“To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile but is morally treasonable to the American public.” ― Theodore Roosevelt
Last week, the Nigerian Army issued a statement on what in Naija terminology is called “Collabo”. The information was a warning to those “who collaborate” with Boko Haram. Coming in the aftermath of the unfortunate Zabarmari pogrom, in which scores of Nigerian rice farmers were slaughtered, one is left with the feeling that the statement might have been made with them in mind. An audio recording of an unknown man with unknown sources accusing the slain of being Boko Haram collaborators had gone viral immediately after.
A press release by the army said: “The Theatre Command, Operation LAFIYA DOLE has reliable information that despite the obvious implications and the dangers of collaborating with Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists and other criminal elements in the society, some unscrupulous elements engage in it. The level of collaboration and support ranged from providing information and intelligence on troops and law-abiding citizens, (sic) to logistics supply and to trading with the terrorists. In particular, certain communities in the general areas of Benisheik, Jakana, Mainok, Magumeri, Gajiram and Gubio, all in Borno State, have been identified as harbouring these unpatriotic and heartless criminal elements. This account (sic) for high level of terrorists activities and general insecurity that results in casualties in those areas. “Consequently, the Theatre Command Operation LAFIYA DOLE wishes to inform all those involved in these dastardly acts to stop it forthwith. Anyone caught will face the full wrath of the law as we will not tolerate anyone sabotaging our concerted counterterrorism and counterinsurgency efforts through collaboration with the Boko Haram terrorists. We may also be compelled to come out hard on any community or groups that support or collaborate with terrorists in any way or form or act as a buffer or harbour zone to these criminals.”
Collaborators, you say? But who is a collaborator and under what circumstances can he be termed a collaborator? What is even “collaboration”? Collaboration could be positive or negative, but the army is talking about collaboration as “traitorous cooperation with an occupying enemy”.
You see, I am totally against any traitor of our fatherland. We should all put the country first before any human being or earthly interests because, in reality, our country is what we are bequeathing our children and our children’s children. No matter how many houses or how much money you leave for them, they become nothing without the land. Ask the children of Iraqi or Libyan millionaires during the reigns of Saddam and Ghaddafi whether they are now enjoying their wealth in their war beleaguered nations.
Since I am for patriotism, I also believe it is up to the nation not to give the citizen any excuse to be unpatriotic. No everyday citizen who is sure the government has his back will collaborate with his country’s enemies. Here, I am not talking of women of easy virtue, some even married, who often leave town to go to the bushes to wet the loins of marauders. I am not talking about those who send information to outlaws or engage in any activity with them with pecuniary gains in mind. No. I am speaking of the hapless citizens under the suzerainty of the rebellious.
Let us take the people of some areas in the North West who are forced to go through checkpoints operated by Boko Haram in bandits’ toga on their way to the markets or their homes or their farmlands. If these people had where to go to, they would have since fled to that haven. They, therefore, find themselves living side by side with the bloodthirsty outlaws. The latter would not hesitate to slaughter them at the drop of a coin.
Those responsible for dislodging the undesirables have not done so. The people have witnessed their friends and family members slaughtered, and nothing has changed except for the usual condemnations and empty promises from certain quarters. The occupiers of their lands continue living unchallenged. What, for God’s sake, do you expect these luckless villagers to do? Report to the appropriate quarters, someone said. But you report what is not known. The concerned quarters all know and understand what is happening yet they have not taken any necessary measures.
Do you think if these people, who live large and man checkpoints and collect taxes, go to markets and collect taxes, collect fees before they allow farmers to farm, ask the villagers to cultivate the land for them, the villagers can refuse? Put yourself in the villagers’ shoes before answering.
In these villages, people seek permission from these bandits before any wedding ceremony. The devils can also come to a wedding gathering and demand for the bride to be given to them. Anyone who refuses does so at the cost of his life. It was in the news just about two weeks ago that they went to a man and asked him to ‘lend’ them his daughter for a week. The man had to comply because no one could save him from this humiliation. Even if there was, who would come to his aid? In any case, would he have had the chance to go and report? Okay, the news later filtered out, what is the authority doing to give justice to this debased father?
Now, what do you call these people if you want to be fair, objective and just? Those forced to work – any form of work – for these occupiers or the man who “loaned” them his daughter? Collaborators? If they are, what do you call the Chibok girls married to Boko Haram commanders? All these belong to the category of those whose father could not save them even if they spit in the eye of the devil.
You see, this is the similar situation the Zabarmari rice farmers and many communities in Borno find themselves in. Living in Boko Haram occupied territory calls for tact to survive. There are other areas in Borno where the Boko Haramites hold sway – lording it over villagers – and those who should know know, but they have done nothing about it.
Many communities in the North East, North West and of course the North Central are under siege by either Boko Haram or its alter ego, the bandits. I have always maintained that they are the same foot soldiers of some sinister puppeteers. Unfortunately, there seems to be “shyness” in revealing these puppeteers. We have had countless arrested culprits of both groups. Either they get “deradicalised” and released into society, only to return to their old ways, or nothing is heard of them again. All our security agencies are supposedly trained in debriefing, and yet sponsors have not been unearthed. We are getting overwhelmed by them, yet it is a taboo to cry out over our deficiencies. Major General Olusegun Adeniyi, demoted for lamenting over the lack of weapons to prosecute the war can tell you what a taboo is and what it is not.
It is instructive when the army said, “We may also be compelled to come out hard on any community or groups that support or collaborate with terrorists in any way or form or act as buffer or harbour zone to these criminals.” Do you think there is any Boko Haram infested or bandit flooded community that will not welcome the army with open hands and hearts? Who do you think loves living in fear and humiliation under marauders where living is brutal, activities nasty and life cheap? No matter how much we cry, a safe Nigeria where peace and justice reign is what we want.
But instead, politicians use them to bait gullible voters by promising to “reveal sponsors” when elected only to continue with accusations when in office. Ordinary citizens bent on exonerating their idols accuse, without any evidence, from nations to individuals and other countries’ leaders. However, we should know that the fish that is forethoughtful can never regret: the fish that saw its water getting shallow escapes to deeper water. At the same time, those that lived for the moment perished as a result of drought.
But which part of the country is safe? Travelling is at the traveller’s risk. Agreed there are security challenges all over the world. Yes, there are killings all over the world. However, there is none like ours across the globe. High crime is becoming routine, and if we do not apply the brakes, none of us knows how he will end. It will be unfortunate if we fail to do something urgent and thorough. This is because we will hand over a dysfunctional land to our children even though our fathers handed us a functional one.
It is high time we prioritised the sanctity of life and truth in this country. It is getting to a stage where killers, kidnappers and all sorts of pillagers run amuck at will. A story goes that a man in a part of a Nigerian town called a friend at the other end to warn him that gunshots are being heard in his area. The friend told him not to worry, saying, “there is talk that it is kidnappers taking their victim”. Truth from government officials is necessary for people to trust their government. We were told a long time ago that Boko Haram had been defeated. Later it was amended to “technically” defeated. We were then told their attacks were the last kicks of a dying horse. We were told the Boko Haramites held no territory and on the run. Still, the slaughtered people of Zabarmari, some 20 kilometres out of Maiduguri, were accused of not obtaining clearance before venturing to their farms.
By the way, can’t the federal government enact a law to the effect that for any criminal arrested with an unregistered SIM card or for any crime perpetrated in which an unregistered SIM card was used for communication, the network provider should be sanctioned? Such ideas might be considered undemocratic. However, Joseph Goebbels once said: “It will always be one of the best jokes of democracy that it gives its deadly enemies the means to destroy it.”
