The 'Talibans' of northern Nigeria

History of terrorism in Northern Nigeria.
Excerpts from THE 'TALIBANS' OF NORTHERN NIGERIA by Samuel Bayo arowolaju.

With the recent historical disgraced mounted on 150 million Nigerians by a single foolish fanatic boy,it is worth the talk and re-cap,this young boy has created a disaster for the present Nigerian generation and the generations unborn.

THE 'TALIBANS' OF NORTHERN NIGERIA

First in the news, were the people of Zamfara state in the ‘Islamic Republic of Northern Nigeria’ when they put on their dancing shoes and took to their dusty streets to celebrate the Sept.11 suicide terrorist attack on the United States of America. This attack by a group of godless, spineless animals unleashed terror in the air and on the land, killing in the process more than 5,000 people from more than 60 different countries including Nigeria of course. Yet some people under a godless and unholy religion, ignorance and illiteracy, barbarism and savagery could go out rejoicing the untimely and unwarranted death of thousands of innocent people. They were no Muslims and their religion was never Islam, they were a bunch of hell-fire-bound sadists whose god is Beelzebub.



No one knew that the celebration in Zamfara was a dress rehearsal for their despicable plan for a more contemptible, loathsome and beastly actions that were to come. The streets of Jos and environs were the next theater for their monstrosity, wildness and beastliness, for which more than 500 people were reportedly killed to appease their immoral and evil god. On their trails were burnt Churches, homes, business and other valuable property. In a way not to out do Kano, the Sharia capital of Northern Nigeria, hell was let loose while the almajiris (the street beggars) or do we call them Northern Nigeria mujahedeens, under the sponsorship of the masters, unleashed mayhem on the its streets. One Datti Ahmed, the President of the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria has wittingly or unwittingly claimed responsibility for the wanton destruction of lives and property in the pro-Taliban riots in Kano. Also by inference he could be linked to the killing and looting in Jos few weeks ago, during demonstrations in support of the terrorist acts in the USA. The reason given by ‘Taliban’ Ahmed for the riots, was the Nigeria’s ‘hasty’ support for the United States of America’s anti- terrorist effort in Afghanistan.



The news coming from the North is baffling. There was this importation of arms and ammunition to the tune of $10million by the Sharia states. Again at a meeting of northern Islamic scholars in Gusau in Sokoto State on October 20, 2001, the Nigerian Muslims were asked to ‘prepare for a jihad’. One of the fundamentalist leaders at the meeting Sheikh Yakubu Musa from Katsina State said ‘every Muslim should see himself as Osama bin Laden’, that if America should killed him, "many Osama bin Ladens will surface in the world’. This is not just a call for support for terrorism but an indication that Musa and his like are sponsoring international terrorism. His last order at the meeting was, ‘Nigerian Muslims must therefore not go to sleep’ but constantly be in an awakened preparedness to be called out for war at any time. This is serious! The big question now is, the called out for jihad is against whom? Surely it is not against the American or Afghanistan or the Nigerian government. If the most recent past is any thing to go by as a good guide for the future, then we can say that the jihad will be against the southerners and whatever they represent. Then that was the purpose of the acquisition of arms by the Sharia States part of which must been tested recently.



From all indications, the recent riots were carefully planned, meticulously targeted and militarily executed against the southerners and whatever they stand for. One could therefore come to an irrefutable conclusion that their excused Nigeria’s government supports for the war against terrorism is nothing but a smoke screen for the riots. It was yet another opportunity by the Northerners to say by their actions which speaks louder than their words, "To your Tents Oh! Southerners, We don’t want you in the North". Otherwise, why were the interests of Nigerian or American governments not attacked in the riots while only the southerners, their Churches, homes, business and property were destroyed. How many of the rioters in Kano or the shameless street dancers in Zamfara can located Afghanistan on the world map, or even ever heard the word ‘Taliban’.



Also shamelessly supporting the riots in Nigeria, the terrorist acts against USA and therefore the International Terror Inc. a.k.a. Al Qaeda under its Founder, President and CEO Osama bin Laden, is Abubakar Rimi an appointed official of the Nigerian government as the Chairman of the Nigerian Security and Minting Company. Rimi opened its mouth too wide and spoke from both ends, when he blamed President Obasanjo’s support for the war against terrorism in Afghanistan, which is about 5,000 miles from Nigeria, as the cause of the riots in Northern Nigeria. I was taken aback when Rimi said that Obasanjo’s support for war against terrorism was ‘unguarded’ and ‘irresponsible’. I feel like saying this is treason. My question is where were the Rimis, the Datti Ahmeds, the Sannis, the Musas and other Northern leaders during the Gulf War against Iraq.



They saw nothing wrong in Nigeria’s support for the war against Iraq as led by America then because a northerner Muslim was the President, who had the opportunity of selling more Nigerian oil and filling their individual pockets with extra petro-dollars. Or was Iraq not another Islamic country like Afghanistan? Or did Nigeria not support the war against Iraq?



Abubakar Rimi using his own words has been most unguarded and irresponsible and therefore not fit to hold any public office in the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria today. This is not even the Chairmanship of the most sensitive Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company responsible for printing all sensitive and security documentation in Nigeria including the Nigeria Passport and money. How are we sure Rimi has not printed or will not print Nigerian Passports and delivered them in bulk to Osama bin Laden for his army of terrorists’ use all over the world thereby destroying the little credibility this government has been able to build for Nigeria and Nigerians?



It will be recalled that most of the terrorists that struck in the USA as others the entire world depend mostly on faked passports and identities. Funding international terrorism will be an easy pass time for anybody who officially presides over the printing and minting of any country’s money and other security documentation. In the best interest of Nigeria and Nigerians, in the best interest of the Nigerian government and in the best interest of President Obasanjo personally and officially, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi should immediately be removed as the Chairman of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company and his tenure investigated for possible security breach. President Obasanjo is just being a compassionate leader. Otherwise, there is no reason why Datti Ahmed, Abubakar Rimi, Sheikh Yakubu Musa and their collaborators should not be behind bars now. They should be of an intensive investigation for conspiracy for acts of international terrorism and possible extradition to New York to say what they know or know not about the September 11 act of terrorism against the USA.



Now to the big question asked by the Reggae Legend late Bob Marley, "How long shall they kill our prophets while we stand aside and look? Ooh some say its just part of it, we got to fulfill the book Wont you help to sing, another song of freedom, Redemption Song". How long shall the northerners continue to kill the southerners while we stand aside and look? Some say it’s just in the name of one yeye Nigeria national unity. I say ‘YEYE’ national unity because I don’t see any so-called deceitful Nigeria national unity. The gospel truth is Nigeria has never been one, it is not one and it will never be one. Yes, it is therefore time to sing this song of freedom, our redemption song. The south can no longer stand aside and look while the lives of their kith and kin are destroyed in the north,their homes and property burned in the name a unity which has long become a fleeting illusion to be pursued but never attained. It is like a devil’s lake to a thirsty cattle Fulani man on the hot, dry, sunny, dusty Sokoto road.

Another major point is that,once a political or ethnic instability ensures in this area ,they turned it to be a religion affair and in their definition of religion ,not even I ,Son of a Founding Iman is a moslem ,but an object to be slaughterd.No yoruba or any other tribe is considered a muslim,rather they will attempt to kill even us sharing the same fate,This is not about Islam ,a religion respected and practice honorably worldwide,but about a group of semantics.

Now the boy has struck.Surely this speaks volume.

Here we go again,Mayhem in Jos.
The statistics tell it all, The North has the Highest poverty , infant and mortality mortality and illiteracy rate in Nigeria. When you add religious violence and general unwillingness to cooperate with the rest of the country on matters that could possibly bring about development, one is left to ask what is the meaning of all this?.
When major Gideon Okar, a man categorized as northerner(like myself) split Nigeria into two in his address to the nation after a botched coup attempt back in the 80s, we all celebrated.If we say Nigeria must remain one, can we truly see a change in mindset of a people that appear not to believe in the same values as the rest of the country : education, female emancipation, freedom of religion etc. ?

I know this is a problem in Northern Nigeria.

I am from the South -west but I grew up and schooled in the North, and I can affirm to you that
the Northerners that I grew up with are not different from me in every aspect.

Ben you are right,at least I am a Northerner and I don't endorse any of this barbaric acts,this is in contrast to the life we had before,this is actually an influence from th radical outside socio-religion influences.