FG’s silence in the middle belt and the drum of war in the south-east

BY ISRAEL OJOKO

The killing of police personnel, civilians and destruction of government establishment by suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) or any political thug or group is condemnable, distasteful and unacceptable.

No man has the right to take the life he did not make and every person reserves the right to life and peaceful assembly too, except a competent court of law says otherwise, after it must have been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

In the same voice, I equally condemn killings by suspected herdsmen and bandits in Benue state. The kidnapping across the country, including the most recent hijacking of a school bus in Ondo state, as well as Boko Haram terrorist assaults are condemnable.

These crimes have one thing in common, and that is the destruction of lives and property. Whether it is government or privately owned, be it in the north-east, middle belt, south-east or south-west. The unfortunate result is the loss of lives and property.

Also, no life is more important than another, no region in Nigeria’s six geo-political zones is more principal than the other and no ethnic group or religion is less relevant than the other.

This is a position every leader in Nigeria must identify with, but unfortunately, things have gone too far in the opposite direction.

Many acclaimed repentant Boko Haram fighters have sat down on the table with top government officials in the north, negotiated their way and have been rehabilitated, granted amnesty and reintegrated into the society after being given the open cheque to drop arms and embrace peace.

Some of these Boko Haram members even pretended to be born again, collect government largesse in the name of repentance, and later return to the forest to carry out worse killings.

But this is not the case in the south-east. First, IPOB was declared a terrorist organisation on 18 September 2017 by the federal high court in Abuja with no chance of a fair hearing. And now, the whole eastern states have been invaded by federal security forces on an assignment to deal with anything that has to do with IPOB.

For those blaming IPOB for the alleged destruction of government formations and killing of policemen in the east, while you must not forget my first three paragraphs of this piece, the question is how did we get here?

If truly IPOB is responsible for the attack on police stations and offices of the Independent and National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the south-east, why their sudden turnaround in 2021? Was this how it operated since its establishment in 2012 by Nnamdi Kanu?

A search on Wikipedia expressly explains that IPOB’s “main aim is to restore an independent state of Biafra in the South East of Nigeria through an independence referendum”. Wiki also clearly write that “IPOB has criticized the Nigerian federal government for its poor investment, inequitable resource distribution, ethnic marginalization, and heavy military presence in the Biafran region”.

These are the primary issues IPOB has expressed from its inception, though the federal government has completely disagreed. This led to many protests carried out by IPOB members, leading to deaths in the camps of both the police and Igbo group when the security outfit tried to stop them. This same incident continued from time to time and has now finally landed us to where we are today.

Are members of IPOB and Eastern Security Network not Nigerians? Yes. Are every resident in the south-east states a member of IPOB or subscribe to the idea of Biafra? No.

Why is the government giving a chance to Boko Haram members, bandits and killer herdsmen in the north and middle belt but in the same breathe unleashing its military arsenals against IPOB, Eastern Security Network (ESN) members and innocent residents in the south-east?

The incessant killings in Benue state have reached an alarming level, but the federal government is too busy and concerned with the Igbos that it cannot hear the cry of blood in the middle belt. Mothers are becoming childless, children are turned in orphans overnight, men are getting killed in their sleep and families are being destroyed. But who cares? As long as residents of Benue state have not started killing policemen and destroying government properties, the federal government remains deaf, blind and dumb.

The country is already divided as shown by the leaders. Religious and ethnic sentiments have already found a comfortable and glaring place from the top to the bottom. But things cannot continue this way. The federal government must, as a matter of urgency, change its strategy as regards fighting insecurity in Nigeria.

President Muhammadu Buhari must stop all military operations in the south-east. Yes, he should. And call these youth leaders, through their traditional heads, to a round table and discuss. Just like opportunity was given to repentant terrorists, it must also be given to aggrieved IPOB members and every other group in the country.

They deserve a fair hearing, just like it is done to repentant Boko Haram members, just like it is done to killer bandits, just like it was done by former President Musa Yar’Adua to Niger Delta militants.

Boko Haram has hoisted its flag in many parts of the north under the sovereignty of Nigeria, with Shiroro LGA in Niger state the newest acquisition, the terrorist group did not hear a stern warning from the president.

Buhari did not remind Boko Haram and bandits of what befell the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) in Zaria when the convoy of the then chief of army staff (COAS), Tukur Buratai, was allegedly attacked. Boko Haram, bandits and killer herdsmen have not been reminded of Nigeria’s role in dealing with enemies and restoring peace in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Libya and Mali. Are these not worth making reference to, to serve as a warning to those wielding sophisticated weapons and killing innocent and defenceless people in their homes?

Why must it be the civil war? Why must the warning go to residents of the south-east in a country that is ravaged by the worst security challenges in its history? Are there not unrest in the north, middle belt and some parts of the south-west?

This is obviously a one-sided government in Nigeria where nobody can be more Nigerian than any Nigerian. We all have equal rights as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic, and should be treated equally at every level.

Nigerian leaders must not be ignoring the killings in the north and middle belt while declaring war in the south-east.