July 9, 2013
NewsRescue-Lawrence Anini was a bandit who terrorized Benin City in the 80s along with his second in command, Monday Osunbor. His band of terrorists began robbing busses, banks and stealing cars. Anini gradually expanded the activities of his syndicate to cities and states around Benin. On December 3rd, 1986, Anini was captured at a house, while in the company of a girl friend. He was shot in the leg and transferred to a military hospital where the leg was amputated. Ibrahim Babangida, the president at the time had Anini tried expediently and as is the custom and law in Nigeria, he was killed by firing squad on March 29th, 1987. And that was the end of Lawrence Anini, Nigeria’s terror bandit, who left trails of death and sorrow in his path.
We could go on to review the story of Mohammed Marwa, aka, Maitatsine, a radical northern bandit, and how a successful military campaign succeeded in defeating and killing him in 1980. These are all stories of terrorism in Nigeria’s history that most of us are familiar with.
Today, the story of insane terrorism and evil is the Boko Haram, aka “western civilization is bad,” terrorist saga centered in Nigeria’s north east. Boko Haram terrorism, headed by a man who goes under the nickname, Abubakar Shekau, allegedly from Niger republic, has taken the lives of over 6000 innocent Nigerians, Muslims, Christians, Hausa, Kanuri, Yoruba, Igbo, old and young alike. The terrorists have never submitted to reason, never proposed a sensible agenda and have never abated in their campaigns of merciless murder. Well, up until June 26th.
On June 26th, a press release that appeared to come from Boko Haram top quarters, for the first time, asked for a cease fire with the Nigerian government. Ordinarily, this would read reasonable. But this is no ordinary situation. What prompted this demand for a ceasefire? We have to go back to May 14th. The current administration, headed by president Goodluck Jonathan, on May 14th, in response to a dangerous reality, that the northern extremist terrorists who had largely been left unchecked though years of rampage, had acquired so much arms, training, vehicles and guts, that they were attacking military barracks in Borno state and according to Nigeria’s PDP chairman, Bamanga Tukur, were even about to declare their first Nigerian state.
In addition to the declaration of a state of emergency, a full military deployment was rapidly made and war was declared against this malicious, terrorist insurgency. The president of Nigeria has conceded that he might be one of the most disliked leaders in the world. But with the engagement of Boko Haram in this total war, for once, many Nigerians said he had done something very right.
By June, Nigeria had turned over the tables on Boko Haram. And when we say Nigeria, we mean not only the brave men of the Nigerian army, but the brave men, women and youth of the federation. Nigeria’s civilians decided that it was time for them to decide and take control of their destiny. Against their safety, the youth of the North took up arms. Not the ammunition type, but sticks, cutlasses, catapults and the like. Now popularly known as the “civilian JTF,” youths set up more check-points in Borno and Yobe state, civilian check-points than the military had setup. Nigeria’s civilians joined the war in full force, routing out Boko Haram terrorists, exposing them. They even went as far as declaring government officials who they knew were linked to the terrorism, and going after these.
Northern parents were not left out. Many revealed and exposed their sons, wives, husbands, as the case may be. The people said, no. No, to terror. No, to banditry. No to Boko Haram, miscreants, murderers and robbers, destroying their native land.
Victory
Such communal effort and bravery can only result in one thing, victory. Boko Haram has since been severely decimated. The bandits have run into the mountains, only daring to come down to scavenge for food. The terrorists have gotten so desperate, they have gone totally insane. They now attack school children, seeing them as the great enemy. Nigerians thanked their Lord and celebrated the victory over terror. We knew Boko Haram can never return, because terror can only exist where the people do nothing. The northern youth have woken up and will never, ever do nothing again. Everyone was doing something, policing their neighborhood. There will forever be no more room for Boko Haram terror. Perhaps even, Boko Haram had thought us something more—cooperation, love and peaceful coexistence.
And then the president slapped our faces
On July 8th, the unbelievable happened. The Jonathan administration announced that they had agreed to a ceasefire with the beast. Cease fire with terrorists. The news sounded impossible to believe. Who were they ceasing fire with? But Boko Haram is being defeated. Why will the victor sign a ceasefire with the vanquished? What can this mean? Who is the government struggling to protect? Is the government trying to allow this wicked formation a chance to remain relevant, to regroup and to continue to be a potential terror threat to the good people of Nigeria?
- NewsRescue-Boko Haram Terrorists Beg for Ceasefire Under Defeat from Nigerian Military, Civilian JTF
As the civilian JTF began going for top level sponsors of Boko Haram, more names of possible senior official, government friends and current and ex-government officials have been thrown about in the streets and in the press. Elite have been getting scared. An ex governor pleaded with the current governor of Borno to halt his trip to China and quickly return to facilitate the release of a party chairman, currently arrested by the military JTF in concert with the civilian JTF on suspicion of Boko Haram sponsorship. Other top level sponsors were obviously getting uncomfortably warm, feeling the heat at their toes. It is only reasonable to suspect that these elite impressed it on the president to “cease fire,” so they can stay out of the fire.
In a news report last week, a former Nigerian president at a meeting of Nigerian presidents, said, “the security situation should be dealt with in house.” Whatever did this mean? But the question is, what do we the people say and what do we want?
If I may submit, on behalf of the brave civilian JTF of North Nigeria, whose shoe-laces, I am not fit to fasten. We the people reject any form of cease fire with the beast. We the people will never stop, we will never renege. We will never abate until all terrorists have been meted the judgment they deserve. We will never live with murderers. We will never forgive the sponsors of the murderers. For the sake of those who have died, for the sake of those who are injured, for those who have lost loved ones, for those who suffer, due to the hunger and poverty this insane terrorism has caused. For the sake of the brave military men, who have died saving Nigeria, not from external war as they signed up with the army to engage in, but rather in internal senseless terrorism. For the families of the soldiers. The only peace will be when Boko Haram have met their peace. We implore the government stay with us on the right side of history.
We the civilian JTF, say: Say Mun Kawo Karshensu — Not till we bring their end!
http://ENDS.ng [Every Nigerian Do Something]
Movement of the March 18th Kano Sabon Gari Bus stop bombing
