PROMISE ADIELE
WHEN terror, which leads to carnage
and the debasement of the populace, is
unleashed on any part of your country,
you are afflicted with a feeling of humiliation with impulsive immediacy.
At such times, you began to question
the continuous claim to humanity by
those who perpetrate these savageries or are in a position to stop them.
When you encounter such events on
the pages of literature, the distant feeling of remoteness, that assurance of
fictional creativity – after all it didn’t
happen – preserves your sensibilities
from prolonged exasperation. Even so,
there are times when, although you are
aware that the story is pure fiction, you
agonize over instances of injustice and
cases of human degradation. Today, I
am faced with reality, not fiction. I am
completely violated by accounts of what
is going on in the South-East and SouthSouth parts of Nigeria. These narratives
injure the crevices of my heart.
The accounts were all over the news,
especially the promiscuous social media. First, I dismissed them as mere hysteria, exaggerated stories to hit up the
polity. They reported how thousands of
Northern youths were transported to
the South-East and South-South parts
of the country. It was also reported that
some of these youths already settled in
these places and were unleashing mayhem on their hosts. Well, when these
tales became persistent, I decided to
speak with some relatives in the SouthEast and South-South to get a clearer
picture of events. After speaking with
four different relatives in Onitsha,
Owerri, and Port Harcourt, their eye
witness accounts confirmed my fears,
authenticating many of the news flying around. The tension in the land is
palpable. Uncertainties hover around
the country like a thick cloud. No one
knows what is coming, no one knowswhat to expect. The unpronounced but
obvious reality is – every man for himself, God for us all. Indeed, the security
situation in our country is grave and requires urgent, determined approaches.
While I was trying to figure out the
rationale behind the mass movement
of these people to the South-East and
South-South parts of the country, I
got a call from a friend who lectures
in Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, he
is Hausa/Fulani from Katsina State. At
the time of making the call, he was in
Enugu visiting another colleague, an
Igbo man, who lectures at the University of Nigeria Nsukka.
They are currently working on a
United Nations research programme
on Female Genital Mutilation and
the Rights of the Girl Child in Africa.
When his voice came through, the urgency betrayed apprehension, dismay,
and anger. He told me how his ethnic
compatriots were unleashing violence
on their hosts. He narrated how he
practically intervened in his friend’s
compound when a group of Northern
youths invaded the premises, armed
with cudgels, beat up the occupants
and stole valuables. He condemned the
activities of these scoundrels and used
the opportunity once again to reiterate
the importance of the Third Force that
will change the scenario in Nigeria.
He is an arrowhead of the Third Force
movement. His intervention stopped
the irate youths from leading three
young girls away by force. By the time
we were through discussing the situation, he was crying and that almost
moved me to emotions.
The above account captures the
abyss of recklessness and lawlessness
into which our country has fallen. I ask,
is there no law and consequences in
Nigeria anymore? What exactly is the
motive behind the mass movement of
these people to another region of thecountry where they brazenly unleash
anguish on fellow citizens? There is
absolutely nothing wrong for any Nigerian citizen to move from one part
of the country to another. Therefore,
it won’t be out of place for Northern
youths to migrate to other parts of Nigeria. But the mode of their migration
raises a big question. While the country was on a total COVID-19 lockdown
enforced by heavy military and police
presence across the country, these
able-bodied Northern youths were
clandestinely moving to the SouthEast and South-South parts of the
country under the cover of the night.
Initially, one thought that these were
Almajiris who were mostly harmless
kids looking for food and survival.
When my friend spoke with me, I reminded him that maybe these were
Almajiris. But he quickly dismissed it,
reminding me that he knew Almajiris
and that the present crop of hoodlums
were not Almajiris but adults who acted as if they were on specific instructions.
The truth is that many South-East
and South-South parts of Nigeria are
under siege. It appears that there is
a gradual but calculated mission to
plunder the people of that part of our
country. The governor of River state,
Nyesom Wike, had to turn back a
trailer load of these youths. The governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano,
had to close the Niger Bridge to stop
these hoodlums from making further
entry into the state. Evil is evil and
should be condemned no matter who
is perpetrating it. There are many
Northerners, who have condemned
their people’s commitment to wage
unprovoked war on the South-East
and South-South parts of the country.
Just this evening, I got an email from a
Professor at Uthman Dan Fodio Uni- versity calling my attention to what is going on in the South-East and SouthSouth. In unmistakable terms, he roundly
condemned these heinous activities.
Is President Muhammadu Buhari aware
of these events? Is the Inspector General
of police aware of what is going on in the
South-East and South-South parts of Nigeria? Are all the army formations scattered
across the country aware of these events?
What exactly is going on in Nigeria? The
brave among us, across ethnic divides,
are looking at the situation in Nigeria as a
bad case which requires a response come
2023. We are working under the umbrella
of the Third Force Movement to salvage
Nigeria from bigots, illiterates, and such
persons who, by a stroke of evil fate, find
themselves in the corridors of politics and
power.
But it appears that the Third Force
movement has its work cut out of for it.
This is because there is a presage on the
lives and properties of fellow countrymen
in some parts of Nigeria which threatens
their continued existence until 2023. As
a matter of urgency, President Muhammadu Buhari should quickly react to these
issues and bring an immediate end to the
malady. If he is not able to protect people
all over Nigeria, he would have failed in his
primary responsibilities and his failure will
ultimately necessitate the call for armsbearing by individuals to protect themselves. In the meantime, affected regions
should heed the advice by T.Y Danjuma
for collective protection. While we wait
for the federal government to immediately
respond, bearing in mind that violence
begets violence, villages and towns should
form vigilante groups to protect the lives
and properties of their people. We will
certainly survive this onslaught but we will
not be stupid again in 2023 to advance this
culture of feral impunity.
Dr Adiele teaches in the Department
of English Mountain Top University
writes via [email protected]
The truth is that
many South-East
and South-South
parts of Nigeria
are under siege.
It appears that
there is a gradual
but calculated
mission to
plunder the
people of that
part of our
country”
By SAMUEL OGUNGBEMI
Curbing violence against children
against children should no longer