Exposing New Waves Of Grazing & Bomb Terrorisms Against
Southern & Northern Christian & Other Secular Populations
(Onitsha Nigeria, 8th May 2016)-The Nigerian Christians
and other secular populations are steadily going the Lebanon way by facing
steady and unprovoked attacks, hostilities and targeted decimation in the hands
of northern politico-religious fundamentalists. Fifty years ago, the population
of Christians in Lebanon was estimated at about 78%, which has been violently
suppressed to about 34% following forceful conquest and conversion by its
radical Muslim neighbors including Iranian backed Hezbollah using targeted and
widespread violence. Similar situation is the case in Egypt where Christians of
Asyut origins with sizable population decades ago has brutally been suppressed,
leading to its present population being reduced to less than 10% of the
Egyptian population.
The risen Nigeria’s
secular and Christians’ enemies under reference (politico-religious fundamentalists
of the north) are drawn from arch-conservative members of the northern
oligarchy who have penetrated, permeated and gripped the country’s political,
military, legislative, judicial and open and secret policing establishments;
reaching their peak following the emergence of Gen Muhammadu Buhari as the
country’s sixth civilian President in late May 2015. They are religiously
ritualized in Sokoto and politically radicalized in Kaduna. In other words,
they are rebranded “Sokoto Caliphate” (Fulani theocrats or Emirs) and “Kaduna
Mafia” (Hausa-Fulani top Muslim politicians, business moguls; serving and
retired security chiefs).
Put together, they can
best be described as “Hausa-Fulani Politico-Religious Fundamentalists”. They
function as “planners and sponsors of sedentary terrorism” and extensively make
use of teeming poor population of the north (almajarai or talakawas), dominated
by young and middle-age uneducated male population, who are used as “pastoral
terrorism combatants or executors”. Their widespread violence targeted at and
unleashed on the Christians of the North and South; is orchestrated using
“grazing and bomb terrorisms”. Grazing terrorism is perpetrated through Fulani
Cattle herding concentrated in the rain forest regions of Nigeria (Southeast,
South-south, Southwest and old Middle Belt); while bomb terrorism is
perpetrated through pro Islamist terror groups operating under several
Arab-Islamic names (i.e. Boko Haram, etc).
Decimation Of
Northern Christian Population & Actualization Of Northern Presidency: Bomb-Terrorism through
Boko Haram insurgency was extensively used by the referenced fundamentalists of
the north for purposes of uprooting and decimating Christian communities in the
core north and actualization of the northern Presidency. These are the core
objectives of the Boko Haram insurgency as part of its “Islamization of Nigeria
project”. Most, if not all Christian communities in Yobe, Borno, Bauchi, Gombe,
Adamawa, Taraba States, etc have been uprooted and decimated, leading to “fleeing
of over 1.3million Christians, burning, destruction or closure of 13,000
churches and Christian schools and killing of at least 11,500 Christians”
(source: Open Doors; an anti Christians persecution group: 2016).
The third core objective
of these northern fundamentalists using grazing terrorism (Fulani Janjaweed)
and bomb terrorism (Boko Haram, etc) is total Islamization of Nigeria
particularly the country’s southern and other rain forest regions. The
Christian communities in those northern States were carefully marked and
decimated using Boko Haram and Fulani Janjaweed insurgencies. The rebranded
bomb terrorism targeted at Southern and old Middle Belt Christians is to be
executed using former Boko Haram bomb makers and detonators.
New Dimensions Of Islamization
Project Through Grazing & Bomb Terrorisms: Following the emergence
of Gen Muhammadu Buhari; an arch proponent of theocratic and oligarchic
Islamism, as the northern born President of Nigeria and successful decimation
of Christian populations in the core north, the architects of north
politico-religious fundamentalism have introduced new dimensions into “Nigerian
Islamization Project”; by moving it from sedentary terrorism to pastoral
terrorism. In other words, from concentrated to escalated terrorism;
with movement from north to south. These dimensions are the third stage of the
three core objectives of the architects of the “Nigerian Islamization Project”;
having achieved the other two (northern presidency and uprooting and decimation
of core northern Christian populations).
Two New Theories Of
Pastoral (Grazing & Bomb) Terrorism: The sponsors and planners of the Nigerian
Islamization Project have further come up with two new theories. The theories
are built on the ground of a general argument put across to the field
leadership and combatants of the Boko Haram insurgency to the effect that
“there is need to retreat from the core north and move towards the south, under
the same Boko Haram name or another, or even under anonymous terror-code, since
two out of their three core objectives have been achieved; making further
concentration of the insurgency in the core north counter-product and inimical
to the development of the north and safety of the area, its people and
properties”. In addition to this, more currency and resources were channeled
into the grazing or Fulani Janjaweed insurgency; leading to its increased
menace since third quarter of 2015.
They see continuation of
insurgencies in the area after getting the Presidency and decimating core northern
Christian populations as unnecessary killing of members of their own religion
and destruction of their properties and retardation of northern development
plans. This explains the government oiled media propaganda to the effect that
“Boko Haram insurgency has been crushed militarily”; whereas the truth remains
that those behind the insurgency have only changed strategies.
We had expected cessation
of Boko Haram violence in the Buhari’s core north months after the emergence of
his Presidency. Strictly and expertly speaking, insurgency or guerrilla warfare
borne out of pure socio-religious values is very difficult to crush militarily.
In Afghanistan and Pakistan, for instance, the Mujahedeen Islamic
insurgency of 1970s is still on and has given birth to al-Qaeda and ISIS. The
Iranian backed Hezbollah has been in existence for over 40 years.
Further, in order to make
the south ungovernable, unsafe, tourist and development unfriendly, widespread
pastoral terrorisms(grazing and bomb terrorisms) have been designed for the
core south of old Eastern Region and to a large extent the Southwest and the
old Middle Belt. The two new theories associated with south-bound rebranded
grazing and bomb terrorisms are centered on combined or separate
use of grazing terrorism through unchecked violence of the Fulani Janjaweed and
bomb terrorism through the use of incendiary explosive weapons and
group-terrorists operating amorphously and anonymously or through Arab-Islamic
terror code-names such as Boko Haram, Ansaru, etc. The two terrorisms are
designed to be used side by side or separately depending on circumstances. For
instance, while grazing terrorism is designed to decimate rural areas of the
south and old Middle Belt, bomb terrorism is designed to devastate and ruin urban
cities and strategic government and civilian objects in the south.
Of the two rebranded
terrorisms, the bomb terrorism will extensively be used because of its
amorphous and difficult detection nature. It is also escapist and easy for
conspiratorial political and security establishments to wash their hands off
same and claim that “Boko Haram, having been defeated in the northeast, have
regrouped and moved towards the South; and that they are in pursuit of the
insurgents”. With the South in terroristic tatters and ruins and the north in
“piece and quietness”, the north will attract huge Sharia-friendly investments
and tens of thousands of feeble minded and terrified Christians willing to be
converted to Islam for “safety” are also expected to migrate to the area. The
targeted, too, will militarize and arm themselves, leading to widespread
reprisal and offensive attacks including counter non-State factored terrorist
attacks in the context of “self-help retaliatory violence”, all as consequences
of mounting regime failures, one-sidedness and State collapse. This is a clear
recipe for genocide.
Other Pro-Islamization Policies & Conducts Of The Buhari
Administration: It is on record that the administration of President Muhammadu
Buhari is thoroughly pro Islam in most, if not in all its policies and conducts
since its emergence in late May 2015. The worst victim of these pro Islamic
policies and conducts is the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria and the secularity of the country. The Buhari administration hardly
makes vivid reference or resort to the Constitution in its governance policies
and conducts, particularly in matters of rule of law, secularity of Nigeria,
federal character, federal establishments and political appointments, parliamentarianism,
security and citizens’ protection, promotions and appointments of security
chiefs and fundamental human rights. The Constitution is rarely resorted to
where and when it suits the primordial and parochial interests of the present
administration of Gen Muhammadu Buhari.
As a matter of fact,
the Buhari’s Presidency now governs the country not according to the
Constitution, but according to personal and primordial initiatives. Failure to
take recourse to parliamentarianism in sensitive governance issues is another
clear case of pro Islamic policies and conducts particularly in matters of
multilateral and bilateral alliances and agreements. A number of international
military-religious alliances and monetary agreements, sensitive to the
country’s secular status, national unity and cohesion have been negotiated
without recourse to parliamentarianism.
The present composition of
the country’s open and secret policing and other security top hierarchies;
following recent appointments and promotions therein, particularly in the
Nigeria Police Force, is also secularly lopsided and Islamization friendly. The
“anti preaching Bills designed to be passed into law as laws of Kaduna State
and the entire 19 northern States” are not only grossly unconstitutional but also
further attestation of steady moves by the present APC led government in
Nigeria to Islamize Nigeria; likewise recent executive and legislative ethnic
war drumming utterances of northern Governors and Senators.
The proposed “anti
preaching Bills” are utterly coupist and a clear breach of Section 10 of the
1999 Constitution (the Government of the Federation or of a State shall not
adopt any religion as a State Religion) and Section 38 of the same Constitution
(right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion). To the extent that none
of these executive and legislative anarchists has been arrested by the DSS for
violently threatening and calling for the breakup of Nigeria; whereas the IPOB,
its members and supporters that peacefully and nonviolently demanded for “a
national question” are massacred by security forces; speaks volume of Nigeria
as a country of “two classes in one” or where some animals are more equal than
others.
Other clear indicators of
State oiled Islamization project in Nigeria are gross sectional appointment of
vice chancellors of federal universities, bills seeking to nationalize and
institutionalize Fulani Animal Husbandry and compulsory country-wide grazing
and pasturing in Nigeria, sectional promotions in the Nigeria Police Force, incessancy
of massacre of thousands of unarmed and defenseless civilians particularly
women and children by State security forces and malicious non-State actors
backed by the Federal Government of Nigeria, and abetting and condoning of
hostilities and atrocities of the Fulani Janjaweed and other criminal entities.
Call For Citizens
Vigilance & National Question: The issuance of this statement of ours is in furtherance of our
earlier resolve to bring to the attention of the general public at all times
such advocacy measures and awareness creation capable of making them
particularly the Nigerian Christian and secular populations to be aware of
State and non-State factored security threats and other unsafe conditions
steadily being directed at them. Also to the extent that the State is steadily
losing its traditional capacities to protect all innocent and defenseless
Nigerians should be a serious call for concern to all and sundry. Unchecked
failure of the State to govern and protect its citizens could lead to regime
collapse and anarchy. To make progress as a country in the midst of all these
regime factored tribulations; Nigerians must pressurize the Buhari
administration to allow room for “a national question” (i.e. how do we live and
develop as a country).
It has also gotten to a
stage where the present administration must realize that use of “warlordism”
and State terrorism as democratic governance approaches to tackle the myriad of
the country’s social problems are the worst governance styles and anarchy drumming.
President Muhammadu Buhari must be compelled to return Nigeria to
constitutionalism and pluralistic democracy. His administration must be stopped
from gravely violating Section 10 of the Constitution which clearly and
unambiguously states that “the Government of the Federation or
of a State shall not adopt any religion as a State Religion”. He must
be taught that another name for credible and popular democracy is secularism;
and primordialism and fundamentalism are its greatest enemies.
Lastly, to the extent that
“he whose house is on fire does not pursue a rat”, Nigerians must tell the
Buhari administration that until it faces realities and stop flying all over
the world and unleashing the State terror on innocent and defenseless Nigerians;
likewise selective and preferential protection of members of Hausa-Fulani
citizens at the expense of other citizens, using security forces maintained
with commonwealth of all Nigerians, the country will remain in doldrums and at
daggers drawn.
We appeal to the Southern
part of Nigeria and the old Middle Belt region to be highly security conscious
from their right, left and center and in their homes, schools, places of
worship, workplaces, leisure spots, parks, garages, movements etc, because
those behind grazing and bomb terrorisms in Nigeria are set out to run riot on
their lives, liberties, properties, urban cities and rural communities. Our
findings from the police twisted bomb blast of 3rd May 2016 in Onitsha are a
clear case in point.
Signed:
Emeka Umeagbalasi, Board
Chairman
Mobile Line:
+2348174090052
Obianuju
Joy Igboeli, Esq., Head, Civil Liberties & Rule of Law Program
Mobile
Line: +2348180771506
Chinwe Umeche, Esq., Head, Democracy
& Good Governance Program
Mobile Line: +2347013238673
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