By Bola A. Akinterinwa
Nigeria became a terra cognita, not only for politics of self-deceit, but particularly for armed banditry and insurrection under President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB), an Army General. More unfortunate too, the armed banditry has become recidivist in character while the insurrection by the Boko Haramists is increasingly being overshadowed by the Fulani herdsmen-farmers conflict. And perhaps most unfortunately, PMB has not been able to nip the problems of insecurity in the bud.
His inability to contain the brutality meted out by the bandits and insurgents to the good people of Nigeria has been traced to many suspicions: allegations of PMB not being in charge of the governance of Nigeria, his politics of nepotism, purported Islamic cum Fulanisation agenda, medical unfitness, and incompetence. Like Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, PMB was a one-time military Head of State and a one-time elected President of Nigeria. He is currently in his second presidential term.
Consequently, it cannot be rightly argued that he does not have relevant experience. If he is incompetent, he should not be blamed because it is believed that he won election to become the president. He therefore has the mandate of the people. However, as a president with the people’s mandate, does he also have the mandate to engage in acts of nepotism, Fulanisation or Islamisation? Does he believe truly in stopping armed banditry and insurgency in Nigeria? Is he interested in a third term?
Many can argue that thinking of a third term is nothing more than a figment of imagination. And true, it may be. But imagine a scenario in which situations of insecurity are allowed to degenerate for a longer time to come and to the extent that PMB will be compelled to stay in power beyond his normal presidential tenure. In this new case of force majeure, what PMB cannot do as an elected president will be made possible by military situations.
It is useful to recall here that, Lt-General Buratai, former Chief of Army Staff noted during his non-career ambassadorial confirmation process in the Senate that ‘in Northwest and North Central, there are so many ungovernable spaces, which the insurgents are penetrating. The places don’t have schools, hospital and soon and education is very fundamental. Unless these things are done, this insecurity will continue. The truth must be told, because this thing cannot end soon. It may take another 20 years and that is the truth.’ If insecurity will not end until 20 years time, why should it be difficult to nip it in the bud now? By providing infrastructure, will there be peace? How will insecurity be stopped in 20 years time? Again, Nigeria is simply a country where the home truth is never told and everyone has to deal with his or her own version of deductive truth. The manifestations of the self-deceit and self-denial are multi-dimensional in character.
Manifestations of Self-deceit.
The kidnapping of pupils in four different secondary schools in the North has clearly shown that the Government of Nigeria does not learn lessons, does not even appear to want to learn from past experiences. In fact, government apparently thinks deeply after, and not before, actions. If Government ever learns any lesson, questions should be raised as to the nature of the lessons, especially in terms of taking precautionary measures to prevent future occurrences. Let us begin with the first Chibok experience.
Chibok is in Borno State, in the North-eastern part of Nigeria. The kidnapping took place on April 14, 2014 at a Government Secondary, female boarding school. 276 girls were kidnapped from their dormitories and packed like sardines in motor vehicles and taken away. On the basis of Government’s negotiations and possible ransom paying, 21 of the victims were released in 2016. In 2017, 82 of them were released in a prisoner swap. Since then, there has been little information on the remaining girls.
The abductors came with many buses and did not spend less than an hour in the process of their abduction. In an hour operation, the security agencies could not be contacted. A section of the dormitories was attacked. Why was it that other dormitories did not know what was happening? Was there no post-mortem of the abduction? What were the observations made and recommendations to government to prevent other occurrences? On the first abduction, the Government was cut unawares. Should the Government be again cut unawares the second time?
A second kidnapping took place in another female school, Government Girls’ Science and Technical College (GGSTC) in Dapchi. Dapchi is in the Bulabulin, Yunusari Local Government Area of Yobe State, which is 275 km from Chibok, but still in the North-eastern part of Nigeria. 110 school girls were kidnapped on February 19, 2018. Five of the girls died during their transportation. 104 of the victims and two children (a boy and a girl) who were not pupils of the school) were told on Saturday, March 17, to get onto boats, which they did. For three days, they were on water before getting to the shore where they boarded vehicles that took them to the town where they were kidnapped.
According to the father of one of the released pupils, ‘some motors painted in military colour, came with our girls…’ They dropped the girls at the centre of town, near Ali’s teashop. I found my daughter and left.’ The militant abductors reportedly told their parents thus: ‘we have now returned your children to you but make sure you don’t enrol them in western education again, because if you do we will come back and take them away. And perhaps more shamefully, the insurgents ‘proceeded to shake hands and take pictures before leaving.’ The pupils were specifically warned by Boko Haram not to return to their school. One of them, Leah Shaibu, who refused to be converted to Islamic faith was left behind. It was reported on January 26, 2020 that she had become a mother, but no information as to whether she has become a Muslim in order to survive.
Again, the abductors spent about two hours in the school. No security intervention. The bandits brought their victims back to the town and also had the effrontery of not only taking photographs with the people, taking photographs, but also warning of coming back in the event the victims still decide to go back to their school for western education. At the time of abduction, there were no security agents. At the time of their return, they were not there to arrest. In fact, the abductors operated freely apparently with public and government, support.
The third kidnapping is interesting because of its re-strategy: their victim is not a female school like in Chibok and Dapchi, but a boy’s secondary boarding school on the outskirts of Kankara. The Kankara abduction took place on the evening of December 11, 2020 and involved more than 300 pupils. The school has about 800-pupil population residing in the school.
What is noteworthy is that the abductors came in a convoy of motorcycles. They also launched their attack when President Muhammadu Buhari was also visiting his home state, Katsina, meaning that the attack was consciously organised to challenge Mr. President and to register their presence in Katsina State.
More important, even though the armed forces said on December 12, 2020 that they had identified the hideout of the kidnappers, and even though Governor Aminu Bello Masari said the kidnappers were in touch with him on December 14 and the Boko Haramists claimed on December 15 of having organised the kidnapping, government officials were quarrelling with who really the kidnappers were. Were they bandits or Boko Haramists? Whatever was the case, Governor Masari announced on December 17 that 244 of the kidnapped victims had been freed from a wood in neighbouring Zamfara State.
The Kankara abduction in Katsina state clearly shows the hideout of the terrorists. Government knows who they are. The Information Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed rejected every insinuation that the Boko Haram was involved. He argued that the kidnappers were bandits. In this regard, in which way are Boko Haramists criminally and the bandits are not? They are both anti-Nigeria. If the kidnappers were bandits, why has Government not been able to deal decisively with them?
The fourth and newest manifestation of self-deceit in the governance of Nigeria is the Kagara abduction saga in Niger State. On Wednesday, February 17, 2021, in the wee hours, 27 pupils and 15 members of staff of the Government Science College, Kagara, in the Rafi Local Government Council in Niger State were again abducted. One of the pupils was shot dead for refusing to be abducted and for raising alarm.
The school is very dilapidated as evidenced in a video coverage. The abductors entered the school from the rear where the fence had fallen. More disturbingly, the abductors reportedly parked their motorcycles about a kilometre away, near the Attahiru Secondary School, which is near the Government Science College. The abducted pupils were ‘tied in pairs and marched to where the motorcycles were parked from where they were taken into the bush.’ The abductees are still under bondage and Governor Abubakar Sani-Bello has said that he would not pay any ransom. Government has always denied any payment of ransom but the general public does not believe in it. It is again a manifestation of self-deceit.
Miyetti Allah and Rotimi Akeredolu
Apart from the manifestations of politics of self-deceit shown in the kidnapping of secondary school pupils, there is the case of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, a Fulani socio-cultural association, with well-respected members. Miyetti Allah reportedly accused Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State of creating the Àmòtékùn in order to kill the Fulani. More important, Miyetti Allah also reportedly supported Senator Bala Mohammed, the Governor of Bauchi State, on the possession of AK-47 rifles for self-defence.
In the mindset of Miyetti Allah, Governor Akeredolu, is ‘the brain behind the creation of Àmòtékùn allegedly unleashing terror on herders and Northerners in South-western states of Ondo and Oyo’ (videVanguardngr.com, February 18, 2021). It is important to note here that, if there is any good Governor in Nigeria, it is surely that of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu. He did not respond to the allegations by way of commentary, but by analytical explanation on the saga to enable observers to have an objective understanding of the issues involved.
First, it can be gleaned from the cases of kidnappings of school children that the Federal Government is not in any dependable position to prevent the re-occurrence of kidnapping. The PMB administration is very active in diplomacy of words but very remiss in action. Any reasonable governor should, in the spirit of the self-declared federal system of government, take the initiative to secure the people of his/her state. Governor Akeredolu did just that and should be commended, rather than being accused. It is only in Nigeria that doing good is always a problem. To be patriotic and refuse to steal in government is always sanctioned directly and indirectly. Dishonesty attracts national honours and strategic appointments. A typical Ondo citizen is not cut for that.
Secondly, it cannot be true that Àmòtékùn or Akeredolu is un-leaching terror on Northerners. What research finding has shown is that there is a critical misunderstanding between pastoral herdsmen and farmers. The misunderstanding arises from the fact that the herdsmen always carry AK-47 rifles, their cattle eat agricultural crops and destroy investments in them, the herdsmen kill owners of the farmlands on their land. They rape girls, mothers and women that come their way. And in fact, they live in the bushes and refuse to come to town and live with people to be identified. From the bush where they live, they also come to major inter-city roads to hijack vehicles, kidnap people and extort monies from people. All these atrocities do not mean much for Government and Miyetti Allah. The Bauchi Governor Bala Mohammed not only even argued on the platform of the Channels Television on Friday February 19, 2021 that there is the need to differentiate between foreign Fulani and the Nigerian Fulani, but also that no Nigerian or no Fulani needs to seek permission to reside in any reserved forest. The forests are held in trust and belong to all Nigerians who can decide to live in any part of the forest. In fact, when it is said that a forest is reserved, he asked ‘reserved for what and for who’?
Thus, the complaints by farmers are seen like white lies or figment of imagination, and whereas, at best, they represent the situational reality on the ground. In fact, the issues to address are consciously ignored. When it is convenient for Government or the Miyetti Allah, it is argued that the herders are not Nigerians, that they are foreigners from either Niger Republic or from Chad. When they are seen as Nigerians and are frontally challenged by Àmòtékùn, the argument will be that the Fulani are different from the criminals or bandits. Even in this case, rather than seek to arrest and prosecute the criminals, fresh arguments of need to grant them amnesty are raised.
In the specific case of the allegations against Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, they are most unfortunate. There is the need for court interpretation on the right of any Nigerian to reside in any place of his her choice in Nigeria, especially whether that right includes disregard for the law of the State and whether a forest that belongs to every Nigerian should be unilaterally confiscated by the Federal Government and given to Fulani herdsmen.
The truth of the matter is that, in Ondo State, no indigene of the State has the right to encroach on government’s reserved land because it is held in trust for all the people and should not be taken advantage of by a section of the people to the detriment of others. The truth again is that the herdsmen were asked to register for purposes of official registration and recognition. They refuse to. Akeredolu only asked those trespassing in the land over which he has jurisdictional control to leave. The quit notice is for the fugitives. If the herders are Fulani or Northerners, then the Northern Fulanis who are killing the legitimate people of their host state are advised to return to where they come from.
Government and Miyetti Allah should simply recognise that there is nothing like terra nullius anymore. The era of colonisation, when European invading powers appropriated land under manu militari policies is no more. The herdsmen are seen as agents of re-colonisation which the Ondo people simply resisted.
Another important issue is the acquiescence of the Government on the matter of possession of AK-47 rifles by herders. Senator Bala Mohammed, Governor of Bauchi State, supports the possession of the arms by the herders purportedly for self-defence. This is a logical point. But why should the right of self-defence by the Governor of Ondo State, acting on behalf of the people, be illogical? Why should it be lawful for the herders to carry AK-47 rifles and it will be unlawful for their enemies to also carry the same weapons? When herders maim and kill, it is praises galore to God. Why should God not be praised in the event of legitimate self-defence?
True, but unbelievable, another civil war is in the making for reasons that are not far-fetched: politics of self-deceit, which is also condoned by people complaining against it. The Sultan of Sokoto has made it clear that, in every ten herdsmen arrested, eight of them are Fulani. Why then pretend that the Fulani is not the national problem to address?
From the foregoing analyses of kidnappings by the Boko Haram insurgents, government gives the public impression that the insurgents are ordinary criminals or terrorists without political agenda. This is most unfortunate, because Nigeria’s political leaders are recklessly selfish. They promote dishonesty-driven patriotism and pervert justice. This is why the PMB era has divided Nigeria and Nigerians more than ever before. Misunderstanding between herders and herders became accentuated and a critical issue under the PMB administration. In a country of self-deceit, where importation of arms and ammunitions are always reported to have been attached by border security agencies and nothing is heard about it thereafter, but only for criminals and herders to be seen carrying AK-47 rifles everywhere, cannot but raise more questions than answers.
For instance, the cost of the cattle being protected cannot purchase one AK-47 rifle. Where does a herdsman therefore get the money to purchase it? Why are the herdsmen not prepared to register officially, as all other citizens of the host state do, with the government? Why is the Federal Government not transparent about any arrested herdsman? How do we interpret the official attitude of PMB in the conduct and management of the dispute between herdsmen and farmers? It is all self-deceit
Consequently, Government should address self-deceit and fear of Fulanisation and Islamisation, because the stated objectives of the Boko Haram are three-fold: establishment of an Islamic State in Nigeria, non-westernisation of Nigeria, and non-acceptance of the concentration of Nigeria’s wealth among a small political elite and mainly in the hands of Christians in the South. Consciously refusing to reckon with these declared objectives is self-deceit. Arguing that herdsmen are foreigners and, at the same time, pleading for amnesty for them is criminally a self-deceit. When people report the atrocities of herdsmen to the security agencies, they end up being turned into the accused. This is self-deceit.
Keeping silent over public allegations that PMB has an Islamisation and Fulanisation agenda, is not only a self-deceit but a national calamity. Ignoring public calls for restructuring and other suggestions is self-deceit. The advice by the Defence Minister, Major General Bashir Magashi that security is not the responsibility of the military alone and that Nigerians should stand and face kidnappers and criminals and should not be cowardly, is self-deceit. Thus, when self-deceit is incrementally sustained by more expressions of self-deceit, and most people complain, but acquiesce to it, deceit seizes to be self. It becomes collective and mutual-deceit. Nigeria cannot survive on this basis.
