In recent times, Nigeria has witnessed an unprecedented rise in insecurity. This is not unconnected with the activities of the Islamist sect the book haram that has practically declared war on the Nigerian state. The contention by members of this sect is that they are seeking to repay the injustice meted out on their members by government. That underscores why they have been attacking police stations and other security outfits as a means of registering their grievance with government. The pertinent question however is, if the said sect has an axe to grind with government, what has innocent Nigerians got to do with it? A check on the number of casualties in these attacks reveals that majority of the victims are innocent Nigerians who know little or nothing about the sect’s grouse with government.
A cursory check on history will reveal that the sect started its attack in the heydays of 2009. Then, their major targets were security outfits. The thengovernment of Late Umaru Yar’Adua ordered a complete extermination of members of the sect, a move that has landed us in the current situation we now find ourselves. One must state quite frankly that, such move by government was rather ill conceived. A better and lasting means of quelling the uprising ought to have been adopted. This is because such delicate issues are of a delicate nature; they therefore must be handled with care. Otherwise it will degenerate to a level where government will find tasking to handle. Just like what we are currently facing
That act by government saw the sect regrouping and they have been unleashing terror on the Nigerian people since 2010. One mind troubling fact is that in 2009, members of the sect used guns in carrying out their attacks. However, after regrouping, they graduated from using guns to more sophisticated weapons like bombs. Thus, fuelling the suspicion that the group is being sponsored by certain individuals whowant todisintegrate the country. The armory and arsenal at the disposal of members of this group are so sophisticated that they can match, if not overwhelm the Nigerian security agencies. The question however is who supplies them with these weapons and where are the weapons imported from? Or are they smuggled into the country? These questions makes one aligns himself with the president, when he said rather dejectedly, that members of the sect are present in all spheres of government.If members of the sect have infiltrated government like he said, what is he doing to checkmate it? Is he also overwhelmed like we all are?
The spokesman of the group recently said they are been sponsored by certain if not all governors in the North. These governors dole millions of naira monthly to the sect, in order to keep them off their state. If this is true,then it amounts to a betrayal by the political class in this country. These politicians come out to pacify the populace once a blast occurs, and go back to dine with the perpetrators of the acts. One admit that these politicians have become experts in the act of condolences messages, that they need not think of what to say when such events occur. This shameful conduct of our leader’s shows that they are not to be trusted and it confirms the great statement of Dr. Samuel Smiles, to wit:“theconduct of the contemporary politicians is on the path of corruption and disorder. The opinions which they give in their reception rooms, varies from those they give in public speeches. For instance, these politicians praise the people for their patriotic feelings and then turn around and laugh at the same in their private meetings”. This act of hypocrisy by these so called leaders makes them enemies of the people. A great scholar opined: “enemies have the characteristics of being both covert and overt enemies; for animosity has just one color. I wish that friends were like enemies as far as pretence is concerned. Undoubtedly friends that are hypocrites are worse than the common hypocrite.” Nigerians must therefore be wary of those we call ‘leaders’.
For members of the Boko Haram sect, this is a question for you. What exactly do you want? What aim or objective do you seek to foist on Nigeria and Nigerians? Come out like civilized men do and discuss what you want. Resulting to wanton killings and flagrant disregard for human life is cowardice. Are the victims of your onslaught directly responsible for your predicaments? What has the killing of innocent people including children got to do with religion that you are always want on associating your acts with? There is no religion that preaches violence. Besides, religion is an accidental occurrence necessitated by birth. So do not hide under the cover of religion to unleash havoc on innocent Nigerians struggling to eke a living.
Government also cannot abdicate its responsibility to adequately protect and safe guard the lives of the people. This security situation transcends beyond the book haram saga. I am of the view that some unscrupulous people are taking advantage of the porous nature of our security system andare unleashing terror on the people. The security situation has gotten to a point where one cannot trust his next door neighbor. Government is bound to protect and guaranty the safety on Nigerians at all times and she must be alive to this responsibility. Where government fails to discharge this responsibility, then the people may result to self-help. And this will be calamitous to the country.
I will conclude this piece with a statement by Dr. Samuel Smiles with regards to duties: “Duties are man’s debt. He who intends to upkeep himself from discreditable and immoral values in the eyes of others must pay off his debt. Yet, such actions can only be performed by continuous and serious struggle. Undertaking one’s duties is the principal matter which occupies man from the first day he enters this world until the day on which he departs it. Consequently, the more power and capabilities one possesses, the more he is required to perform his duties; for man is like a clerk whose duty is to serve children of kind. This duty is based on the love of justice, and is not only an ideological obligation but also a basic necessity of man’s life. Yet, both traits manifest their effects in words and actions.” God bless Nigeria.
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