Religious Violence In Nigeria: Boko Haram As A Tool Of Religious, Political & Foreign Interests

March 10th, 2012

Religious Violence In Nigeria: Genesis & Motives & The Emergence Of Boko Haram As A Tool Of Vested Religious, Political & Foreign Interests

by Muhammad Sani Isa

Introduction

NewsRescue[OpEd]- The Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN) threatened that, the Christian Doctrine of ‘‘Turning The Other Cheek’’ has been tested to the limit and breaking point and they can no longer contain and restrain their members from violently reacting to the killing and maiming their members and bombing of their churches as well as burning and looting of Christian property perpetrated by Muslims and their terror wing; the Boko Haram (BH) in short.

On the surface, CAN’s concerns are quite legitimate in that, they have the duty of protecting the interest of their members in the face of such wanton attacks. However, one needs to chronologically look at the chain of events that led to the deterioration and breakdown of peace, security, law and order in the country. It is only by looking at the chain of events that landed us here that we can apportion blames and pin down faults. We need to look at and answer the following questions before we can squarely and rightly pin point who is at fault and who is not:

1. What is the genesis of religious crisis and intolerance in the country?
2.  Who triggered the chain of events that led to the present status quo?
3.  Are Muslims the only culprits?
4.  Is BH an Islamic terror wing?
5. Is it BH acting on behalf of Muslims with their authority, consent and approval?
6. Who are members of BH? Are all Muslims automatic members?
7. Is its membership restricted to Muslims only?
8. Are there no Christian links to BH?
9. Who sponsors and nurtures BH?
10. Who supplies them with arms, ammunition and bombs?
11. Is BH responsible for the bombing and torching of Mosques, the National Headquarters of Jama’atu Nasri Islam (JNI) in Kaduna and other Muslim targets?
12. Is CAN oblivious of the fact that, there are Christians linked to BH one way or another?
13. Is CAN unaware of the fact that, Christians are linked to the supply of weapons, arms, ammunition bombs and other instruments of terror and violence to BH?
14. Has CAN decided to overlook and ignore the fact that prominent Christian elders were the godfathers of Muhammad Yusuf, the founder of BH and that, it was these elders that always bailed out Muhammad Yusuf whenever he finds himself on the wrong side of the law?
15.  Has CAN decided to gloss over the fact that, the last person Muhammad Yusuf called on his cell phone after his capture just before he was brutally murdered by a Christian policeman was this Christian godfather of his?
16. Why Muhammad Yusuf was hurriedly murdered? Was this hurried murder of Muhammad Yusuf an attempted cover up so as to avert exposing these godfathers of Muhammad Yusuf’s?
17. Is CAN unaware of Muhammad Yusuf’s suspected link with the Vatican?

Answers to these questions will clearly and easily debunk all the smear campaign by CAN and the heaping of blame on Muslims in an attempt to give a dog a bad name; as well as expose CAN’s shedding of crocodile tears in order to cover up the atrocities Christians committed against the Muslims.

Genesis & Chronology of Religious Disturbances

Our claim that, CAN is only shedding crocodile tears is because; religious disturbance and intolerance is deliberately triggered by the Christians in 1987 in the provocative preaching by one Reverend Abubakar Bako at the temporary site of Kaduna State College of Education, Gidan Waya in which Rev. Bako insulted and made blasphemous comments on the person of our noble prophet Muhammad SAW. When a Muslim lady student protested and objected to Rev. Bako’s provocative desecration of the person of the prophet SAW, the lady was molested by the Christians; that kick started the first Kafanchan massacre of Muslims.

The Christians went berserk and went about killing Muslims, burning and looting their houses, shops and other properties. Even youngsters in Qur’anic schools (tsangayu) were not spared. Qur’anic schools such as the Tsangaya of Malam Ahmadu Dan Mai Kosai and that of Malam Uzairu were brutally attacked and dozens of Almajirais mercilessly exterminated. Many Muslims were forced to flee the town and turned refugees. Many of the established Muslim businessmen like Alhaji Dankeke Mato and Alhaji Salama lost their businesses and had to relocate to Kaduna. This premeditated genocide led to reprisals and retaliations in Kaduna, Funtua and Katsina.

The next act of provocation perpetrated by the Christians was the 1991 Reinhart Bonke’s botched up crusade of Kano which led to some disturbances. As a result, there were reprisals against the Muslims throughout the South East Geo-Political Zone.

Again in 1991, Sayawa Christians in Tafawa Balewa Local Government of Bauchi State provocatively massacred the Muslim District Head of Lere, Malam Abubakar Bawa despite his old age; being an octogenarian. As a result, Mr. Kyauta (alias Kyankyaso), the ring leader of this brutal murder, was convicted and jailed. On his release from prison, Kyankyaso spearheaded yet a genocide like attack against the Muslims in 1995. In the mayhem, in Tafawa Balewa alone, 166 Muslims were brutally massacred, the market in which the stalls were owned by Muslims was completely burnt down and over 70% of Muslim houses were razed to the ground. The whole Muslim community was displaced and turned refugees in towns like Dass, Bununu, Liman Katagum and Bauchi.

Justice Babalakin’s Commission of Inquiry indicted the Sayawa Christians thus:

1. The Christian attack on Muslims on 22/4/1991 in Tafawa Balewa was premeditated.
2. The Commission identified nearly 22 ringleaders who are all Sayawa Christians.
3. The Basayi Chriatian chairman of Tafawa Balewa Local Government aided and abetted the Massacre and genocide against the Muslims. (Justice Babalakin’s Report pages 4-8, 22 and 24).

Since then, Tafawa Balewa has not known peace for 3 consecutive years, and has witnessed 4 major ethnic cleansing style of Massacre of Muslims in the hands of the Christians; (April 1991, July 1995, June 2001 and January 2011). As a matter of fact, all houses belonging to Muslims in Tafawa Balewa have been burnt down. All mosques in the town have been razed to the ground; there is no single mosque standing in the town except the one at the divisional police station.

At least 30 killed in conflict in between Christian and Musim Youths in Tafawa Balewa, Bauchi State -Peace4Jos.org

01:55 Jan 27 2011

“Four persons were killed, 50 houses and 5 mosques were destroyed and several people were injured when trouble erupted yesterday over a snooker board between Christian and Muslim youths at Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State. Governor Isa Yuguda reacted to the violence with a threat to relocate the two communities out of the area unless they agreed to live in peace.”  10 killed, many injured in Bauchi clash
From Paul Orude, Bauchi; Friday, January 28, 2011  Read more on this from source..

In a similar pattern of ethnic cleansing mission of wiping out Muslim communities, the Katafs massively massacred Muslims in Zangon Kataf in both February and July of 1992. Hundreds of Muslims were killed and their houses burnt down. The Christian ring leaders of the massacres including Zamani Lekwot were convicted and sentenced to death by the tribunal headed by Justice Karibi Whyte; a Christian.  Zamani and his gang of murders were however pardoned by the then president; to the dismay of the Muslims. That opened the floodgates and gave Christians the license to massacre Muslims at will; since the murderers always go scot-free.

Analysts equate what this Northerner Muslim president did to Islam and Northern Nigeria to what Kamal Ataturk did to Islam and the Muslims in Turkey as well what Mikhail Gorbachev did to USSR.

With these precedents set in the cases of Kafanchan 1987, Tafawa Balewa 1991 & 1995, Zangon Kataf 1992, the stage was set for the systematic extermination and wiping out of all Muslim communities within the domains and strongholds of Christians in the North. It is pertinent here to recall and remind of the catalogue of Christian atrocities, provocations, premeditated brutal attacks of genocide and ethnic cleansing proportions against the Muslims as follows:

1. Kafanchan 1987, 1996, 1999 and 2011.
2. Tingno and Waduku in Numan L. G. Area of Adamawa State, 1988.
3. ABU Zaria, 1988.
4. Tafawa Balewa 1991, 1995, 2001 and 2011.
5. Jalingo 1988.
6. Bambam 1992.
7. Zangon Kataf, February and July 1992.
8. Jos, 2001, 2003, 2008, 2009 & 2011.
9. Yelwan Shendam, 2005.
10. Kaduna, 2000, 2004 & 2011.
11. Zonkwa, 2011.
12. Mararraban Rido, 2011.
13. Matsirga, 2011, etc.

In all the cases listed above and many more, the Christians will systematically plan, get fully armed and launch commando type attacks on the Muslim community targeted; killing and exterminating any Muslim unable to escape they come across, loot and burn their properties including houses, shops, markets and mosques.

Article linking IBB to Boko pulled after NewsRescue expose! Bible4Africa implicated!

In the case of year 2,000 Anti-Shari’ah crisis in Kaduna, the Christians decided that, Muslims do not have the right to observe the Shari’ah legal system. In premeditated attacks, Muslims were wantonly attacked and killed and their properties torched. When Muslims in Tudun Wada, Rigasa and other Muslim strongholds within Kaduna Metropolis rebutted this Christian onslaught, there were counter reprisals in the South East and South South. A Friday Mosque was burnt down in Ofaha-Oku, Uyo.

From the above catalogue, it is quite clear that, Christians are always the aggressors and the ones that spark and ignite unrest and mayhem. Muslims have never started any aggression; where Muslims have cause to attack Christians, it is always in retaliation to Christian premeditated aggression or extreme provocation such as Rev. Abubakar Bakos provocative, blasphemous insults on Muhammad, the Noble Prophet of Islam, peace be upon him, or the inciting advertisements that heralded the proposed Reinhardt Bonke’s crusade in Kano, the heartland of Islam.

CAN’s fictitious and deceptive claim of always being at the receiving end of Muslim aggression is hereby amply debunked. It amply shows that, the Christians have since thrown the doctrine of turning the other cheek over board. CAN’s advertorial is only diversionary and an attempt to pull the wool over our faces to cover up their atrocities.

Boko Haram cannot be a Muslim Terror Wing

Coming to the CAN’s claim that, BH is the terror wing the Muslims use to unleash terror on the Christians; burning their churches and destroying Christian lives and property, without any fear of contradiction, one can say loud and clear that, BH is as close to the Christians as it is to the Muslims and apparently, its membership cuts across both religions. Otherwise what is the business of Jerry and Jerry being godfathers to Muhammad Yusuf, the founder of the BH; bailing Muhammad Yusuf out of trouble on a number of occasions? There is also the information circulating that, one of the Jerry’s was the last person Muhammad Yusuf called just before he was hurriedly executed by a Christian policeman. Was this hurried murder of Muhammad Yusuf an attempt to cover up and prevent him from talking and exposing his Christian and suspected Vatican connections? For Muhammad Yusuf was alleged said to have sent an emissary to the Vatican at least once. It is alleged that, it was the kind of red carpet reception the emissary received at the Vatican that made the emissary suspicious of BH’s Christian connection and resigned his membership of the organization. Other links between Christianity and BH include Lucy Dangana, a Christian lady from Benue State caught with large quantity of arms. Lucy confessed that, she was trying to deliver the arms to BH. There is also case of the Christian SSS operative allegedly caught trying to bomb a church in Gombe, circulating in our handsets. The story is yet to be disputed by the authorities. There is yet the story circulating of a Christian wearing kaftan and other Hausa gear trying to bomb a church. The most recent BH linkage with Christians is the truck load of arms intercepted in Ghana on its way to Nigeria; all those arrested are Christians from their names.

See: AllAfrica– Nigeria: Police Nab Woman With 10 AK 47 Rifles in Borno

The sophistication of the operations of BH, the complexity and dexterity of the intelligence gathering mechanism of the organization is certainly beyond imagination; they are far ahead of the nation’s security agencies, talk less of Muslims; who are incapable of defending themselves against the Christian aggressions mentioned above; which implies that, BH must be getting some foreign intelligence support and cover. The sophistication, precision and planning and organizational ability exhibited in the Kano operation of 21/01/2012 is a typical example. Therefore, the operations of BH cannot be the handiwork of Muslims, contrary to CAN’s claim.

Related: NewsRescue- Jos church attack: Suicide bomber, COCIN(Church) member –Defence HQ

The financing of such a highly sophisticated outfit as the BH is another case in point; certainly, the Muslims lack the mechanism, ways and means of raising the kind of financing that sustains BH. Had the Muslims got the capacity to raise such finances, they would have been able to counter to some extent, the evangelical and media onslaught they face. The media misinformation and propaganda has reached a point where the world is made to believe that, Muslims are the aggressors; contrary to the truth and despite the extermination, genocide and ethnic cleansing derive unleashed upon them by the Christians.

The kind of sophisticated weapons and powerful bombs BH deploys in its operations absolves the Muslims who are absolutely incapable of sourcing the simplest of weapons to defend themselves. For example, BH is said to have deployed 300 hand grenades for the Kano 20/01/2002 operation in addition to bombs and other sophisticated weapons; to the extent that, 10 cars have been discovered loaded with bombs and grenades that could not be detonated during the Kano operation due to time factor.

On the other hand, on several occasions, Christians have been caught red handed with large cashes of sophisticated arms where some of them; like Lucy Dangana confessed that, they were trying to deliver the arms to BH. However news of such arrests were always suppressed and covered up. Another case in point is the truck load of arms consigned to Nigeria intercepted in Ghana; from the names of the names in the news report, all those arrested are Christians.

After all, it is an open secret that, Christians have been amassing arms for long. During Abacha’s regime, the police intercepted at Jos Airport, Haifang, a plane load of arms, when the arms were taken to the State Headquarters; a senior church official challenged the then police commissioner as to why he should take custody of his goods. Eventually, the police commissioner was ordered from above to release the arms to that church.

Recently, another plane fully loaded with arms was arrested in Malam Aminu International Airport Kano; however the plane was released in suspicious circumstances along with its cargo. Only God knows who pulled the strings for the plane to be released and whether the arms cargo of that did not find its way into the country.

Update, March 11th, 2012; NewsRescue- Michael Awara Ernest intercepted trying to clear 11 cartons of explosives at MMA

All these clearly proves that, only Christians have the wherewithal to supply the kind of sophisticated arms used by BH in addition to the ones used by CAN’s own militia. Therefore, CAN’s threat and crying foul are only diversionary so as to cover up the endless atrocities they commit.

In addition, it is common knowledge that, most of the weapons used in attacks on Muslim communities are supplied by the church and CAN has its own militia it uses in exterminating Muslims in connivance with some security personnel and the Government of Plateau State which supplied the Toyota Hi Lux double cabin vans used by the militia. The militia carries out house to house search and gun down Muslim youths. For instance, during the 2008 Jos attacks on Muslims, some soldiers from outside Plateau State on their way to Gombe branched to drop a woman at Layin Sarki, then came across one Jang supplied vans full of CAN’s militia in army camouflage uniform and were arrested by the soldiers from Gombe, however, the arrested militia were never prosecuted.

Another View of the Jos Genocide- Gamji.com

What further confirmed the hands of the Plateau State government in the killing of Muslims during the crisis was the use of new Toyota Hillux vehicles by most of the attackers. The vehicles were said be recently purchased by the Plateau state Government.

With normalcy now restored, what remains is the need to unearth the truth. This can only be done through the setting up of an impartial commission of enquiry. Read more on this…

In addition to being diversionary and deceptive, there is the school of thought that theorizes that, CAN’s  advertorial is meant, apparently at diverting attention away from phase 2 of its hidden agenda and mission of achieving population parity with Islam in the North and even surpassing it. Phase 1 of the agenda, as the theory goes; is the systematic extermination of all pockets of Muslim population and communities within the predominantly Christian areas of the North as we have enumerated earlier. Phase 1 is virtually completed and Phase 2 has begun in earnest. The strategy here as the theory intuitively postulates; is to depopulate the predominantly Muslim areas of the North; a plan similar to the scheme devised by the Pharaoh in his attempt not only to depopulate the Israelites but also ensure that, Moses did not survive, lest Moses be the cause of Pharaoh’s destruction and loss of his kingdom.

The Excesses of the JTF

The extra judicial killing of able bodied Muslim men while the women are spared; as being carried out by the Joint Task Force (JTF) in Borno is one of the empirical evidences of the depopulation theory. This is in addition to the clever and ingenious employment of the BH card as a double edged sword; whereas the BH has fully employed all instruments of violence at its disposal against its perceived enemies and targets; almost all of which are Muslims, the security agencies; which is dominated by trigger happy Christians, are busy using the blank cheque of an order given to them by late President ‘Yar Adua to use all it takes to crush BH; to gun down Muslims at will. The operation house to house search and shoot at sight of all able bodied men that goes on in Maiduguri clearly buttresses this point.

The documentary shown by Aljazeera news channel; in which countless number of Muslim men is made to lie face down in turn and shot at close range, tends to indicate and further lay credence to the postulation that; members of the nation’s security agencies are part and parcel of the Muslim depopulation conspiracy. In that, video clip, not even the disabled were spared; as people on crutches are brought forward and summarily executed. The level of brutality and callousness exhibited in the Maiduguri genocide had reached such a ridiculous height that, one of the executioners shouted, ‘I want the chest,’ ordering for the Muslim to be shot through the heart. You can also hear them shout, ‘don’t waste ammunition.’ So the ammunition is more valuable than the Muslim life they are wasting.

After Maiduguri, Kano is the next target of the ethnic cleansing and depopulation conspiracy to be followed by Sokoto, Kaduna, Katsina and so on. With Sokoto and Kaduna, BH has already issued warning letters ahead of impending attacks; something similar to the warning issued ahead of the Kano attack. Kaduna is now on high security alert.

In Kano, right from the onset and before the crisis reached the house to house search and shoot at sight stage, the trigger happy mobile policemen, in their genocide derive, opened fire at close range on innocent crowd after crowd in virtually all the locations BH operated. People that rushed to the scenes to find out what was going on were targeted and summarily gunned down en masse. It is this tactic that accounted for the heavy casualty of over 250 dead; the majority of which died of those premeditated gunshots. As a matter of fact, the Channels Television reporter was slain this way. Of this heavy casualty, only about 10% consisting of one SSS agent, 2 Immigration Officers and less than 3 dozen policemen can be said to be the direct victims of the BH operation; almost all of the remaining 90% of the casualties are accounted for by the mobile policemen’s bullets.

To be fair to them, BH does not attack innocent civilian targets. They only target those they perceive as their enemies or in revenge. Before an operation, they always advised civilians to either lie down or run away to safety. A case in point is the man they saw near immigration office and was asked to lie down in his car. In Bompai police barracks where BH operatives were alleged to have conducted a house to house search, they spared even police women in uniform. Yet in the same farm center, news reports have it that, traders in the GSM market were warned ahead of the attacks while those that did not heed the warning were asked to lie down during the operation.

To further buttress the depopulation theory, the situation in Kano has now entered the house to house search and shoot at sight stage; with over 160 arrests so far made and the raid on the Hotoro residence of one Huzaifa;, a Kantin Kwari trader where his entire family was wiped out including his pregnant wife. What remains is for this ruthless and ungodly mission to get to the stage of extra judicial summary execution phase; similar to what we saw in the Aljazeera video clip and still obtains in Maiduguri; for only yesterday, there was the news report a few days ago that, the JTF has killed 6 suspected BH militants, yet only yesterday, another 9 innocent civilians were murdered by the JFT amidst protest from the neighborhood and testimony that, the people massacred have nothing to do with BH..

What is the justification of killing people on mere suspicion and allegation? What is the sin of the children and pregnant wife of the Kantin Kwari trader? Does wearing a beard and being frequented by young men; probably because of the man’s generosity and charitable disposition, attract such a heavy penalty? Supposing the man was a confirmed member of the BH sect; since when and under what law of the land does belonging to a religious sect attract automatic elimination, total extermination and wiping out of an entire family; including an unborn pregnancy? This bizarre incident can only be explained by the depopulation theory in the church’s bid to achieve population parity with Islam; through these deliberate, planned, calculated and premeditated murders.

Another common feature of the search and destroy phase is the framing of innocent people and eliminating them on the pretense that, they are members of the BH sect. Anybody wearing a beard or seriously abides by the tenets of Islam is hunted and gunned down. The raid on Huzaifa, the Kantin Kwari trader is along this line, for he is known to be a close disciple of late Sheikh Ja’afar Mahmud Adam, in which case, Huzaifa cannot possibly belong to BH, a sect that was at loggerheads with his late Sheikh and even suspected of gunning him down.

Boko Haram and Armed Struggle

Question analysts often should ask include; what pushed BH into taking up arms? Did they take up arms by accident or design? Is the excesses and torture by the police at the initial stage that pushed them? For there are reports of one of the DPO’s that used write B. Haram on the bodies of BH suspects using heated iron as his pen. Or is BH a Christian pet project in collaboration with some foreign powers as suggested by the depopulation theory? Other wise what was the objective of the two Christian godfathers of BH in supporting and nurturing an Islamic organization? The official name of the BH organization; Jama’atus Sunnati lid Da’awah wal Jihad or ‘The organization of Sunnis for call and Jihad’ (emphasis mine) also tends to suggest a certain extent, some potential for some degree of extremism, intolerance and even violence. This further corroborates and strengthens the depopulation theory and the suspected Christian/foreign subterranean hands in the formation of the organization in the first place. After all Al Qaeda was an American creation in the first place.

What beat analysts hollow, are the various eye witness accounts of the suspected presence of foreign mercenaries within the operatives of BH; which the eye witnesses could detect from their accents. Similar reports were also made during the Panshekara disturbances; so much so that, even the immigration officer on the investigation panel confirmed that, at least one of the assailants killed was a foreigner. By virtue of his training, the immigration officer was able to tell from the features of the killed assailant.  How are these foreign mercenaries recruited? Who recruits them? How do they get into the country? How do they sneak in and out of their planned targets, carry out their operation and disappear into thin air?

Related: NewsRescue- A ‘KKK’, Supremacist plot to disintegrate Nigeria

‘Biafra’ on global agenda of Anders Breivik KKK type European group:  He is on trial for murder of 75 in Norway massacre

Behring Anders Breivik comments at Document.no

Anders Breivik, Norway Massacre {MailOnline}

2009-09-14 11:12:20

We should immediately work towards joint establishment of a cultural conservative major newspaper (paper / online national distribution).

Primary Doctrines:

Critical to multiculturalism (Anti-kulturmarxistisk)
Anti-racist
Pro Progress Party (maybe right)
Pro Israel (+ support for Armenia, Christian Copts / Maronite / Assyriere, cultural conservative Indians, support for the establishment of a Christian state Biafra, Southern Nigeria and support to the establishment of a Christian state in Sudan, support for Russian / Thailand / Philippines / China + Fighting Jihad)
Anti-UN
Anti-EU
Critical to kulturmarxistiske media (all)
Pro free market
Pro Christian

Evangelical Invasion

In addition to all the killing, maiming and displacing of Muslims, destroying their houses, mosques, businesses and other properties in the process, the covert and overt evangelical activities that started since the white man arrived on our shores; with the Bible and the sword has intensified of recent. As a matter of fact, it has reached in intensity, the level of evangelical invasion and warfare. Through projects like ‘’Ba Zata’’, semi illiterate village Imams are targeted and converted to Christianity and then sent to Egypt or Sudan to study Arabic and Islamic studies only to return and assume evangelical work, misquoting and distorting the Holy Koran and other Islamic fundamentals in their preaching. This is in addition to outright Hausa speaking Christians sent to Egypt and Sudan on similar missions.

This strategy which has been going on since the early sixties; for Maitatsine is believed to be one those semi illiterates, who only memorized the Holy Koran,  recruited and converted to Christianity. The kind of gifts, messages and emissaries he frequently received from the Vatican was one of the things that made the then Emir of Kano, Sir Muhammadu Sanusi expel him from Kano in 1963.

However Maitatsine returned to Kano during the administration of Muhammad Abubakar Rimi with a BH style militia causing the havoc he caused. Reports then indicated that, Maitasine’s militia included 40 able men trained abroad; probably in Ireland. The police were therefore over powered; hunted and gunned down in hallmark operations similar to the BH style. The presence of foreign mercenaries and the sophisticated weapons that are beyond the fire power of our security agencies are therefore common factors Maitatsine, Panshekara assailants and BH have in common. The army had to be called in to subdue them and the ring leader of the Maitatsine Sect; Muhammad Marwa; alias ‘Maitatsine’ was alleged to have been killed wearing a cross on his neck.

This approach of evangelizing gardawa and local Imams is now rampantly used by the Ba Zata project in remote villages especially around Dayi and other parts of Kano and Katsina States. It is pertinent to reiterate at this juncture that, preaching the gospel through distorting and misinterpreting Koranic and Islamic texts is a potential flash point and poses the security danger of irritating and inciting the Muslims.

Through intensified Maguzawa (non Muslim Hausas that still follow the traditional religion) evangelization activities and derives, the Christians have been able to establish a Christian belt across southern Kano and middle of Katsina States; a belt where the majority of Maguzawas are found. The belt cuts across right from Sumaila through Garko, Bunkure, Kibiya, Rano, Garun Malam, Tudun Wada, Doguwa, Karaye, Bebeji, Rogo, Kiru, Gwarzo, Shanono, Bagwai and Tofa Local Governments in Kano. The belt then extends into Malumfashi, Kafur, Kankara, Dutsin Ma and other Maguzawa dwelling Local Government Areas of Katsina State.

The evangelical incursion and assault on Kano has reached a stage where we shall soon find Christian Local Government Vice Chairmen and Chairmen as we already have Christian councilors. Right now in Bebeji; Dantata’s home Local Government, you cannot become the chairman without the blessing and support of the size-able indigenous Christian community there. At this rate, we shall soon start having democratically elected indigenous Christian Deputy Governors and eventually Governors in Kano and Katsina States. Eventually we end up with the Cameroon model; where the Muslims will be out of contention of ever becoming the president of Nigeria; thereby making rotation/power shift dead and buried.

To the Muslims it is sad to note that, it is the poverty of leadership that landed them in the situation they find themselves; a situation where they find themselves as second class citizens and refugees in their own country, an endangered specie facing threats of genocide and extermination; while Christianity encroaches rapidly into their traditional domains and strongholds; particularly Kano and Katsina States.

Unfortunately, the Muslims have to contend with this onslaught that they can do very little or nothing about and only watch their neighborhood becoming more and more Christian by the day, while their political power and influence are continuously eroded and at the same time, their gardawa and local semi illiterate Imams are poached, trained and let loose against them and their religion.

Related: NewsRescue– Boko Haram linked to Qatar, Western Powers

All these unfortunate turn of events are made possible and easy by the fact that, the Muslims are saddled with leaders that are inept, selfish, corrupt, purposeless, unfocussed, unarticulated, lacking in foresight and mission, plan less, incompetent, cowards and lone rangers that do not consult with each other to take a common stand and stand by it. For instance, when His Eminence, the Sultan went to see the President on behalf of the Muslim Ummah, he went alone and spent over 2 hours with the president. On the other hand, CAN met the President as a team with an articulated position and set of demands. Meetings of the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) are only jamborees where millions of the meager resources of the council are spent in hotel bills without anything concrete to show for it towards tackling the problems bedeviling the Ummah. For instance, the last meeting in Abuja consumed more than two thirds of the meager coppers of the council. The meetings should shift Kaduna; where substantial savings will be made in hotel bills of the Northern emirs as they almost all own official/personal houses in Kaduna.

Because of the pomp, splendor, perquisites and other spoils of office, these leaders are incapable of making sacrifices for the benefit of Islam and the people they lead. They have been intimidated and cowed by the fear of removal, framing, prosecution and possible imprisonment or elimination. After all, cases of Emir Jokolo, Sen. Ndimi and Sheikh Mahmud Jaafar Ahmad are still fresh in their minds.

The leadership crisis of the Muslims is not limited to the traditional rulers alone but Ulama and the political leaders all share the shortcomings of the traditional leaders and worse. The Ulama have divided the Muslim Ummah along sectarian lines and religious groupings and organizations that are at each others throat as such; they cannot come together and work for the progress of Islam under one umbrella with one voice. They are sometimes more sympathetic and softer towards a non Muslim than they are to a Muslim that does not belong to their camp. Political leaders on the other hand are only after their political interests and only romance with Islam when it suits them and in order to achieve political goals and then dump it, especially in Islam’s hour of need. They often collaborate with the other side to the detriment of Islam up to the extent of sabotage.

Vested Interest Groups

This brings me to the issue of other vested interest groups that are interested in the status quo and the escalation of the deteriorated security situation of the country as well as religious violence and stepped up BH activities. In addition to serving the vested interest of the Church and foreign interest groups, it perhaps suits certain elements within the political spectrum for the status quo to continue or even escalate. Only 2 days ago, the chief of Army Staff said that, the Government will not negotiate with BH, thank God, the President later said, he is ready to negotiate with BH. The chief of Army is apparently eying the trillion Naira budgeted to Defense at the expense of Agriculture, Health, Education, Infrastructure and other productive and social sectors that are vital to the development of the country. The continuation of the status quo will allow for the easy passage of the outrageous defense allocation before our rubber stamp and inept National Assembly. In which case, the passing of the budget translates into billions of Naira that will line private pockets in kick backs. Then all of a sudden, came the announcement of the capture of Abu qa’aqa’a, the spokesman of BH by the SSS (though later identified as Abud Darda’a), I believe the arrest is to scuttle the peace and reconciliation process the president offers.

Nigeria Targeted For Destruction: Gordon Duff, US

Another baffling issue is why does the Government find it necessary to smuggle arms rather than through official channels. Only recently, a container load of arms were caught within the shipment of railway tankers imported by the Government. Then the NSA, Azazi goofed by saying that, the smuggled arms; which included hand grenades, were meant for Police Affair Commission. We all know that, the police do not use grenades. Yet another shipment of 8 containers full of arms was intercepted which Azazi promised to ‘investigate’. Again, the same Azazi went all the way to New York to deliver a lecture in which he said, US interests are more threatened by Boko Haram than Nigerian interests.

Right from the emergence of religious violence in the country in 1987, the Government and the security forces seem to always blame the Muslims and deal with them ruthlessly while Christians go scot free through pardoning, stage managed escapes from police custody as well as the failure or refusal to arrest Christian suspects. It seems to suit certain political interests for the Muslims to be terrorized and intimidated to submission, impotence and incapacitation. The level of callousness towards the plight of the Muslims has reached a point where in 2005, 97 Muslim women are captured by Christians as war booty and turned slaves facing routine rape and hard labor. To date the Government has not bothered to do anything to save these unfortunate women. All these seem to be calculated attempts at demoralizing and dampening the spirit of the Muslims into resigning to fate and absorbing any beating; talk less of power shift and a Muslim presidency. Otherwise, why the 50 million Naira tag on Kabiru Sokoto while Rev Abubabakar Bako and other Christian escapees are not declared wanted; talk less of putting price tags on their heads?

Western interests in a subdued, incapacitated and reduced Muslim populace; as well as the worsening of the already deteriorated security situation in the country are quite glaring and obvious. The lucrative defense and security gadgets contracts help their crisis ridden economies. The country has already been arm twisted into rushing and signing a defense pact with the USA without consulting the National Assembly. By feeding our leaders with concocted security information, the West has convinced them of links between BH Al Qaeda and impending BH attacks throughout West African countries. As a matter of fact, Niger Republic has already panicked and announced reducing its Health budget and adding it to the Defense budget.

Oil is another attraction that lures the insatiable greed of the West into all these acts of destabilization and fanning the fire of disturbances, chaos and insecurity in our countries; in an Iraqi kind of strategy. Given the oil potentials of the Chad Basin, the oil and Uranium reserves in Bauchi/Gombe axis as well as the oil and Uranium reserves in neighboring Niger Republic in addition to the oil and other mineral potentials of Aouzu Strip on the Chad Libya border, there is every reason for the West to destabilize the region; hence the attempt to link BH with Al Qaeda as a ploy to invade the country; now that the USA has a defense pact with Nigeria in place.

Way forward

As way forward, I believe it is high time for the Government to redeem its woeful failure to provide peace, security and protect the lives and property of its citizenry. She must address past mistakes, redress the wronged and the wrongs committed and face the future on a clean slate. The President must set aside, ethnic, religious and sectional sentiments and live by the oath of his office. The President must eschew his personal and religious sentiments and put his country first. He should remember that, he is the President of the whole of Nigeria and not a section of it; he is also the President of followers of all the religions practiced in the country. He must put the overall national interest as his overriding principle and guide.

Related: NewsRescue- The End of Boko Haram

On the plight of Muslims and the situation they find themselves of apparently being neglected and discriminated against with the Government seemingly biased, partial and always siding the Christians, correcting this impression and putting things right will go a long way in bringing about peace and security in this country while exhibiting the latent statesmanship qualities in the President.

To this end, the settler/indigene dichotomy created by the Christians against the constitution and other laws of the land must stop. It must be amply demonstrated that, Muslims reserve right to live anywhere in this country without fear or threat of expulsion, killing, maiming nor burning and looting of their property. Those that are exiled and living in refugee camps must be allowed to return to what is left of their homes and given full protection to go about their normal lives. They must also be adequately compensated for loss of their love ones and property. Those 97 women from Yelwan Shendam taken by Christians as war booty and turned into sex slaves under conditions of hard labor must be rescued and returned to their families and fully compensated for all the trauma and neglect they went through. In the same vein, Christians that lost their loved ones and property must be adequately compensated.

In order to open a new chapter and restart on a clean slate, all byes gone should be bye gone and pardoned; but with a clear warning that, any future breaches, threats, acts of provocation, blasphemous and abusive preaching will be ruthlessly dealt with; without fear or favor. There must be true and sincere reconciliation efforts. A check and balance system to check mate the excesses and partiality of the police towards either side need to be installed and equipped with an open and responsive means of taking up complaints and reported cases of bias, partiality, taking sides and excesses on the part of the police.

In the overall national interest, peace, security and reconciliation, Mr. President should be critical and cautious of whatever security advice or report the West feeds him; obviously these reports and advices are concocted and tuned to suite the national interests and selfish desires of its authors; usually to the detriment of our own national interest. Only patriotic Nigerians with the country at heart can help this country. No country can solve our problems outside its own national interest. To this end, I call on the President to critically review whatever security advice or report was received from either East or West. In the same vein, I call for the scrapping and abrogation of the defense agreement hurried entered with the USA of recent because of its potential of jeopardizing and mortgaging our national security, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

This brings me to the question of way forward as far as the issue of BH is concerned and what I think should be done to solve the problem. The idea of direct talks with BH is a welcome development and I think BH should use the opportunity to put forward its case and present its set of demands. This will give the opportunity for the Muslims to understand them and appreciate their position and perhaps draw public sympathy and support. This will also clear some of the misgivings, misperceptions and suspicions as well as grievances nursed by many people. It will also clear the sect of suspected Christian and foreign links in terms of founding, financing, arms supply, logistics and intelligence support, recruitment of mercenaries and other grey areas.

To this end, BH should form a formidable team, articulate their position and face the Government team. The present intransigent stand of not willing to talk to the Government on the flimsy ground that, Jonathan is a non Muslim, to my mind is flimsy and does not hold water. Islam certainly allows for peace talks and coming to terms and agreements with non Muslims. The prophet SAW negotiated and came to an agreement with the non believers of Quraish at the famous Hudaibiyya peace agreement. The prophet SAW also consummated a peace agreement with the Jews on his arrival in Medina after emigrating from Mecca. Similarly, the prophet SAW entered into agreements and alliances with a number of Arab tribes such as Khuza’ah and a host of others.

As a matter of fact, the Holy Koran makes it mandatory for Muslims to lean towards peace making once the other side leans towards peace and makes reconciliatory moves and offers to sit down and negotiate.  Allah SWT says in the Holy Koran, Chapter 8: Verse 61;

If they lean towards peace, you (too) lean towards it and rely on Allah; He is all hearing, knowledgeable.

Allah SWT also says in Suratul Baqara, Verse 204;

O those who believe, enter into peace totally.

Similarly, Allah SWT says in Chapter 8, Verse 1;

…Then fear Allah and make and make amends for what has transpired between each other…

Yet in Chapter 9, Verse 6, Allah SWT says;

If one of those that associates others with Allah seeks refuge with you, you should give him refuge until he hears the words of Allah; then you extend peace to him, that is because they are people that do not know.

To crown it all, Allah SWT says in Chapter 4, Verse 128; …and making peace is the best…

In line of the above Koranic injunctions and the practice or Sunnah of our prophet SAW, my sincere advice is for BH to reconsider its position and negotiate so that we may have peace. They should remember that, they are not negotiating with Jonathan as a person; but all the other Nigerians; Muslims and non Muslims. Here are some suggested preconditions and demands BH should consider putting forward:

1. General amnesty to all BH members.
2. Unconditional release of all BH detainees.
3. Dissolution of the JTF.
4. A full stop to extra judicial killings.
5. Adequate compensation for those killed or maimed through torture or otherwise.
6. Rehabilitation, training and allowances similar to what Niger delta militants enjoy.
7. Creating a Ministry similar to the Ministry for Niger Delta to cater for ex BH members and others affected by religious disturbances.
8. Increased budgetary allocation and investment in Education, Health and Agriculture and reduction of the Defense budget.
9. Complete ceasefire by both sides.
10. Rescinding of the Defense pact with USA.

On its part, the Government should be very sincere in abiding by whatever terms and conditions are agreed upon and should implement them religiously. There is no question of deceit or trying to buy time. BH should be given time within which to disarm and surrender all weapons.

Finally, it is necessary to try and reflect as to what landed Nigerian Muslims in this quagmire?  How did they turn into second class citizens in their own country, hated and discriminated against? How come they are overcome, overpowered and subdued by Christians? What enables the Christians to freely kill and massacre Muslims at will to the point of extermination and genocide? What is it that renders the life of the Muslim valueless to the extent that, even bullets are more valuable than the life of Muslim so as to warn killers of Muslims to be economical with bullets in the process of mass murdering of Muslims? How did the Muslim loose his freedom in this country, molested and debased? Why is it that, the Muslim has no succor and is forced to shut up and not cry against all the beating he is taking daily? Where were the Muslims when political power was snatched from their hands? For what fault did Christians gained superiority over the Muslims to the point of cannibalizing them; roasting and feasting on the flesh of the Muslims, after killing them and burning their cars and other properties?

What gave this bunch of cannibal of Christians the guts to make a video clip of the cannibalism and feasting on Muslim flesh and shamelessly show it to the world on the internet? {See: NewsRescue– Birom Christians eat Roasted flesh of Muslims they Killed in Jos, Nigeria} What has gone wrong with the Muslims so as to allow close to 100 of their women to be taken as war booty by the Christians? What is responsible for the Muslims being saddled with corrupt, unscrupulous and dishonest leaders? It is pertinent to ponder and reflect on this sorry state of ours and probe and search for answers and solutions. It is time for soul and conscience searching.

However the answers and solutions are not far fetched. The most important single factor is the fact that, as Muslims, we have abandoned Allah and forgot Him, as a result, Allah abandoned and forgot them too in their present sorry state and condition. The Muslims have also turned into cheats and transgressors in their business dealings and transactions; hardly will there be any financial dealing, even with the common man without being cheated and short changed. Being transgressors, Allah will not help them against transgressors; because Allah does not like transgressors and does not help them. In the Holy Koran, Allah SWT says:

Verily, Allah does not like transgressors.

In another Verse, Allah SWT said:

Transgressors do not have any helper at all.

In addition to abandoning Allah, distancing from Him, forgetting Him and transgression, committing of major sins without an iota of shame and built feeling has become common place; to the extent that, even non Muslims cannot commit some of the heinous sins some Muslims commit; adultery, fornication, consumption of alcohol and other intoxicants, looting of public funds, usury and other major sins. It has reached the extent Muslims now join secret societies that partake in cannibalism and consumption of human flesh as well drinking of human blood; ail in a bid to make money or gain political power. So far Muslims commit these atrocities; Allah cannot help them because they are no different from the non Muslims.

Video: Birom Christians eat Roasted flesh of Muslims they Killed in Jos, Nigeria

Therefore, only one thing will save the Muslims; returning to Allah through making amends and reconciling with Him. Once Muslims do not change their evil ways and returned to Him, Allah will not their condition for the better; Allah SWT says in His Holy Book: Chapter 13, Verse 11;

   Verily, Allah does not change what has befallen a people unless they changed what is in them…

Allah the Most High also says in Chapter 7, Verse 96;

Had city dwellers believed and feared Allah, We would have opened up for them, bounties from the heavens and earth; but they disbelieved then we seized them for what they committed.

Therefore whatever calamity befalls us as a community, it is our handiwork and we are solely responsible, for Allah SWT says in the Holy Koran;

… and whatever bad befalls you, it is from your own self …

We should remember that, the two most important things in life are; food security and peace, both can only be provide by Allah, we should therefore seek them from Him only; not from America or any other nation neither can an outrageous defense budget nor sophisticated security gadgets and security cameras. The same thing applies to food security and prosperity; Governments, UN, IMF and World Bank combined cannot guarantee food security and prosperity. We should therefore turn to Allah and He willingly provides us food security and prosferity as well as an ever lasting peace and security. Allah SWT says in Suratu Quraish;

                                           Then let them worship the Lord of this house (Ka’aba).

                                           Who fed them from hunger.

                                           And made them safe from fear.

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We beseech Allah the Most High to accept our repentances, enable us return to Him and change our misconducts towards Him so as to lift what has befallen us and uplift our condition. O Allah, make us good servants of Yours so that we get good leaders, good leadership and good governance. Kindly give us peace, prosperity, progress development and good health, amen.

All praise, thanks and gratitude are due to Allah; Kano, 02/02/2012.

Opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect NewsRscue’s editorial policy. NewsRescue is not affiliated with the authors of its OpEd articles. We appreciate all meaningful contributions to discourse from our readers and the general public.