MAIDUGURI: SURVIVAL OF THE LUCKY

For Maiduguri and its people, let us all recite what Allah Himself told us to recite during calamity (musiba):‘Inna lilLahi wa inna ilaiHi raji’un’! (From Allah we come and to Him we shall return!). Maiduguri! The city of a people that founded and led the greatest Empire in Africa South of the Sahara! An Empire […]

For Maiduguri and its people, let us all recite what Allah Himself told us to recite during calamity (musiba):‘Inna lilLahi wa inna ilaiHi raji’un’! (From Allah we come and to Him we shall return!).

Maiduguri! The city of a people that founded and led the greatest Empire in Africa South of the Sahara! An Empire that has sub-Saharan Africa’s oldest continuous traditional authority! An Empire that, seven hundred years or so ago, shared borders with Askia Muhammad’s Songhai Empire, three thousand miles to the west. Maiduguri! A city that was known as the seat of scholarship, yet today even its university had to close! A city known as a great centre of commerce, serving as one of the main southern terminii of the Trans-Saharan Trade, yet today its markets are deserted! A city of people known for their military valour, yet today under siege from so-called militants and the military!

For Maiduguri and its people, let us all recite ‘Inna lilLahi wa inna ilaiHi raji’un’!

The security (or more correctly, insecurity) situation in this nation of ours has reached hand-wringing, ’la haula wa la quwwata’ proportions. Those entrusted with keeping law and order are allegedly not keeping it; they are busy abusing it according to the very people who should be grateful for their presence. The people of Borno State, led by their Borno Elders and Leaders of Thought (BELT) have called on the Federal Government to withdraw the military from Maiduguri. If we consider that the military are there to essentially protect the residents of that city, then this call for their withdrawal by almost all in Maiduguri indicates that the military mission is impossible. The Elders have said, among other things, that the military have been killing innocent people, raping women, looting property and burning down cars. These are very grave statements. But the military have countered to say they indeed are trying to keep the peace, stating that all the people that were killed were militants and that, as for the rapes, the military was not involved and they have in fact arrested the people that carried out the nefarious acts. Meaning: rapes did indeed happen!

For Maiduguri and its people, let us all recite ‘Inna lilLahi wa inna ilaiHi raji’un’!

A confrontation which began as essentially a Sectarian Group-versus-Security matter has now engulfed a whole city, a whole people, a whole nation. Almost exactly two years ago, in 2009, when those indiscriminate killings of impunity took place in Maiduguri, this column had warned about the consequences of shedding innocent blood. And it has come to pass.

Back then in 2009, almost to the day, a debate had raged on a discussion group where one commentator had said: “[What happened in Maiduguri] is extra judicial execution. Pure and simple. The Niger Delta militants have received ‘state pardon’ and amnesty, and will be paid Twenty Thousand Naira (N20,000) each for all their crimes against Nigeria. OPC [Yoruba militant group O’dua People’s Congress] militants received almost a ‘standing ovation’ for fighting the police and burning down several police stations and murdering police men and officers in Lagos some years ago. Where are the lovers of peace and justice? Will they stand up for justice on this [Maiduguri] case?”

Yet it took almost two years for the country’s authorities to acknowledge that a wrong was committed, and that the perpetrators of that injustice would be arraigned in court. One dare say the security agencies had left it almost too late, when things had really, and tragically, gone out of hand and out of all proportions.

Another commentator had said: “The killing of Muhammad Yusuf after his apparent capture is extrajudicial killing. It goes against the laws of any civilised society. Whatever his crime, he should have been brought before a court of law, prosecuted and judged according to the laws of the land. But to capture him and shoot him dead, if that is what happened, may mean that the authorities have something to cover up. More so during an Administration that has been crying ‘rule of law’…”

Then as now, many commentators have blamed ‘failure of intelligence’ for the Maiduguri Tragedy. Countering this argument, then Director General of the State Security Service (SSS) Afakriya Gadzama had blamed politicians and action agencies for failing to pre-empt the Boko Haram uprising. He dismissed allegations of intelligence failure in the country, saying his agency had provided adequate security intelligence, but that the people who should have acted on it failed to do so.

To quote Gadzama two years ago: “Nobody was taken by surprise; it was something that was adequately covered; that was adequately reported, but to have the will to take action on this, people felt reluctant and, of course, a lot of sentiments…” Gadzama also said that there was no synergy among the various security agencies, (emphasis added) noting that this was partly responsible for their inability to act rapidly on any crisis. And then he sounded this stern warning: Nigeria is at the risk of a serious crisis in 2011 if adequate security measures are not taken (emphasis added).

But we hear that the spokesman of the Boko Haram, a certain Abu Zaid, had ‘addressed’ the press only a couple of days ago via GSM phone. And the same Abu Zaid has been calling up the BBC Hausa Service if the group had anything to say. Meaning there are tangible people the Sect trusts, people who can help establish contact between Government and the Group to begin the much-hoped-for dialogue. But have we heard anything of the nature?

Again, two years ago, in another interesting testimony, then Acting Inspector General of Police Ogbonnaya Onovo was quoted to have identified poverty and perceived injustice as the cause of crisis in the country. Echoing the Acting IGP, another commentator had stated: “Elite failure…is central to the crises bedevilling northern Nigeria. The care-free attitude of the Northern elite is at the root of the political and civil disturbances that symbolise the region. The elite must wake up and understand that the more they flourish in affluence while the children of their neighbours wallow in poverty and ignorance…the more we see groups like Boko Haram emerging…”

The truth about Boko Haram may never be known. But their mass killing in 2009, and now the alleged killing of innocent civilians and raping of women in Maiduguri, would not give us the peace we crave, and would not make Boko ‘Halal’ either.

For Maiduguri and its people, let us all recite ‘Inna lilLahi wa inna ilaiHi raji’un’!

So, brothers and sisters, in Maiduguri and elsewhere, it is time to hold on tight to your li’ilafi, falaqi and nasi. May Allah protect Maiduguri, its residents and us all, amin.