. People
\nwould desert the PDP in droves; secondly, the north is not going to take
\nit hands down. I want to assure that I want you to hold me to this after
\nseeing the way the events shape.\u201d (The Guardian, November 2, 2010).<\/p>\n
The October 2010 bomb blast claimed over scores of lives as the country
\nwas celebrating its golden jubilee independence anniversary in Abuja on
\nOctober 1, 2010. The so-called Movement for the Emancipation of Niger
\nDelta, MEND, claimed to be responsible. It is important to note here that
\nthe same MEND is now said to be opposing the re-election bid of Goodluck
\nJonathan while supporting Mohammadu Buhari!<\/p>\n
Now we recall here that Jonathan then exonerated MEND from the attack. He
\ndid that certainly because to him, it must have been certainly unthinkable
\nfor his own people, the Niger Deltans, to do such, and this is perfectly
\nreasonable. In his first public reaction to the bomb blasts which took
\nplace less than a kilometre away from Eagle Square where he was inspecting
\na military parade in commemoration of the nation\u2019s 50th independence
\nanniversary, Jonathan said terrorists were behind the deadly explosions
\nand not MEND.\u201cWhat happened yesterday was a terrorist act and MEND was
\njust used as a straw; MEND is not a terrorist group,\u201d he said. He added
\nthat the people of the Niger Delta are aware of the efforts of the present
\nadministration to address the deprivation of the past and will not do
\nanything to jeopardise the opportunity. \u201cIt is erroneous to think that my
\npeople who have been agitating for good living will deliberately blow up
\nthe opportunity they have now,\u201d Jonathan said.<\/p>\n
However, MEND did not only claim responsibility for the bomb blasts, the
\nmilitants had in an e-mail messages to some media houses warned of the
\nimpending attacks and advised people to evacuate areas close to the venue
\nof the independence celebrations about an hour before the explosions went
\noff. We pause here to note that this is exactly the same kind of warning
\nalways given by Boko Haram before launching attacks in certain areas. It
\nis also interesting to note that while Boko Haram in its various video
\nmessages has threatened Niger Delta militants such as those headed by
\nAsari Dokubo, the Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force, it has never at
\nany time said anything bad against MEND! In fact, Asari Dokubo has
\nrightly stated that MEND, just like Boko Haram, is a faceless
\norganization; that MEND is a faceless organisation which no longer exists
\nas far as the struggle for people’s emancipation in Niger Delta region is
\nconcerned. Speaking against the background of the controversial statement
\nissued in January 2010 by MEND endorsing the candidacy of the presidential
\ncandidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu
\nBuhari, the former militant leader described the acronym, MEND as
\npseudonym being used by the imprisoned Henry Okah to extort money from
\nignorant persons. This is true because even Henry Okah convicted for the
\nOctober 1, 2010 bombing at Eagles Square, has denied being the leader of
\nMEND in court under oath. Have you ever wondered why MEND leaders are not
\nknown anywhere like other organisations such as the Ijaw Youth Council,
\nOPC and so on?<\/p>\n
Here then, we see how the \u201cinsurgency\u201d issue was systematically started.
\nThe name of a \u201cNiger Delta militant group\u201d was used so that gullible
\nNigerians would attribute future attacks to Jonathan and his people, and
\nsince then, this has been working!<\/p>\n
A serious war was fought before Jonathan eventually contested the 2011
\nelection. Then of course he had the sympathy of many Nigerians (whose
\nminds have now been successfully poisoned) and so these merchants of death
\ncould do nothing to stop him; knowing that, they asked him to promise he
\nwould run for just a term. Out of frustration, Jonathan promised. But
\nthen, after the 2011 election, Jonathan began to show signs of wishing to
\ncontest come 2015.<\/p>\n
Again, Abu King Shuluwa exploded: \u201cAny attempt by Jonathan to run for the
\nelection would plunge this country into total anarchy or revolution
\nbecause the people feel betrayed by a president who told them that he
\nwould run for one term and thereafter return power to the North\u2026I saw a
\nvision of the country disintegrating by 2015, but the only person that can
\nsave Nigeria from the impending disintegration is President Jonathan and
\nhe can do that by not contesting the 2015 presidential election. If he
\ndoes, then he is calling for the total revolution, which will affect every
\nhousehold. That revolution will start the day Jonathan is announced as the
\ncandidate of the PDP. If he dares win the election, he will hardly be
\nsworn-in because of the revolution\u201d. (Vanguard Newspapers, Sunday, May 5,
\n2013).<\/p>\n
Northern Muslims manifested their most terrible kind of wickedness when
\nthey started circulating the news that Jonathan himself is behind Boko
\nHaram attacks. First, on the over 200 Chibok girls: We recall that
\nGovernor Shettima of Borno State was advised by the Federal Government to
\nrelocate those girls to Maiduguri to write their WAEC examination due to
\nsecurity concern in Chibok. Governor Shettima refused but instead gave
\nassurance that he had security for the girls. But in reality he had none
\nexcept an old \u201cmaiguard\u201d in the school. After an exam session the girls
\nwere abducted by Boko Haram, but before then, the Principal of the school
\nand her daughters who are Muslims had disappeared from Chobok. Thereafter,
\nit took Mr. Governor 18 days to inform his President of the Chibok girls\u2019
\nabduction. Till date, no Nigerian has been honest enough to ask Shettima
\nto account for those girls or vacate his office, having deceived the
\nnation and which deceit resulted in the abduction of the girls. Today Mr.
\nShettima is in the forefront of those seeking for \u201cChange.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Chibok girls were kidnapped on the 14th of April, 2014. Then in August
\n2014 we heard of the same Northern Elders Forum (of which Lawal Kaita is a
\nmember) giving Jonathan an ultimatum till the end of October 2014 to bring
\nback the Chibok girls. The elders also \u201cordered\u201d Jonathan to end the Boko
\nHaram \u201cinsurgency\u201d with immediate effect, threatening that failure to do
\nso meant he was not fit to seek a re-election in 2015.The forum alleged
\nthat the FG\u2019s failure to put an end to the insecurity in Yobe, Borno and
\nAdamawa States was a plot to weaken the North\u2019s political and economic
\npotentials ahead of the 2015 elections. Hear them:<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are convinced that most of these conflicts are being engineered to
\nweaken the North politically and economically by interests which intend
\nto exploit such weaknesses for electoral benefits. In the light of our
\nfirm conviction that the insurgency and related security challenges pose
\nthreats to the 2015 elections and the survival of our nation, we strongly
\nadvise President Jonathan to bring to an end the insurgency in all its
\nmanifestations and produce the Chibok girls before the end of October,
\n2014.\u201d Their logic is that by failing to secure the release of the girls,
\n\u201cNigerians (i.e., the Northern Elders) would be left with the only
\nconclusion that he had forfeited his right to ask for their mandate
\nbeyond 2015.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir diagnosis of the Boko Haram insurgency is, to say the least,
\nbizarre,\u201d writes Kiikpoye Aaron. \u201cAccording to them\u201d, continues Kiikpoye,
\n\u201cwhat fuels the Boko Haram insurgency is a \u2018\u201clack of a strong will at the
\nlevel of the Presidency, deep-seated corruption, incompetence in
\ngovernments and in the management of security challenges.\u201d I would contest
\nthis logic and argue instead that what fuels the Boko Haram insurgency is
\nthe political opportunism the North makes of Boko Haram. More to the
\npoint, a calm reading of the complicity so manifestly expressed in that
\nKaduna ultimatum validates the instincts of many non-northerners, namely
\nthat the Boko Haram insurgency is inseparable from a larger northern
\nagenda to frustrate President Jonathan and recapture power.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since then, northern leaders have been spreading the falsehood fast in the
\nregion that Jonathan\u2019s administration is fuelling the Boko Haram
\n\u201cinsur\u00adgency\u201d in parts of the North to enhance his chances of re-election
\nin the 2015 general elections. From Katsina to Kaduna, Bauchi to Kano and
\nso on, virtually all the leaders Saturday Sun spoke to on the strong
\nfeelings spreading like wildfire that the Federal Government was conniving
\nwith some factions of Boko Haram to wreak havoc in the North, said the
\npaper, gave the same verdict. They accused Jonathan of working
\nclandestinely to use the \u201cinsurgency\u201d to depopulate the North ahead of the
\nFebruary 2015 elections. In fact, former Commissioner of Police in Lagos
\nState, Abubakar Tsav, accused the presidency of using Ni\u00adger Delta
\nmilitants to carry out the November 28, 2014 bombing of Kano Central
\nMosque!<\/p>\n
Similarly, in late December 2011 we heard of the former Kaduna State
\nGovernor, Alhaji Balarabe Musa exonerating Boko Haram from the 2011
\nChristmas Day bombings that killed dozens of Catholics at St Theresa’s
\nCatholic Church in Madala. For him, Jonathan is simply behind the
\nbombings. Despite claim by Boko Haram to be responsible for the blasts,
\nMusa argued that government\u2019s bad policies could lead groups to act
\nagainst them. Hear him:<\/p>\n
\u201cI doubt if the bombings are done by Boko Haram. I very much doubt it. I
\nthink it is something more organised. Definitely it is something
\nsubversive. Something directly related to the government. We are yet to
\nknow who is directly responsible for these acts. You know that the state
\nof the nation is bad in every respect. There is protest against the
\ngovernment and its policies from various sources. So you don\u2019t know which
\nparticular source is responsible for this unfortunate incident. I think
\nwhen one goes through the statement of the sect and the so-called
\nspokesman, there is no coordination. Secondly, this particular
\nidentification of churches on Christmas Day, I don\u2019t understand it. There
\nis no reason for any person or group to do this. The world over, there is
\nno reason for such attack on a celebration day like this. Why should they
\ntarget churches? So, I very much doubt if this is caused by Boko Haram.
\nSome people of course can claim this is Boko Haram, but, again if you
\nlisten to their statements, you will find out that there are
\ncontradictions. So, the government has to really sit down and find out the
\ntrue situation.\u201d<\/p>\n
He further insisted: \u201cI very much doubt if this incident is Boko Haram, I
\nthink it is something more national\u2026The government has a problem, it has
\nlegitimacy problem, it is not performing, and the leaders are not cohesive
\nin many ways. These are the undoing of the government we have today.\u201d<\/p>\n
In November 2014, Musa repeated, \u201cSome of us believe that Boko Haram is
\nnot a religious problem. It is more of a political problem. Boko Haram is
\na problem created by the government deliberately to destabilise Nigeria
\nand divert the attention of the people from the failures of the
\ngovernment. With Nigeria destabilised, starting from the North, when the
\n2015 elections come, the level of insecurity will be so much that
\nNigerians will not be concerned with the elections. Instead, they\u2019ll be
\nconcerned primarily with peace. That will make election rigging easy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Again, we also heard of the former minister of the FCT, Malam Nasir
\nEl-Rufai, having a field day on Twitter taunting the Federal Government
\nand hurling veiled insults at Goodluck, tweeting every negative message
\nagainst him by his followers on Twitter. Many Nigerians had expressed
\ndisgust that El-Rufai, who received public sympathy after the death of his
\nown daughter, could turn around and use the deaths of innocent worshippers
\nas propaganda to further his antagonism against Goodluck after he lost out
\nin the power scramble after his return from exile. The same El-rufai had
\nearlier then called on Goodluck to negotiate with the terrorists.<\/p>\n
Again, in August, 2014, we heard of the Australian character named Stephen
\nDavis, the so-called \u201ccrisis negotiator\u201d, setting the media ablaze with
\nhis allegations regarding Boko Haram sponsors. Davis aroused our sleeping
\nconsciousness when he alleged in an interview with the Australian
\nBroadcasting Company (ABC) that Islamic terrorist sect, Boko Haram, was
\nbeing funded by Nigerian politicians. But this wasn\u2019t the main news as
\nmany Nigerians were aware of that fact. In a subsequent interview with
\nArise TV, Davis went further to name former Borno State Governor, Modu
\nSheriff and former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, as
\nsponsors of the group! The question many Nigerians asked was this: how has
\nIhejirika, a non-Muslim, become a Boko Haram sponsor? Asked to explain why
\nMr. Ihejirika, a non-Muslim who hails from the predominantly Christian
\nsouth eastern part of Nigeria, became a Boko Haram “sponsor,” Mr. Davis
\nsaid: “Boko Haram commanders and some connected with them told me on
\nseveral occasions that Ihejirika was one of their sponsors.” This is
\nfantastic, and interesting too! It is equally interesting that Boko Haram
\nmembers didn’t tell Davis any other thing about why they are fighting, the
\nneed to rule Nigeria according to the tenets of Islam, etc, except
\nrevealing their sponsors!<\/p>\n
Angered by this amazing allegation, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Wing
\nthreatened to label the All Progressives Congress, APC, an \u2018anti-Igbo
\npolitical party\u2019 if it failed to apologise to former Chief of Army Staff,
\nLt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, within 48 hours. The threat, which the
\nOhanaeze Youth Wing issued in a statement jointly signed by its National
\nSecretary, Emmanuel Nnabuike, and Publicity Secretary, Obinna Adibe,
\nfollowed the APC\u2019s demand for Iherjika\u2019s prosecution over alleged
\nsponsorship of the Boko Haram sect. The APC demanded Ihejirika\u2019s
\nprosecution in the wake of claims made by Australian negotiator, Mr.
\nStephen Davis.<\/p>\n
In the statement entitled, \u2018Ongoing Attempts To Brand Gen. Ihejirika a
\nBoko Haram Sponsor\u2019, the Ohanaeze youths described the negotiator\u2019s claims
\nas \u201cspurious.\u201d The group expressed regrets that the APC did not bother to
\nascertain the veracity of his allegations before calling for Ihejirika\u2019s
\nprosecution. Ohanaeze youths noted that Ihejirika deserved an apology from
\nthe APC since the Department of State Security absolved him of any
\ninvolvement with Boko Haram. It said: \u201cIt is on record that the same
\npeople trying to frame up Gen. Ihejirika are the same people who claimed
\nthey would make Nigeria ungovernable for President Jonathan, in the
\naftermath of the 2011 presidential election. We view the call for
\nIhejirika\u2019s trial by the APC through its spokesman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed,
\nwithout bothering to confirm the authenticity of the statement, as
\nmalicious and premeditated. Now that the Director of State Security has
\nofficially absolved Ihejirika of any complicity in the matter, we ask the
\nAPC to issue an apology to Gen. Ihejirika and Ndigbo within 48 hours. If
\nthey fail to do so, the APC shall be formally labeled an anti-Igbo party
\nand other sanctions shall follow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Continuing, the group described Davis as a \u201cfraudulent character and
\nmercenary.\u201d It said: \u201cSecurity is too weighty a matter to be politicised.
\nTherefore it is unpatriotic for political leaders to embark on character
\nassassination based on unsubstantiated and misguided rumours. Dr Stephen
\nDavis has shown himself to be a fraudulent character and a mercenary,
\nwhose stock in trade is the distortion of information in order to cause
\nchaos, thereby creating more business for him.\u201d Ohanaeze youth wing added
\nthat Davis employed \u201ccheap propaganda tactics\u201d by naming Ihejirika
\nalongside former Borno State Governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, who has been
\nconsistently linked with the emergence and sponsorship of Boko Haram as
\nthe sect\u2019s sponsor in order to lend credence to his claims in the eyes of
\n\u201cgullible members of the public.\u201d The group noted that Davis did not
\nprovide any evidence or motivation for Ihejirika, a Christian and an Igbo
\nfrom the South East, to sponsor Boko Haram.<\/p>\n
Now anyone in this country who has been following the trend of events is
\ncertain that among all Nigerian soldiers that ever fought Boko Haram,
\nIhejirika is simply their number one enemy. And why? Because he was the
\nmost brave and the most brutal who really meant business in dealing with
\nthe terrorists. In fact, this was the main reason why the same northern
\nMuslims pressurized Jonathan to remove him\u2014despite the lies we were told.<\/p>\n
Again, in May 2014, Buhari described Boko Haram terrorists as \u201cmindless
\nbigots, and not followers of God.\u201d He said: \u201cOver the past few weeks, the
\nabduction of the schoolgirls at Chibok, Borno State has underscored the
\nthreat we have been facing as a nation in recent times from the actions of
\nmisguided persons masquerading as adherents of Islam. That horrific video
\nposted on the internet is a clear manifestation of the mindlessness of the
\nbigots. It shows them for whom they are, such men cannot threaten nor
\nshould they be allowed to violate our sovereignty. It is clear from what
\nthey profess that they are not followers of God. They do not mean well for
\nour country and her citizens. I am a Muslim, I am versed in the teaching
\nof Christianity and I understand both religions to seek peaceful
\nco-existence of all humanity\u2026We are glad that the Federal Government has
\naccepted international support in the search for the missing girls and for
\nan end to the insurgency in parts of the country.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now we recall here that Jonathan then welcomed Gen. Buhari\u2019s call on all
\nNigerians to remain steadfast and work in unity to overcome \u201cterrorists
\nand other merchants of death, who currently threaten national security.\u201d
\nConsequently Buhari was attacked by Boko Haram terrorists in July 2014 for
\nbetraying Islam even publicly.<\/p>\n
However, in October of the same year, after he had been attacked by Boko
\nHaram for his negative comments about them, and as the 2015 election drew
\nnear, the same Buhari contradictorily asked the Federal Government to stop
\nthe clampdown of Boko Haram \u201cinsurgents\u201d, saying Niger Delta Militants
\nwere never killed or properties belonging to them destroyed. Buhari, who
\nspoke on a Liberty Radio programme, accused the government of killing and
\ndestroying houses belonging to Boko Haram members while the Niger Delta
\nmilitants got special treatment. He said that unlike the special treatment
\ngiven to the Niger Delta militants by the federal government, the Boko
\nHaram members were being killed and their houses demolished by the
\ngovernment. While accusing Jonathan of failing from the beginning to
\naddress the security situation in the country, Buhari said he had never
\nbeen in support of the state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa
\nstates. According to Buhari, \u201cwhat is responsible for the security
\nsituation in the country is caused by the activities of Niger Delta
\nmilitants. Every Nigerian that is familiar with what is happening knows
\nthis. The Niger Delta militants started it all. What happened is that the
\ngovernors of the Niger Delta at that time wanted to win their elections,
\nso they recruited youths and gave guns and bullets to them to use against
\ntheir opponents to win elections by force. After the elections, they asked
\nthe boys to return the guns, and the boys refused to do so. Because of
\nthat the allowance that was being given to them by the governors was
\nstopped.\u201d<\/p>\n
These comments on Boko Haram, indeed, give us an insight on how Buhari
\nwill \u201cfight\u201d the terrorists if elected. He had even asked the Federal
\nGovernment to \u201crehabilitate them, grant them amnesty and pay them every
\nmonth,\u201d concluding that any attack on the Boko Haram sect was \u201ca
\ndeclaration of war on the people of Northern Nigeria.\u201d This, according to
\nChief Fani-Kayode, raises the question of the true nature of Buhari\u2019s
\nrelationship with these groups and its international affiliates. (See more
\nat:
\nhttp:\/\/www.ngrguardiannews.com\/news\/national-news\/193387-nigerians-should-interrogate-the-relationship-between-mend-boko-haram-buhari-says-fani-kayode#sthash.jBlIKT8v.dpuf).<\/p>\n
Chief Femi Fani-Kayode has called on Nigerians and members of the
\ninternational community to interrogate the relationship between Movement
\nfor the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) as well as Boko Haram and the
\nAll Progressives Congress (APC) with its presidential candidate, General
\nMuhammadu Buhari. I think that call should be taken seriously. \u201cIt is on
\npublic record that Buhari had announced to the whole world that it was
\nunfair and unjust for the Boko Haram, which has killed over 20,000
\ninnocent Nigerians, mostly women and children, after burning their homes
\nand destroying their communities, to be tackled,\u201d says Fani-Kayode. \u201cIt is
\nalso on record that Buhari has severally and consistently criticised
\ngovernment for protecting Nigerians against the attacks of Boko Haram and
\nhas gleefully announced that government forces should stop attacking the
\nBoko Haram, and in fact, should treat them like the Niger Delta
\nmilitants.\u201d He further stated that the APC\u2019s presidential spokesperson,
\nAlhaji Lai Mohammed, whom he described as a friend, had supported Buhari
\nby stating that the proscription of Boko Haram by the Federal Government
\nafter they had murdered 20,000 Nigerians in cold blood was unjust and
\nunconstitutional. \u201cI think it is relevant and something of interest for
\nall Nigerians and the members of the international community to begin to
\nask questions about the nexus between Boko Haram, MEND and all these
\nterrorist organisations that find it easy to kill people and the leading
\nopposition presidential candidate and the APC. This is the question
\nNigerians should seek answers to, because insecurity is one of the
\nfundamental issues of the campaign for the office of President and
\nNigerians must be wary of any person seeking to be President and has such
\npublic sympathy for terrorist organisations, in spite of the obvious
\ndamages that they inflicted on the country,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Similarly, former minister of information, Labaran Maku, has said that
\ngovernors and not Jonathan should be held responsible for Boko Haram
\nmenace. Maku told newsmen in Awka, the Anambra State capital, that as
\nchief security officers of their respective states who are \u201cunaccountable
\nto the Presidency, the governors are autonomous and closer to the people
\nand as such, should know better than the Presidency what goes wrong in
\ntheir domains.\u201d According to Maku, Jonathan should not be held responsible
\nfor the insecurity in the country, rather the governors should be in
\ncharge as chief executives of their various states and take responsibility
\nof any problem there. Maku particularly urged those behind the political
\nviolence in the country to desist from it as such was no longer
\nfashionable, adding that superior argument and ideas should rather be
\ntheir greatest political campaign weapons. Maku condemned the recent
\nattacks on Jonathan in Bauchi and Katsina states when the Peoples
\nDemocratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate and his team went to the
\nareas to campaign for votes, describing the attacks as \u201cunruly and
\nunfortunate.\u201d \u201cThe president was not supposed to be attacked in any part
\nof the country because he has demonstrated quality leadership which every
\ngeo-political zone would attest to. Therefore, no right thinking person
\nwould have carried out any form of attack on him. His humility and liberal
\nmindedness has come to bear by his condoning the attack with calmness,\u201d he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
In April 2014 a popular clairvoyant in Adamawa State, Alhaji Alhassan
\nMohammed Goni, a.k.a. AMG, threatened to expose the sponsors of Boko Haram
\nterrorism if the group did not suspend their bloodletting and hostilities
\nin the country within two weeks. Goni expressed sympathy for Jonathan,
\nsaying the president is a good man and that those that are targeting his
\nadministration would fail woefully. He said having been disturbed by the
\nbloodletting and seemingly inexorable hostilities by the group, he deemed
\nit fit to come forward, and warned that if those behind Boko Haram fail to
\nchange their ways, he would soon expose them. Goni added that among those
\nsponsoring Boko Haram activities are top politicians and traditional
\nrulers with the sole aim of causing confusion in the country. He said he
\nwas aware of the various nocturnal meetings held by the sect before
\nlaunching attacks but was not able to curtail their attacks as he had not
\nbeen permitted to do so. \u201cMy vision always tells me whenever the Boko
\nHaram are about to launch attacks but I was always incapacitated to stop
\nthem because I was not given express permission by the authorities to do
\nso; but through my intervention, the intensity of the attacks is minimal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Similarly, according to Tell magazine, \u201cit was revealed that many of the
\nBorno politicians shouting at the Federal Government for not solving the
\ninsurgency problem are paying monthly retainership ranging from N2 to N4
\nmillion each to Boko Haram.\u201d (Tell, May 26, 2014, pp. 25, 27). Thus Muslim
\npoliticians in the north pay their monthly \u201cfees\u201d to these terrorists to
\ncontinue carrying out Jihad on Christians and the security personnel.<\/p>\n
Whether we know these merchants of death or not is not a problem, because
\nwe are aware that Muslims\u2019 belief that \u201cunbelievers\u201d like Christians must
\nbe converted by the sword is not a myth. We read the following in the
\nQuran (Sura 47 verse 4):<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026Thus (you are ordered by Allah to continue in carrying out Jihad against
\nthe disbelievers till they embrace Islam and are saved from the punishment
\nin the Hell-fire or at least come under your protection), but if it had
\nbeen Allah\u2019s will, he himself could certainly have punished them (without
\nyou). But (He lets you fight) in order to test some of you with others.
\nBut those who are killed in the way of Allah, he will never let their will
\nbe lost.\u201d<\/p>\n
Again we read (Sura 9 verse 123): \u201cO you who believe! Fight those of
\ndisbelievers who are close to you, and let them find hardness in you; and
\nknow that Allah is with those who are Al-Muttaqun (the pious).\u201d<\/p>\n
Again, in Sura (2:193; 2: 244) we read: \u201cAnd fight them until there is no
\nmore Fitnah (disbelief and worshipping of others along with Allah). And
\nfight in the way of Allah and know that Allah is All-Hearer, All-knower.\u201d<\/p>\n
Again, in part of the verse quoted above (Sura 47 verse 4), we read: \u201cSo,
\nwhen you meet (in fight\u2014Jihad in Allah\u2019s Cause) those who disbelieve,
\nsmite (their) necks till when you have killed and wounded many of them\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Jonathan on Thursday, January 29, 2015, said those accusing him of backing
\nBoko Haram were insane. He stated this during his campaign rally in Yola,
\nthe Adamawa State capital. Jonathan said that he had no reason to sponsor
\nthe killing of children, women and the aged as he had nothing to benefit
\nfrom such actions. \u201cIn 2011, I had two times the number of votes I had in
\nBayelsa State. Why should I want to reduce that number of votes?\u201d Jonathan
\nquipped. \u201cOnly a mad person can insinuate that the president is supporting
\nBoko Haram.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nigerians\u2014and particularly non-Muslims\u2014who blindly follow the devilish APC
\npropaganda, do so because none of their loved ones has been killed by
\nthese merchants of death. These gullible\u2014and indeed wicked–Nigerians
\nblame Goodluck for what they call \u201cinsurgency.\u201d They also believe that all
\nwe need to win this war is simply a \u201cgood\u201d leader who, unlike Jonathan,
\nwill properly equip the soldiers to fight the war. It is amazing, however,
\nthat nobody has been honest and courageous enough to comment on the
\nreligious dimension of Boko Haram, let alone criticize it. The greater
\nnumber of the Nigerian soldiers are the Hausa Muslims. Yet, nobody has
\never reasoned that these soldiers may, after all, have sympathy for their
\nbrothers fighting a \u201choly war\u201d, let alone call to mind the unwritten
\nbelief in Islamic circles that an Islamic soldier should not shoot at a
\nMuslim jihadist. We have just seen, for instance, the huge success
\nrecorded by the soldiers within the last few weeks, now that the presence
\nof the foreign soldiers has made it difficult for the betrayal to persist.<\/p>\n
What I have briefly demonstrated here is what we already know, namely,
\nthat to every true Muslim, it is simply a sin for an \u201cinfidel\u201d like
\nJonathan to rule over Muslims. All true Muslims in Nigeria\u2014whether Yoruba
\nor Hausa\u2014do not want Jonathan to rule over them simply because he is not a
\nMuslim. The few that want him are simply fake Muslims, and that is why
\nAbubakar Shekau, Boko Haram leader, has been hunting for them and killing
\nthem. As Shekau himself boasted: \u201c\u2026Yahaya Jingir\u2026the cleric of Jos, the
\nadvocate of \u2018Boko Halal\u2019, right? We are Boko Haram, you are Boko Halal.
\nYou will see, bastard\u2026We killed Albani of Zaria. We killed Albani of
\nZaria. Shekau killed Albani of Zaria. Tomorrow he will kill Jingir, the
\nday after tomorrow he will kill Dapchia, the next day he will kill
\nWapchama, next he will kill Shehu of Borno, Ado Bayero. We rebel against
\nyou, between us and you is enmity and rancour until you believe only in
\nAllah\u2026All these infidels we are the ones killing them. We enjoy shedding
\ntheir blood. The Quran must be supreme, we must establish Islam in this
\ncountry. Not only in Borno, we will henceforth destroy any school wherever
\nwe see them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Boko Haram menace is a mere practical manifestation of Nigerian Muslims\u2019
\nreligious beliefs. \u201cWe Jama\u2019atu Ahlissunnah Lidda\u2019awati Wal Jihad are
\nfighting Christians wherever we meet them,\u201d says Shekau. On the contrary,
\nBuhari said (quoted above): \u201cI am a Muslim, I am versed in the teaching of
\nChristianity and I understand both religions to seek peaceful co-existence
\nof all humanity.\u201d This shows that Buhari is not a man of integrity which
\nmany mindlessly and fanatically attribute to him. He is rather simply a
\nmanifest liar. The word integrity simply means \u201chonesty.\u201d If Buhari is a
\nhonest man, and he is \u201cversed in the teaching of Christianity\u201d, as he
\nclaims, then why has he not become a Christian?<\/p>\n
\u201cWhoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who
\nacknowledges the Son has the Father also,\u201d says the Christian Bible. (1
\nJohn 2: 23). \u201cFar is it removed from His Transcendent Majesty that He
\nshould have a son,\u201d says the Muslim Quran. (Sura: 4: 171). How then can
\n\u2018Integrity Buhari\u2019, versed in the teachings of the Bible and the Quran,
\nreconcile these teachings? At the same time, if he is versed in the
\nteaching of Islam, which according to him \u201cseeks peaceful co-existence of
\nall humanity,\u201d how then can he defend Islam from the mindless, gruesome
\nand diabolical killing of innocent Christians by true Muslims not just in
\nNigeria but simply all over the world\u2014and I mean a killing simply as old
\nas Islam itself?<\/p>\n
\u201cO you who believe! Fight those of disbelievers who are close to you, and
\nlet them find hardness in you; and know that Allah is with those who are
\nAl-Muttaqun (the pious).\u201d (Sura 9 verse 123). Again: \u201cSlay the idolaters
\nwherever you find them. Arrest them, besiege them, and lie in ambush
\neverywhere for them.\u201d (Sura 9:5).<\/p>\n
What interpretation can \u2018Integrity Buhari\u2019 give to these passages\u2014and
\nnumerous others?<\/p>\n
Jonathan Ekene Ifeanyi writes from Victoria Island, Lagos. He could be
\nreached viajonathanifeanyi27@yahoo.com.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Jonathan Ekene Ifeanyi I’ve marvelled most about the way the Islamic party (the APC) has turned the issue of insecurity in the county into an instrument of political campaign.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36447,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36463","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n