Written by 7 out of every 10 persons chosen at random from any of the 36 States in the Federation and asked to comment on the Boko Haram phenomenon would say that the British were the foundation and origin of the problems facing Nigeria.
Therefore, most Nigerians in the corridors of power would naturally take the assurance given by the British High Commissioner yesterday that Her Majesty’s Government would assist the Federal Government to put paid to the activities of Boko Haram, with a pinch of salt.
On independence in 1960 the British Government in accordance with the normal colonial administrative policy of divide and rule, split up Nigeria into three main Regions.
The Fulani and Hausa were granted absolute power to govern and rule Nigeria. Paradoxically, at the time, only 4 people had university education in the whole of the Northern region. For the next 38 years the Northerners carried stickers on their cars and in shop windows which proclaimed – “We are born to rule”.
Acclaim for the wrong reasons
Since independence Nigeria has made a name for herself for the wrong reasons. The notorious 419 has given Nigeria such a sordid name which has rubbed off on practically every Black person travelling, visiting or working in other parts of the world outside the African Continent.
Corruption, embezzlement. Money laundering and other forms of criminality have all combined to destroy the credibility of Nigeria as a nation.
Boko Haram speaks
The leadership of Boko Haram has gone public in a 30-minute television interview. Just as I suspected, there are BIG and powerful political forces behind the movement.
During the interview the leader of the group, who was hidden behind what looked like a wooden screen dispelled the myth that members of Boko Haram are “spirits” and “faceless”!
He disclosed that the officers of the State Security Service were fully aware of the movement. He said that he was held in detention for 10 months. While he was in custody he kept officers of the State Security Service informed of what his organization was planning. He said that he spoke to the person in charge of the operations to bomb the police headquarters in Abuja, on a GSM provided by SSS, implying that officers of the SSS had all the information on their finger-tips
He said that his movement was fighting government. He insisted that those members who were arrested had to be released and mosques that were damaged by the army must be rebuilt, as a condition for peace.
He refused to name names of those who were providing his movement with financial resources and hardware. He accused the Federal Government of negligence and indifference.
Interestingly the leader of the group was critical of Sanusi Lamido’s attempt to turn Nigeria into a Sharia Federation. He wanted to know about Representatives and Senators who embezzle billions of naira?
But he also hinted that many State Governors were running their own version of Boko Haram.
No bottle
The world’s highest paid “law makers” made a bee line for the exit of the National Assembly following a hoax call made to a mobile – Nigeria has no telephone system and everybody carries a mobile.
There was no way of knowing what the hoax call was all about but Representatives and Senators were led to believe that Boko Haram was coming for them. So, according to eye witness accounts, Representatives and Senators in their flowing robes scuttled out of the Assembly.
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