Having grown up in Nigeria within a loving community, I can’t help but be in great pains at hearing that Nigeria has become infamous for mass killings.
As a child, I learnt to wine and dine with Muslims and African Traditional Worshippers, although I’m a Christian.
For instance, during the Muslim festival Eid-ul-Adha, we had some neighbours who were from my hometown. Since they were Muslims, apart from serving food to my family, the man would keep some raw meat for me. The other Muslim families in the community would also give us food.
When it’s Chriastmas or Easter, we and other Christians would do the same.
The African Traditional Worshippers also did the same.
I also have uncles, aunts, and friends who are of other religions.
As far as I’m concerned, it’s not your religion that matters, it’s your personality!
That lives are not safe in Nigeria is a fact.
And that goes for people of all religions.
But how did we get to this stage where human lives don’t matter anymore?
Since the late 1990s, the Nigerian state has gradually lost control over who bears arms:
X Militants in the Niger Delta
X Boko Haram and breakaway factions
X Bandits in the North-West
X Farmer-herder clashes escalating because of desertification
X IPOB/ESN in the South-East
X Urban cult gangs evolving into armed groups
X Arming thugs during elections
X Weaponizing ethnic or religious tensions
X Rewarding violent actors with amnesty or political appointments
Added to this is the lack of trust in the federal structure. Communities now believe that they can only rely on themselves. Are the security forces not biased, corrupt or even politically captured? When added to the fact that federal responses are slow, selective or symbolic, we seem to be in a fix.
Also, I think the years of unaddressed killings have created a culture of impunity. Criminals can commit their deed and get away with it. One can count various killings, from Jos, Southern Kaduna, Zamfara villages, Benue and Plateau, Mambilla, The North-East under Boko Haram to the South_east under security raids.
There is no doubt about the fact that the state has become overwhelmed and under-legitimized, The security forces are insufficient and ill-equipped.
There is a leadership vacuum which seems to be deliberate in Nigeria.There are delayed statements. When committees are formed and they send in their reports, there is hardly any positive outcome.There are either visits that change nothing or complete silence.
The most serious one is the fact that the average Nigerian has lost their self-worth. They have taken the killings in their strides. They believe it’s only God that can save them. Their belief is so much that they’re refusing to act.
One interesting thing about Nigerians,is that they have even coined a phrase for unfortunate things they encounter: “Nigeria has happened to Mr Nobody.” Saying that, they go about their daily chores as if nothing has happened. They have absurdly acculturated into abnormality.
Nigeria used to send forces to ECOMOG and received laurels as the best performing contingent. So, why can’t we get our acts together and flush out the terrorists?
My takeaway is that terrorists don’t belong to any religion, they are sick people and the earlier we get rid of them the better for humanity!
