Just over a decade ago, if anyone had predicted that we would find ourselves in the mess that we are currently embroiled in, such prognosis would have been dismissed with a wave of the hand and rightly considered as doomsday prophecy. At the moment, it is hard to point at a single sector of our nationhood that is flourishing.
During my fledgling days, when watching TV and scenes of the devastating effects of war in places like Iraq, Afghanistan and the Gaza strip come on air; I remember always saying a silent prayer of gratitude to God that such devious acts were alien to our nature as Nigerians. Those memories are now in the realm of distant nostalgic reminiscence as the chickens have finally come home to roost.
Beguiled with political rhetorics and cosmetic procedures in futile attempts to paper up the cracks over the years, those with the responsibility to put a halt to this menace have openly shown to be in cahoots with terrorists and bandits. With a plethora of proofs, it is easy to see that it is not about a lack of will; it is rather a conscious amorous act of sleeping with the enemy. How they expect to come unscathed out of this incestuous affair beats my wildest imaginations.
In November 2020, the federal appeals court in the United Arab Emirates upheld the conviction of six Nigerians for sponsoring Boko Haram. It appears like a typical case of an outsider weeping more than the bereaved at a funeral. Correct me if I’m wrong; has any bandit, terrorist, killer herdsman or whatever nomenclature the government decides to identify them with been brought to book in the country that has borne the brunt of their heinous activities?
There is no point living in denial. Nigeria is at war. A country whose sovereignty is being threatened by marauding herdsmen, bandits and terrorists who kidnap, kill and maim at will cannot be said to be at peace. Unless the word has a new meaning. Juxtaposing the ease with which they operate and the aloofness of the government and military authorities, one can be pardoned for positing that there is truly an agenda.
No matter the prism through which one looks at it, what is going on in the Plateau is nothing but genocide and ethnic cleansing. What boggles the mind is the effortlessness with which these crimes are perpetrated. All facets of our existence are now under a huge siege. Our schools and students are at the mercy of hoodlums who are hell-bent on unleashing mayhem on the educational system. In the middle of this travesty, the government stands with arms akimbo.
While condoling with Senator Bala Na’Allah, who had his son brutally murdered recently, the harsh reality is that nobody is exempted from this blanket effect. A 1946 post-war prose by German Pastor, Martin Niemoller reads thus:
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
It feels like poetic justice right? A word is enough for the wise.
martinsemenogu03@gmail.com
