The six days (26-07-09 to 01-08-09) of bloody sectarian violence in the Northern States of Bauchi, Borno, Yobe and Kano, which culminated in the death of over 1000 persons, is condemnable. The uprising started in Bauchi State on Sunday 26th day of July 2009 and spread to Borno, Yobe and Kano States. The Islamic Sect, known as “Boko Haram” or “Western Education Is A Taboo”, which is sometimes referred to as “the Taliban”, had taken to violence for the purpose of Islamizing Nigeria 
through the strict application or institutionalization of Sharia Legal Code and System. (Pictures show victims of sectarian and other forms of violence in Nigeria; Right is the corpse of Boko Haram, leader of the Muslim Sect that recently wrecked havoc in the northern part of the country)The Sect, led by Ustaz Yusuf Mohammed, first emerged in Borno State in 2002, from where it set up a major camp at the Nigerian-Nigerien Border. The violence reportedly started when the Sect reportedly attacked a police station in Bauchi State, in search of arms and ammunition, which was reportedly repelled by security forces. Angered by this, the Sect reportedly took up arms against Nigerian Security Forces and other Moslems and non-Moslems. Some churches, private and public facilities were reportedly attacked and destroyed. The Sect is reportedly co-led by Alhaji Buji Fai, a former Commissioner in Borno State, who reportedly resigned in 2008.
Since then, the human and the material casualty figures have continued to rise. This Day Newspaper of Sunday, 2nd day of August 2009, reported that about 700 dead bodies had been recovered so far and buried in Borno State alone. The Newspaper quoted one Colonel Ben Ahanotu of the Bauchi State adhoc security outfit, code-named “Operation Flush” as confirming the casualty figures to the Associated Press. This Day also quoted an unnamed staff of the Umaru Shehu Hospital in Maiduguri, Borno State as saying that about 172 dead bodies had been brought to the Hospital since Tuesday, 28th day of July 2009. He was also reported as saying that at least, five persons were killed on Saturday, 1st day of August 2009.
On Wednesday, 29th day of July 2009, about 100 persons were reportedly killed by security forces alone. The Daily Independent Newspaper of Thursday, 30th day of July 2009, had also quoted the Yobe State Police Public Relations Officer as saying that about 43 Boko Haram Activists had been killed since Wednesday, 29th day of July 2009 in Yobe State. On Thursday, 30th day of July 2009, the leader of the said Islamic Sect, Ustaz Yusuf Mohammed died under controversial circumstances. The Daily Independent Newspaper also reported that over 800 persons might have been killed as at Tuesday, 28th day of July 2009.
Similarly, Colonel Ben Ahanotu of the “Operation Flush” confirmed to the media that at least 230 women and children, who were held hostage by the Islamic Sect in Kastina, Plateau, Bauchi States and other parts of the Northern Nigeria had been rescued. Thousands of other citizens have been displaced and made homeless. Quantification of material destructions runs into multi-hundred million naira. This Day Newspaper of Monday, 3rd day of August 2009, reported that about 800 persons were killed in Borno State alone.
In all, over 1000 persons might have been killed in the Sectarian Violence. And this might mean that in the six days or 144 hours of the uprising, over 1000 persons might have died, mostly in the hands of the Nigeria’s security forces. It further means that seven persons might have been killed in every one hour, between 26/07/09 and 01/08/09. The pictorial evidence obtained by the British Broadcasting Service, which was published by leading Nigerian media has authenticated the allegation that the late Ustaz Mohammed Yusuf and the late Alhaji Buji Fai, who led the Boko Haram Islamic Sect were captured alive and killed extra-judicially by the Nigeria Police Force. The late Ustaz Yusuf was reportedly captured alive by the Nigerian soldiers and handed over to the Borno State Police Command, which took him into its custody and allegedly killed him hours later.
The last Wednesday’s invasion of the Sect’s mosque and the massacre of about 100 of its followers by the Nigeria’s security forces are extra-judicial and genocidal in nature. The way and manner the Nigeria’s security forces, especially the Nigeria Police Force, handled the sectarian violence is totally condemned. Some Moslem leaders in the North had revealed how they alerted intelligence agencies on time about the imminence of the violence, but they were reportedly ignored. The intelligence and crime detection capacities of our security forces, especially the police have declined abysmally. Competent investigations by competent international bodies, if ordered, might further expose more atrocities committed by the security forces, while handling the said violent crisis.
It is our firm belief that the Nigeria’s security forces, acted irresponsibly, irrationally and despicably in the handling of the said violence. The amount of force so used could be likened to full blown war-like situations. The amount and sophistication of weapons said to have been used by the Sect’s elements, as alleged by the security forces, might have been stage-managed. It is common among the Nigeria’s security forces to empty their armories each time they parade suspects. The crime of extra-judicial killing and excessive use of force have, for a long time, been their stock-in-trade.
Unfortunately for Nigeria and Nigerians, these sad moments, broadened by our security forces, are taking place now that the Nigeria’s human rights records are billed for Periodic Review by the United Nations Human Council, with its Nigerian Presidency. The Attorney General of the Federation has just submitted his own version of the Nigeria’s human rights records for scrutiny by the body. The UN Reportuer on Extra-judicial Killings, who visited Nigeria in 2007, is also about reviewing the Nigeria’s compliance with the standards set by the UNO in accordance with the relevant principles of the same body.
Therefore, the three pillars of the International Law: International Jurisprudential Law, International Humanitarian Law or Geneva Convention and International Human Rights Law, as well as the Nigeria’s domestic laws, such as the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights Domesticated Laws of the Federation 2004, might have been observed in gross breach. It is our firm request that the United Nations, the Commonwealth and the African Union should set up crack teams of investigators, similar to those set up in Gaza, Palestine/ Israel and Lebanon, with a view to unraveling the remote and immediate causes of the said violence, as well as the roles played by security forces and their compliance or otherwise with the laws so quoted. Those found involved, including the Boko Haram elements should be recommended for punitive sanctions among other recommendations.
Similarly, we have observed that over 30,000 Nigerians might have died since 1999 or in the past ten years, as a result of extra-judicial killings, assassinations and sectarian violence. While over 5,000 citizens lost their lives to the OTA and the Bakassi Boys killings in Anambra State, between 1999 and 2002, 3,500 persons were reportedly killed in Abia State under similar circumstances and periods. Over 1,500 others were believed to have been killed in Imo State, Ebonyi State and Lagos State by the Bakassi Boys and the O’odua People’s Congress Vigilante Group. Over 150 prominent Nigerians had been assassinated since 1999 by politicians and the Nigeria’s security forces.
The remaining 20,000 Nigerians were reported to have died in hands of religious extremists and over- zealous security forces, commanded by the Nigerian governing authorities. Those who died in the hands of the security forces included the victims of Odi, Zakibiam/Tiv massacres and the recent Niger Delta military invasions. In the Jos religious crisis of the late 2008 for instance, about 700 persons were reportedly killed, though the Nigerian authorities claimed that it was about 300 persons that were killed. Also, the highly disputed 2007 general elections in Nigeria reportedly claimed about 300 lives. See Human Rights Watch Reports for more details (www.hrw.org).
The grand summary of the foregoing is that till this date, the perpetrators of the killings so highlighted, are still on the prowl with impunity. These have resulted to the entrenchment of a “consociation democratic culture” in Nigeria, which refers to a democratic system with deep-rooted animosity, deepening ethnic or sectional divisions, economic backwardness, corruption and selective justice.
On the other hand, the unending violence targeted at non- Moslems by various Islamic extremists in Nigeria is totally condemnable. The leaders of the Boko Haram and other religious fundamentalist movements are deceiving their followers. The tagging of the so-called “Western Education” as sacrilegious, is totally false and a product of ignorance.
History has shown that apart from Egypt being the headquarters of Arabism/Islamism, it is also the origin of the world ancient university “the Egyptian System Mystery Schools”, where the philosophy which gave birth to today’s university disciplines originated. The modern world’s oldest university “the Al-Ahzar University of Cairo”, which was built in 970AD, is also located in Egypt. The division of days into seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, etc originated from the Egypt and the Babylon or Iraq, before their transformation into the Gregorian calendar.
During the Dark Ages, 450AD to 800AD and the Renaissance or Rebirth, 800AD to 1400AD, Islamic learning in ancient science flourished. Apart from criticizing and innovating, Islamic scholars developed the primitive Greek Alchemy (chemistry) into today’s chemistry. Many Greek writings were translated into their languages. The Islamic thinkers also borrowed the idea of zero from the Hindu mathematicians and invented the Arabic numerals. The Islamic thinkers also created the science of algebra and study of algebraic functions.
Today, many scientific terms such as alcohol, syrup, camphor, lute, guitar, azimuth, azure, cipher, zenith, algebra, zero, sine, etc are legacies of the Islamic thinkers and their contributions to the “Western Education”. Even almanac, mattress, take, tartan, astronomy etc also originated from Arabic terms. The most eminent Moslem physicist was Ibn-al Haitham (965AD to 1020AD). His chief work was done in optics and he showed a great advancement in experimental method. The great Razes (865AD to 925AD) was also the greatest of the Arabic Alchemists or chemists.
With the statistics foregoing, the arguments by Moslem fundamentalists that “Western Education” is sacrilegious are unfounded and lacking in substance. By this singular act, these extremists are inviting the wraths of their forefathers, especially those who contributed pricelessly to the world of science and technology, otherwise called “Western Education”.
It is about time these purveyors of cannibalism, bedecked in the toga of religious jihadists or crusaders steered clear of the shores of Nigeria and allowed Nigeria and Nigerians to pursue their collective destiny.
Nigerians must say no to those who are inviting them to come and live in the rubbles of Kabul and Mogadishu because they are the hells of no return.
This Press Statement, issued from the stable of Intersociety, a leading human rights group, was signed by:
Comrade Emeka Umeagbalasi
Chairman
Board of Trustees
+234(0)8033601078
botchairman@intersociety-ng.org
www.intersociety-ng.org
No comments:
Post a Comment