24th July, 2014
By Jonathan Ekene Ifeanyi
I read with no surprise The Guardian interview of the former governor of old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, entitled ‘Boko Haram Insurgency is Political.’ The interview was published on page 17 of The Guardian on Wednesday, July 16, 2014. In it, the former governor stated plainly that Jonathan’s government is, at least for now, responsible for the Boko Haram menace in the country. “What people don’t know is that different interests have been hijacking Boko Haram at various stages,” he said. “The first stage, from the information available to us, was a quarrel between the defunct ANPP and PDP in the north east. This brought about the agent provocateur called Boko Haram. Later, when the political leaders that created Boko Haram to fight one another became unable to control Boko Haram, after they had achieved their objectives, it was taken over by a series of interest groups, probably, including the Federal Government itself, to control its political enemies.”
According to the former governor, it is either Jonathan is plotting, with the aid of Boko Haram, to rig the 2015 election, or he wants to use Boko Haram to prevent the election from holding altogether so that he would continue in office after 2015. Hear him: “…this destabilization (caused by Boko Haram) is aimed at making the 2015 election impossible, or if it takes place at all, it will be easy to rig, because people will be concerned about the insecurity more than with voting, when they know that the vote doesn’t even count…” It is either this, he said, or “Nigeria is being destabilised so that there will be no election in 2015…according to the 1999 Constitution, if no election is held in 2015, the President will be able to continue, because the constitution allows him to hand over to an elected President. Which means, if there is no elected President in 2015, Jonathan will continue.”
Well, as I said, I read these statements with no surprise at all, because I am perfectly aware of the fact that making reckless, unsubstantiated and indeed dishonest statements has simply become a major characteristic of many in our land. We are all aware, for instance, that some months ago some prominent leaders from the same north accused Jonathan of using the Boko Haram to depopulate the north, and they were able to convince many about “the truth” of their allegation. Hence, now it isn’t just the northern leaders alone, many politicians, especially those from the opposition party—APC—,as well as some citizens who for one reason or another simply do not like Jonathan, have always blamed the President as being responsible for the Boko Haram menace. Recently, for instance, Joe Igbokwe, Publicity Secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, came from another angle. In response to Jonathan’s asking of one billion dollars loan to fight terrorism, hear him: “He is asking for 2015 campaign funds. And no student of politics will take him seriously. Boko Haram is being used as an excuse to mop up funds for the coming elections and not to fight insurgents.” The political ‘#Bring Back Our Girls’ protesters did not direct their protest at the members of the Islamic sect but simply at Goodluck Ebele Jonathan! Instead of marching to Sambisa forest, they intended to march to Aso Rock before the security agents intervened. Right, Jonathan is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and as such has as his primary duty to protect lives and property (Section 14 (2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution), but does this mean that he must be held responsible for all the atrocities committed in the land? In this piece, I intend to show — briefly — that while those who criticize Jonathan’s government as corrupt in one area or the other may be right — though we equally know that in the history of Nigeria no government had been free of corruption — others who point fingers at Jonathan as being responsible for the Boko Haram menace are either wilfully lying — in which case they simply need repentance — or they are merely ignorant — in which case we need to enlighten them as I have set out to do here.
Those who only blame Jonathan for not providing adequate security, as I will show, are equally biased. Also, there are many Muslims who have tried to exonerate Islam from the activities of the Boko Haram, arguing that Abubakar Shekau and his group are not true Muslims. Even some non-Muslims have also done the same, certainly in their bid to maintain “peace” in the land, as we see in people like Bishop Kukah and Cardinal Onaiyekan. Cardinal Onaiyekan, for instance, stated recently that members of Boko Haram “have also been carrying out their murderous activities calling the name of “Allah” and giving Islam a bad name.” (Leadership, Friday, May 30, 2014, p. 11). Here, I will also address the issue, and, with a special apology to my Muslim friends, I will briefly prove, from the Quran, that this argument—that Boko Haram members are not true Muslims—is most false, and hence men like Onaiyekan are either wilfully lying, or they simply do not really know what they are talking about.
First, any well learned Nigerian, indeed, as well as any unlearned observant, will agree that Islamic killings in Nigeria predate Jonathan’s administration. To his credit, Alhaji Balarabe Musa acknowledges this fact, though from another angle. Here, without talking too much, let me just give a few examples starting from 11 September, 2001 till 2011 when Jonathan was elected. On October 15, 2001, scores of Christians (about 32) were killed in Kano by Muslim mobs. Dozens of others (about 51) were injured and at least five churches were burned down. On October 31, 2002, in Zaria, Muslims went on the rampage against Christian students at a local college, killing 20 and injuring over 50. On March 18, 2003, in Kadarko, armed Muslims shouting “we are going to finish off the infidels” attacked a Christian village and killed at least 22 villagers. More than 44 others were injured or missing. On May 22, 2004, Muslim rampage against Christians continued in Kano with at least 30 people losing their lives while over 40 were injured. On April 10, 2005, in Benue State, 14 Christians were killed in an attack on their villages by Muslim militants, while 4 people were injured.
On February 18, 2006, in Maiduguri, angry Muslim mobs burned down churches and beat Christians to death. 21 people died while 112 were injured. On October 13, 2007, in Bauchi, ten Christians were killed by a Muslim mob rampaging through a village. Three churches were burned down as well. At least 16 people were killed in the violence. On 28 November, 2008, in Jos, hundreds of Christians were killed when Muslim rioters staged a deadly church-burning rampage. On February 21, 2009, in Bauchi, a Muslim mob went on the rampage, burning churches and killing Christians. 11 people died while 38 were injured. On January 17, 2010, in Jos, Muslim youth went on the rampage, hacking dozens of Christians to death after an attack outside a church. Forty-eight people died while 96 were injured. On January 27, 2011, in Barkin Ladi, Muslim raiders invaded four Christian villages and hacked 14 people to death in their own homes while injuring 8. Now, as I said, I will stop here since this year—2011—was the very year Jonathan was elected as President. The killings in each state are actually many, but here I have selected one or two cases in each state because of space. As we can see, the killings only increased from 2011 onward because Jonathan was seen as a “Christian President.” Some people say it is because Jonathan is not from the North, meaning that the killings are politically motivated. There are also some elements of truth in that statement, but certainly not the ultimate truth which I have just stated. It is simply wicked, therefore, to say that Jonathan is responsible for the current killings in the country.
Also, any learned Nigerian will equally agree that these killings are in no way peculiar to Nigeria but simply worldwide. For instance, in 2013 alone, there were over 200 cases of Muslim militants murdering innocent Christians in Pakistan, in Tanzania, in the United States, in the UK, in Germany, Egypt, Mali, Angola, Turkey, India, Kenya, Iraq, Yemen, Bangladesh, Sudan, Israel, Syria, Norway, Tajikistan, Somalia, Uganda, Saudi Arabia, Philippines, Indonesia, Brazil, Ethiopia, Iran, Oman, Kosovo, Dagestan, Afghanistan, and so on. Hence, we recall the comments of the current British Prime Minister, David Cameron, to Jonathan two months ago. David Cameron made the comments as he held a sign bearing ‘#Bring Back Our Girls’ slogan on the BBC’s Andrew Marr show: “I rang the Nigerian president to offer anything that would be helpful and we agreed to send out a team that includes some counter-terrorism and intelligence experts to work alongside the bigger American team that’s going out there. We stand ready to do anything more that the Nigerians would want…I said to President Jonathan where we can help, please ask, and we will see what we can do. This is not just a problem in Nigeria. We’re seeing this really violent extreme Islamism—we see problems in Pakistan, we see problems in other parts of Africa, problems in the Middle East. Also, let’s be frank, here in the UK there is still too much support for extremism that we have to tackle, whether it’s in schools or colleges or universities or wherever.”
To support these comments coming from the British Prime Minister, let me also cite a few examples of these killings in different countries of the world starting from 9/11—just one or two examples from each country because of space. On October 3, 2001, in Peleru, Indonesia, Jihad warriors killed 10 Christian villagers and injured an unknown number. On March 17, 2002, grenade attack on a Christian church killed five worshippers including an American woman and her 17-year-old daughter. Forty-five others were injured. On February 19, 2003, in Tubud, Philippines, Muslims attacked a Christian village, burning and murdering at least 14 civilians, while 8 people were injured. On March 6, 2004, at al-Kureinik, Sudan, government-supported militia group raided a refugee camp and killed 15 Christian civilians, including a child. On February 18, 2005, at al-Shuwayfat, Lebanon, Islamists bombed a Christian-owned gas station, killing two people.
On January 19, 2006, at Udaysaat, Egypt, Muslims went on a rampage against Christians, angered by the construction of a church. Two persons, including a 13-year-old boy, were killed. On February 20, 2007, in Nashville, TN, USA, a Muslim cab driver ran over a Christian after arguing about religion. The young man’s ankle and hip were broken by the vehicle. On October 23, 2007, at Leeds, UK, a 19-year-old “Catholic” girl who was immorally dressed was stabbed to death by a Muslim who said she was too “sexually provocative”. On July 10, 2008, in Afgyoye, Somalia, Islamists with automatic weapons shot a Christian man to death for not praying towards Mecca. On June 15, 2009, in Sanaa, Yemen, women and children were among nine foreign missionaries kidnapped and executed by Shiite Muslims. On December 24, 2010, in Peshawar, Pakistan, a suicide bomber detonated near a Christian school, killing four people. On June 14, 2010, in the same Peshawar, Pakistan, a Christian professor was badly beaten by his students for refusing to embrace Islam. On January 31, 2011, at Sopore, India, two teenage daughters of a poor labourer were pulled out of their home and brutally executed by Lashkar-e-Toiba, reportedly for reading the Bible. On January 15, 2012, in Damascus, Syria, three Christians were killed in targeted attacks—two while waiting in line at a bakery. On January 16, 2013, at Tigantourine, Algeria, armed Islamists attacked an oil field, killing two people they identified as Christians and kidnapping over 100 workers. On February 7, 2013, in Buena Vista, NJ, USA, a Muslim targeted and beheaded two Christian Coptic immigrants. On May 28, 2014, in Bangui, Car, Muslims stormed a church service and shot 30 worshippers to death, while 10 worshippers were wounded, and so on.
In fact, we have these killings in almost all countries of the world, different cases in each country. I simply can’t list them all here because there are innumerable cases in each country. It is very clear then, that what the Boko Haram members are doing is in no way peculiar to Nigeria but simply worldwide. These targeted acts of terrorism on Christian civilians and church workers by religious Muslims—and here I am talking about the ones only since September 11, 2001—have nothing to do with war, combat or insurgency, though statistics have shown that the Nigerian case, starting from 2011 during Jonathan’s administration, is daily proving to be the deadliest in the world. The victims are innocent Christians specifically targeted and abused solely on account of their faith by those who claimed their own religion as a motive, period. Now, as I stated earlier, many Nigerian Muslims and Christians have tried to exonerate Islam from the activities of Boko Haram, arguing that Abubakar Shekau and his group are not true Muslims. I will now prove, on the contrary, that Shekau and his group are actually true Muslims and those Muslims who criticize them are in fact the false ones, mere betrayers of Islam. It should be carefully noted that this is why Shekau is killing them. Shekau is not killing just any Muslim but only those who are betraying the faith of Islam.
To start with, it is now a known fact that many of the northern Muslims—both the rich and the poor, including certainly Alhaji Balarabe Musa—are simply Boko Haram members—at least in their hearts. But this is not so in the West, where the Yoruba culture which forbids murder has simply transformed the Islamic faith—hence the dichotomy between the Northern and Western Muslims in Nigeria. Anyone who disagrees with this statement should, for instance, tell me where the Sharia Law—let alone the Jihad—is strictly applied in the West. In the North, on the contrary, we see Islam in action. For instance, according to Tell magazine, “it was revealed that many of the Borno politicians shouting at the Federal Government for not solving the insurgency problem are paying monthly retainership ranging from N2 to N4 million each to Boko Haram.” (Tell, May 26, 2014, pp. 25, 27). Thus Muslim politicians in the north pay their monthly “fees” to these militants to continue carrying out Jihad on Christians and the security personnel. Now we find what they are doing clearly written in the Quran—rich Muslims who fight the jihad “with their lives and their wealth,” for instance, have special rewards awaiting them in paradise. We read in the Quran (Sura 4:84; 95):
“The fight (O Mohammed) in the Cause of Allah, you are not tasked (held responsible) except for yourself, and incite the believers (to fight along with you), it may be that Allah may restrain the evil might of the disbelievers…Not equal are those of the believers who sit (at home), except those who are disabled (by injury or are blind or lame), and those who strive hard and fight in the Cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives. Allah has preferred in grades those who strive hard and fight with their wealth and their lives above those who sit (at home). Unto both, Allah has promised good (Paradise), but Allah has preferred those who strive hard and fight, above those who sit at (home) by a huge reward.”
Muslims’ belief that “unbelievers” like Christians must be converted by the sword is not a myth. Again, we read the following in the Quran (Sura 47 verse 4): “…Thus (you are ordered by Allah to continue in carrying out Jihad against the disbelievers till they embrace Islam and are saved from the punishment in the Hell-fire or at least come under your protection), but if it had been Allah’s will, he himself could certainly have punished them (without you). But (He lets you fight) in order to test some of you with others. But those who are killed in the way of Allah, he will never let their will be lost.”
Again we read (Sura 9 verse 123): “O you who believe! Fight those of disbelievers who are close to you, and let them find hardness in you; and know that Allah is with those who are Al-Muttaqun (the pious).”
Again, in Sura (2:193; 2: 244) we read: “And fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and worshipping of others along with Allah). And fight in the way of Allah and know that Allah is All-Hearer, All-knower.”
Again, in part of the verse quoted above (Sura 47 verse 4), we read: “So, when you meet (in fight—Jihad in Allah’s Cause) those who disbelieve, smite (their) necks till when you have killed…many of them…”
We see then the reason why Abubakah Shekau, the current leader of the Islamic sect who abducted over 200 school girls in Chibok, Borno State, in April 2014, and “converted” them to Islam by force, made it very clear that “Islam is nothing but killing, killings, and killings!” Shekau made the comment in his online video speech in May, 2014, during the worldwide campaign for the release of the abducted school girls. Shekau also said to the Nigerian President and others who went in search of the abducted school girls:
“If you bring three trillion troops, we will not release the girls. We stand to deal with infidels…If I catch Jonathan, Obama and others, I am going to sell them. If you (Obama, Jonathan and others) seek God’s forgiveness, He forgives. He is a merciful God. If you don’t seek forgiveness, I am going to cut you into pieces.” (The Nation, Tuesday, May 13, 2014, p. 3). Have Jonathan’s accusers read all these?
There are many other facts about what Shekau is doing. The few I have stated here are unknown to many Nigerians only because—as far as religion is concerned at this present time—Nigerians are certainly the greatest deceivers on earth. And when I say Nigerians I am in no way referring to the Muslims alone. In “Christianity” we witness the most perfect deception unimaginable. And by deception I mean the evil attitude—on the part of those who claim to be the religious leaders—of replacing what is written in the Quran and the Bible with their own teachings. For instance, today in Nigeria poor Christians are simply regarded as bad Christians because Nigerian Christians have completely been brain-washed to believe that Christ is in support of the current gospel of prosperity which simply pervades the entire nation like wildfire. Yet, when we turn to the Bible, we see something radically different. Just as in Islam we have many who claim to be true Muslims even while refusing to believe some teachings of the Quran, so also in Christianity—and particularly in Nigeria—we have innumerable number of people for whom Christ has simply become an excuse to talk about something else.
It is clear then, that Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is not responsible for the Boko Haram menace. Alhaji Balarabe Musa is merely lying! Those who criticize Jonathan for not providing adequate security must know that because Boko Haram is purely religious, it is very difficult to fight because it carries a message which can easily appeal to serious Muslims, and these serious Muslims, certainly, can be found anywhere in the world—and in Nigeria even in high places like Aso Rock, etc. For instance, about a year ago, during the talks on amnesty for the sect, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the current Emir of Kano, while answering questions posed by journalists on the matter, described Boko Haram members as “intelligent people”, and he started answering one of the questions with the following statement: “Well, first of all, as a Muslim I enjoy what they are preaching.” Now everyone knows that Sanusi is a fearless man, and everyone also knows that the same man, who wanted to introduce Islamic Banking in Nigeria and who now as the Emir of Kano has promised to rule Kano according to the tenets of Islam and the Sharia Law, is a committed Muslim. General Buhari’s recent comments against Jonathan are simply laughable, but since he did not associate Jonathan with Boko Haram, let us just leave the Gereral alone.
Finally, whether we are Muslims or Christians, let us not shy away from this sort of discussion which is mostly needed at this critical period in our nation’s history. We have to remember that people are being killed on daily basis and both Muslims and Christians are among these victims. We should put ourselves in the shoes of the relatives of these victims of terrorism. This article should therefore not be seen as an “attack” on the Muslims. The purpose is simply to get us informed because, as someone once put it, “if we are not informed, we shall be deformed.” No matter the amount of prayers we say in the Mosque or Church, if we cannot be courageous enough to denounce these killings in the name of religion, God will never answer our prayers. A good reader can see that the article is based on facts and my views here do not add to or “influence” these facts. the majority of my good friends are Muslims and I have often discussed these issues with them in gentlemanly courtesy.
•Ifeanyi wrote from Victoria Island, Lagos. He could be reached via [email protected].