By Etim Etim
The brutal killings of over 160 Nigerians in three local councils in Plateau State on Christmas eve and Christmas Day by terrorists have once again illustrated the failure of the Nigerian State to protect its citizens. Over 20 villages across Barkin Ladi, Bokkos and Mangu LGAs were attacked in what has become a pattern of a failed or a fast-failing state.
I am sad, pained and aggrieved by the flagrant failure of the security agencies to thwart the terrorists’ plots or arrest them after their heinous crimes. Many Nigerians, including a retired general who had once served as the Commander of Operation Safe Heaven on the Plateau, Gen. Henry Ayoola, believe that there are elements in the security agencies that collude with the terrorists and are complicit in these killings.
Defence
Headquarters, the highest authority of the military high command, has stated
that although the military did receive over 30 distress calls from the
villagers when the attacks were going on, it could not respond soon enough
because the terrains to those communities are bad. What an excuse! It sounds
like the police telling victims of armed robbery that they had no petrol in
their vehicles or the fire service complaining of lack of water in their trucks
while a home is burning. How did the terrorists gain access to the communities
if the terrains are that bad? Excuses like this give credence to speculations
that some soldiers and, perhaps, officers may be sympathetic to the agenda and
ideology of the killers.
The frequency of the killings and the fact that no single person
has ever been arrested and prosecuted also support the theory of collusion by
some members of our police and armed forces. It brings a sinking feeling to my
stomach. Last June, over 100 villagers were slaughtered by terrorists in Mangu
LGA alone. Nigerians of different walks of life and some members of the
international community, have been shocked by what is apparently ethnic
cleansing of the Christian communities of some parts of Northern Nigeria. The
Sultan of Sokoto, Middle Belt Forum, PANDEF, Nigerian Governors’ Forum,
Northern Governors’ Forum, Peter Obi, Shehu Sani are among those who have shown
outrage at the carnage.
The Pope and Amnesty International (AI) have cried out. AI has a
long history of criticising the military for what it describes as human rights
abuses, but in the aftermath of the Christmas killings in Plateau, the Country
Director of AI, Isa Sanusi, is going a step further to ask for a probe into the
activities of the military. ‘‘The Nigerian authorities must investigate the
inexcusable security lapses that allowed the horrific killing of over 140
people by gunmen across over 20 villages… Our investigation shows that the
gunmen were on rampage of killing and destruction for more than 48 hours, moving
from one village to another,’’ said Saunusi.
A few days after the attacks, Gen. Henry Ayoola (rtd), former
Commander of Operation Safe Haven, the very security organisation that was put
in place to prevent terrorist attacks on the Plateau, was on Arise TV,
suggesting that some elements in the military are more loyal to the terrorists
than the country. He should know. Ayoola said in the interview that he had
submitted a detailed report to the military authorities on this before his
retirement a few years ago.
The police authorities have also come under severe criticisms for
their tardiness and inability to secure the safety of the people. Nigerians are
also venting their anger on President Bola Tinubu for hunkering down in his
Lagos home, enjoying the holidays and refusing to visit Plateau State to
express solidarity and compassion. Although the President has dispatched Vice
President Shettima and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to Jos to
meet with Plateau leaders, that is not enough to assuage frayed nerves. Some
commentators are quick to liken his response to that of former President
Muhammadu Buhari, who only issued sympathy statements and sent Vice President
Henry Ayoola on countless condolence visits.
Why are U.S. Presidents eager to jump into Airforce One to fly to
disaster areas, visit with local officials and offer words of comfort to
affected communities but our own commanders-in-chief do not care as much when
disaster strike?
In the last two years, President Biden has visited over half a dozen cities to assess damage and comfort the hurt. In September 2021, he flew down to New York and New Jersey to survey damage from Hurricane Ida. In January 2023, he went to California to the damage from a series of devastating storms that slammed the western part of the country, forcing residents to flee mudslides and rising floodwaters.
In May 2023, he was in Utah and offered
federal assistance to aid recovery efforts affected by flooding. In August, the
President travelled 13 hours to Hawaii to tour destructions caused by wildfires
and the following month, Joe Biden was in Florida to survey destruction from
Hurricane Idalia and comfort victims. The essence of these visits is to show
compassion and empathy, which is the number one quality of a good leader.
Just two months ago, terrorists crossed over from Gaza Strip and
killed over 220 people in Israel. Pronto! Prime Minister Netanyahu declared war
against the terrorists and today, bombs are falling on Gaza. But in Nigeria,
terrorists from the same ancestry and with the same ideological bent, have been
killing thousands of people of Plateau, Benue and Southern Kaduna for years now
in a well-organised pogrom designed to seize their lands, yet no Nigerian
leader has shown any capacity and political will to bring justice to them. On
the day of the attacks – October 7 – Netanyahu addressed his nation and
promised to dismantle Hamas from power and destroy their military capabilities.
The world has been watching with both admiration and anger as
Israel Defence Force is pummeling Gaza. Leadership is everything. Those who
trenchantly criticised Buhari for appearing soft on terrorists because he is of
same ancestry with them will need to come up with new explanations on why the
Tinubu administration is not acting differently. The images of Plateau women
rolling on the floor, crying and wailing over their misfortunes, and the men
fleeing their villages with their mattresses and household items are too
heart-wrenching for me. The sufferings of the vulnerable members of our
communities cut me to the quick.
On December 5, the Nigerian military mistakenly dropped two bombs
on the people of Tudun Biri in Kaduna State. Defence Headquarters later
explained that the people were mistaken for terrorists. On December 24,
terrorists invaded 20 villages in Plateau State and murdered over 150 people.
The same Defence Headquarters explained that they couldn’t launch
counterattacks to repel the attackers because of bad terrains. What more
excuses should we expect? The shame of a country!
*Etim is a commentator on public issues
No comments:
Post a Comment