The Spiraling Down Of Our Consciousness: An Impending Shameful and painful surrender

The Spiraling Down Of Our Consciousness: An Impending Shameful and painful surrender The question now is why are we lamenting?  If only Nige...

The Spiraling Down Of Our Consciousness: An Impending Shameful and painful surrender

The question now is why are we lamenting? 

If only Nigerians can be honest to themselves and ruminate, they will come to terms with the fact that a greater majority of them played a part to the current insecurity in to the county and all the fallouts with it. 

First, since this Buhari's government was elected in 2015, nigerians witnessed what can best be described as "incompetent and biased" leadership. Still, they(nigerians) sheepishly supported and re-elected this government for a second term in 2019.

Secondly, This  Buhari's regime was elected for these two occasions based on their main campaign promise of preventing terrorism.

Unfortunately today, it is very obvious that they are not only reluctant in the fight against terrorism, but have as well worsened the state of insecurity in the country by now enacting policies that provide safe havens for terrorists.

Right before our eyes, this Buhari's government of the day negotiates and approves payments of ransom for the welfare of bandits. It is likewise on record that they have forgiven and integrate terrorists into the Nigeria public and governmental agencies, claiming they are repentant.

Oftentimes when we hear of Terrorism,  we quickly think of external aggression but terrorism can be home grown.

The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have definitions for the two categories of terrorism, which are "international and domestic".

International terrorism is violent criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups who are inspired by or associated with an already designated foreign terrorist organizations or nations (state-sponsored). While

Domestic terrorism is a violent/criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to further an ideological goals originating from domestic influences, such as political, religious, social, racial, or environmental.

This article is not only trying to explain the daily bandit attacks in Nigeria but to show that the complicity of the Nigerian government has made us all vulnerable to recurrent Fulani herdsmen attacks, increase in ISWAP and Boko-Haram activities /terrorist attacks.

Nigerians now live in constant fear and we have progressively lost our consciences, sensitivity and ability to resist subjugation. Rather, we are always quick in learning to condone the injustice beeing meted against us(citizens) on a daily basis.

Recall that Fulani herdsmen under the aegis of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore has taken responsibility for the massacre of countless Benue state residents and openly declared their ownership of Benue state under right of conquest. The menace of this organization continues unabated. Last two month being February, the same group Myetti Allah started a food blockade to the Southern part of the country even though it backfired at them. The government of the day have also negotiated with them and agreed to a bail out payment to the tune of almost 5 billion naira.

Nigeria is plagued by injustice and have normalized criminality, else, someone like Sheikh Gumi ought to have been considered a terrorist himself and prosecuted under the terrorism Act and not be seen moving freely still. This same government bailed Sheikh Gumi out of a Saudi Arabia jail where he was convicted for aiding Abdulmutalab the popular Nigerian underwear bomber in 2009. And it is clear that such scenario is what emboldened Gumi, strengthened his resolve entrenched bias and as a result has birthed many more terrorist groups/ bandits.

How can a person like terrorist Gumi be allowed to have a say in national security? Why have Nigerians turned a blind eyes and deaf ears to negotiation and payment of ransom to bandits? But  the same Nigerians supported the military invasion of Eastern Region; Igboland precisely, in hunt for Indigenous People Of Biafra(IPOB) freedom activists after an unjust proscription of the group.

IPOB is a group that has maintained a legitimate agitation for the restoration of their own nation Biafra, which they are entitled to even according to the fraudulent and amended constitution of Nigeria.

With everything outlined so far one can conclusively say understand that the Nigeria government is aiding and abating terrorist. After killing Nigerians why is the government using our tax payers money to compensate terrorist? Are we all then not funding terrorists indirectly?

To make matters worse, not too long ago, the minister of defense Babagana Monguno told journalists that Gumi has promised to help them fight terrorism. Is not this laughable? Dear reader, I ask again; what has happened to our collective sensitivity? Why have we become even more complicit; we have been spiralled downward. We no longer complain of the numerous incessant killings in the country but we are numb to a fault; we toe the same path as the politicians.

The chippings away of our consciousness and sensitivity have degenerated to the lowest level. We have become vulnerable, speechless and voiceless. When we mount up resistance, they resort to proscribing us; they arrest, prosecute and kill us too. We need to wake up and define ourselves and our place in Nigeria. We should not normalize the daily kidnapping of our fellow citizens as if their lives do not matter. We should not tolerate nepotism, corruption and do nothing why millions of our citizens go to bed hungry. 

Our destinies have been bastardized and we need to fight back to recover every lost ground. If we can't see any other reason to pick up this fight, at least do it for the next generation not to be held hostage by ideologues, for our own values system including our culture and religion not be swept away by marauders. We need to fight and win this battle between good and evil, at the end the word "infidels" will be deleted from the vocabulary list of our oppressors, because we will send them far away from our boundaries. We will not surrender. We will not give up. We will not back down. We will not quit until we are truly free.

Written by Emma Iwu.

Edited by Vivian Ezihie

For Family Writers Press International

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