These are certainly not the best of times for Nigeria in terms of security. The unmitigated killings by the dreaded Boko Haram Islamist sect has left many Nigerians pondering if military rule was not the best of times.
Security experts have argued that people killed since the onslaught of the Boko Haram started in 2002 outnumbered those killed in the Nigerian Civil War of 1967. Since the military left the corridors of power in 1999, handing over to a democratically elected president, Olusegun Obasanjo, insecurity in the country appears to be spiraling.
Today, Nigerians live in fear of kidnappers, political and economic assassinations, extra-judicial killings and terrorism. These have become familiar features in the country. The impact of this massive sense of insecurity on the psyche of Nigerians cannot be overestimated.
It is estimated that the Boko Haram sect killed more than 5,000 civilians between July 2009 and June 2014, including at least 2,000 in the first half of 2014, in attacks occurring mainly in north east, north central and central states. 650,000 people fled the conflict zones by August 2014, an increase of 200,000 since May. While some security experts said terrorism is a child of democracy, emanating from the recognised need to express desires and actualise them, others opined that terrorism has been even before the military vacated the seat of power.
Both divides, however, agreed that terrorism is a results of seeking selfdetermination, emancipation, except perhaps for the Boko Haram sect, whose ‘desire’ has remained nebulous and vague. Experts also agree that terrorism metamorphosed from ethic militia groups, desperate for socio-economic and political powers. Ethnic militia groups exist in all geopolitical zones. Such groups are believed to be over 300 in Nigeria. Communal and national conflicts brought some to prominence;
Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Bakassi boys, Egbesu boys, Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) , Niger-Delta People’s Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Niger Delta Youth Movement, The Plateau Youth, The Benue/Tiv Youth Movement, The Jukun Youth Movement, Atjdid Movement in Kano, The Movement For The Survival of Ogoni People(MOSOP) and Movement For The Emancipation of Niger Delta People(MEND) to mention but a few.
NADECO
The President, Society of Security Practitioners of Nigeria (SSPN), Mr. Davidson Ahkimien said that terrorism in Nigeria started with domestic terrorism, noticeable in NADECO and other bombings occurring in some parts of the country.
His words: “Terrorism started as a forerunner to the democratic government that we began to experience in 1999. The NADECO movement and the different incidents of bombings that were experienced in the western parts of Nigeria and some parts of southsouth were indicators of home grown national terrorism. Albeit, it was meant by the group, to oust the military and entrenched democratic government.
“It later dovetails into the Niger-Delta issue of self-determination, including the MASSOP, Egbesu youths and others, with attacks on critical national infrastructure like oil pipelines, oil thefts and kidnappings of expatriates. For me, that’s terrorism. They use terrorist tactics to try to achieve their aims. The third push of terrorism is that which is being experienced now, as BH in the north.”
OPC
A security expert and analyst, Dr. Ona Ekhomu, who is the president of the Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria (AISSON) and the Africa Representative of the International Foundation for Protection Officers (IFPO), said that the birth of democracy brought with it, hallmarks of democracy; freedom of speech, association, religion and perhaps freedom from wants, thus right from 1999, Nigerians started asserting themselves.
He recalled: “The first violent group that asserted itself was the Yoruba group OPC. They said they had the right to defend themselves under Dr. Frederick Fasehun and later under the more militant leader, Gani Adams. They singled out police agency as their enemy and started attacking police agents. Obasanjo issued a shoot at sight order on OPC personnel if they resisted arrest.
This order was because of the level of atrocities OPC was perpetrating. The point here is that it’s just that freedom of association and speech that made it possible for them to articulate their view of Yoruba nationhood, up to the point of articulating it to violence. Some people will tell you that violence is a form of self-expression.”
MEND
Ekhomu said: “Another terrorist group was MEND, which said it wanted resources control and self-determination, but Federal Government said no. The issue was litigated and the state won. At that time, there was a lot of discourse, awareness and awakening.” He further recollected: “The Egbesu boys were the fore-runner of MEND. They started asserting violence.
They said they were the defenders of Ijaw land and nation. Eventually in February 2006, we started having kidnap to highlight the issue.” Ekhomu explained that kidnapping has been on as far back as 1990 in the oil industry. “I know because I worked some of the cases personally. It was always hushed. The oil companies never come out to say anybody was kidnapped. 2006 that people kept referring to was when MEND came out to declare that they were the ones behind the kidnapping.
They now said; let’s do as the militants do in the Middle East. They now kidnap and claim responsibility. Then our brothers from the south east took over kidnapping as a legitimate form of business.” He noted that other militant groups in the Niger Delta were involved in one form of violence or another, but MEND became prominent because of their brutality and bombings.
“While others will kidnapped victims and allow them to go after collecting ransom, MEND didn’t. Rather it started destroying oil assets in big ways. As far back as possible, militant groups used cutlasses to destroy oil assets, but MEND started using Improvised Explosives Devices (IED). When you detonate a bomb, the whole world hears. MEND became notorious for bombing and killings. It was OBJ who declared MEND as a terrorist organisation and its’ still on record,” Ekhomu recounted.
MASSOP
MASSOP is also a militia group which has been lying latent for decades, but abruptly woke up after democracy. “MASSOP finally coming out was backed by freedom of speech and association guaranteed by the constitution,” said Ekhomu.
He continued: “MASSOP said we lost the war, but Biafra is not dead. They said they didn’t go anywhere. Slowly they became violent, declaring they want to issue Biafra currency and that people should observed public holidays which they announced. MASSOP just confined itself to intimidation of people in the east. MASSOP is a menace, than a real a threat.”
Boko Haram
Ekhomu said that aside from the MEND threat, which puttered out, Boko Haram threat, is an outgrowth of the democratic experience. He revealed that Boko Haram was founded as far back as 1995. He said the members were just itinerant teachers and providers to widows and orphans before they degenerated into terrorists. Remembering how it transpired, Ekhomu said that in 2002, the former leader, Mohammed Lawal went for further studies in Medina.
The older clerics wanted somebody who was more vibrant and charismatics to take over from Lawal. They appointed Mohammed Yusuf as leader of the sect. When he got on the saddle, he met a guy called Mohammed Ali, who had just returned from Afghanistan. Ali radicalise Mohammed Yusuf. Ali told Yusuf to avoid anything western and to resign from working with the Yobe State Government.
Ali argued that western education did not lead to wholesome conversion of Islam; instead it was breeding corrupt leaders, who could not take care of the needs of the people. “They said schools and teachers were always on strike. Cost of living was on the high side. Prostitution and homosexual was almost acceptable. They were attacking the corruption that was in the leadership elites. They said it was not acceptable,” said Ekhomu.
While Ali went to Karama, Yobe State to start attacking police agencies and destroying assets, Yusuf stayed back in Maiduguri. “Ali eventually got killed. Sometimes in 2004, Mike Okiro, then IGP, said there was Taliban in Nigeria. He was talking about Ali. There was a time the US Government said there were Taliban training camps in Nigeria.
They were right. Ali group was right there, training people as terrorist fighters in Yobe.” It was police provocation that led to Boko Haram violence, said Ekhomu, adding that in July 26, 2009, Operation Flush was doing ‘Stop and Search’ in Maiduguri, when they accosted a burial party. Four Boko Haram members were killed in an auto-accident, while on a journey.
The others were taking the corpses for burial. Some of the mourners were riding motorbikes. The policemen asked why they didn’t have crash helmets; the riders said they were just going to bury their colleagues. Ekhomu said: “The Police threatened to arrest them. Can you imagine five policemen threatening to arrest a 1000 people? As they were arguing, a shot rang out. One of the policemen, fearing for his life, had opened fire.
“At the end of the day, 17 Boko Haram members laid dead. After that, the policemen ran away. When that happened, Yusuf finally had had it! After that July 26 conflagration, Yusuf said he was declaring war on the Borno State Government and the Nigeria Police Force. He said he was fighting Allah’s battle. He was eventually killed on July, 21, in circumstances which has been described as extra-judicial killing.
“His second in command, Abubakar Shekerau took over from him. Shekerau was a fighter, unlike Yusuf who was a diplomat. He aligned with foreign fighters, came back and broke his people out from Yola, Bauchi and Maidugiri Prisons. Since then, the rest has become history.” Coming down to present day, Ekhomu said Nigerians were happy with government claim that the man masquerading as Shekerau had been killed.
“But nobody has told me what happened to the original Shekerau,” quipped Ekhomu. “As a security man, I must see evidence to show that he’s dead. The original Shekerau could be somewhere right now, drinking margarita and laughing, while they said he’s dead!”
Differences between old, new terrorism
Davidson said that the difference between old terrorism and present day one is that terrorism of before was meant to bring self-determination of a people, especially the Niger Delta folks, who said they had been marginalised for long, despite the fact that resources being used by Nigeria, came from their land. Yet they didn’t have the basic amenities of life.
His words: “Many could perhaps see that as justifiable movement because of the nature of the demand. In terrorism of now, it’s not only domestic terrorism, but from information we have on BH show that it’s one based on ideology and religious inclination.
It’s not only home grown, but with a tilt of international terrorism. International terrorists working hand in gloves with home grown terrorists.” Most importantly, Davidson argued that the agenda of the northern terrorists today is not clear and their demands preposterous.
Solutions to terrorism in Nigeria
To stop Boko Haram for good and other terrorist group from emerging, Ekhomu said the government must realise that, “We’re not at the end of this war yet, even if we’ve killed Mohammed Bashir, alias Abubakar Shekau. We’ve only killed the leader. Others might rise. I hope they don’t. I hope the rest Boko Haram will throw in the trowel. But based on what I know about insurgence and terrorist groups, that’s very unlikely because it’s circular structure and made to keep reproducing itself.”
While noting that the killing of Bashir was a very important development, which had apparently led to other Boko Haram surrendering, Ekhomu said he was disappointed with the way government was handling those that surrendered. “Instead of government to debrief and investigated those Boko Haram who surrendered, its saying they want to integrate them into the society.
I really don’t understand the sort of people running things for us. How can people who cut those girls’ throats, people who are still keeping those girls in Sambisa forest, be called good boys just because they surrendered?” queried Ekhomu. He further said: “These guys were not covering their faces. They were so emboldened. They walked around openly, killing people and cutting throats.
There should be people who will testify against them! We’re in such a hurry to say, we’ve forgiven them and that Nigeria is back to normal. Nigeria is not back to normal! I don’t know what the heck they’re talking about! These people have killed 16,000 people; who are going to avenge all those people?”
Security experts have argued that people killed since the onslaught of the Boko Haram started in 2002 outnumbered those killed in the Nigerian Civil War of 1967. Since the military left the corridors of power in 1999, handing over to a democratically elected president, Olusegun Obasanjo, insecurity in the country appears to be spiraling.
Today, Nigerians live in fear of kidnappers, political and economic assassinations, extra-judicial killings and terrorism. These have become familiar features in the country. The impact of this massive sense of insecurity on the psyche of Nigerians cannot be overestimated.
It is estimated that the Boko Haram sect killed more than 5,000 civilians between July 2009 and June 2014, including at least 2,000 in the first half of 2014, in attacks occurring mainly in north east, north central and central states. 650,000 people fled the conflict zones by August 2014, an increase of 200,000 since May. While some security experts said terrorism is a child of democracy, emanating from the recognised need to express desires and actualise them, others opined that terrorism has been even before the military vacated the seat of power.
Both divides, however, agreed that terrorism is a results of seeking selfdetermination, emancipation, except perhaps for the Boko Haram sect, whose ‘desire’ has remained nebulous and vague. Experts also agree that terrorism metamorphosed from ethic militia groups, desperate for socio-economic and political powers. Ethnic militia groups exist in all geopolitical zones. Such groups are believed to be over 300 in Nigeria. Communal and national conflicts brought some to prominence;
Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Bakassi boys, Egbesu boys, Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) , Niger-Delta People’s Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Niger Delta Youth Movement, The Plateau Youth, The Benue/Tiv Youth Movement, The Jukun Youth Movement, Atjdid Movement in Kano, The Movement For The Survival of Ogoni People(MOSOP) and Movement For The Emancipation of Niger Delta People(MEND) to mention but a few.
NADECO
The President, Society of Security Practitioners of Nigeria (SSPN), Mr. Davidson Ahkimien said that terrorism in Nigeria started with domestic terrorism, noticeable in NADECO and other bombings occurring in some parts of the country.
His words: “Terrorism started as a forerunner to the democratic government that we began to experience in 1999. The NADECO movement and the different incidents of bombings that were experienced in the western parts of Nigeria and some parts of southsouth were indicators of home grown national terrorism. Albeit, it was meant by the group, to oust the military and entrenched democratic government.
“It later dovetails into the Niger-Delta issue of self-determination, including the MASSOP, Egbesu youths and others, with attacks on critical national infrastructure like oil pipelines, oil thefts and kidnappings of expatriates. For me, that’s terrorism. They use terrorist tactics to try to achieve their aims. The third push of terrorism is that which is being experienced now, as BH in the north.”
OPC
A security expert and analyst, Dr. Ona Ekhomu, who is the president of the Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria (AISSON) and the Africa Representative of the International Foundation for Protection Officers (IFPO), said that the birth of democracy brought with it, hallmarks of democracy; freedom of speech, association, religion and perhaps freedom from wants, thus right from 1999, Nigerians started asserting themselves.
He recalled: “The first violent group that asserted itself was the Yoruba group OPC. They said they had the right to defend themselves under Dr. Frederick Fasehun and later under the more militant leader, Gani Adams. They singled out police agency as their enemy and started attacking police agents. Obasanjo issued a shoot at sight order on OPC personnel if they resisted arrest.
This order was because of the level of atrocities OPC was perpetrating. The point here is that it’s just that freedom of association and speech that made it possible for them to articulate their view of Yoruba nationhood, up to the point of articulating it to violence. Some people will tell you that violence is a form of self-expression.”
MEND
Ekhomu said: “Another terrorist group was MEND, which said it wanted resources control and self-determination, but Federal Government said no. The issue was litigated and the state won. At that time, there was a lot of discourse, awareness and awakening.” He further recollected: “The Egbesu boys were the fore-runner of MEND. They started asserting violence.
They said they were the defenders of Ijaw land and nation. Eventually in February 2006, we started having kidnap to highlight the issue.” Ekhomu explained that kidnapping has been on as far back as 1990 in the oil industry. “I know because I worked some of the cases personally. It was always hushed. The oil companies never come out to say anybody was kidnapped. 2006 that people kept referring to was when MEND came out to declare that they were the ones behind the kidnapping.
They now said; let’s do as the militants do in the Middle East. They now kidnap and claim responsibility. Then our brothers from the south east took over kidnapping as a legitimate form of business.” He noted that other militant groups in the Niger Delta were involved in one form of violence or another, but MEND became prominent because of their brutality and bombings.
“While others will kidnapped victims and allow them to go after collecting ransom, MEND didn’t. Rather it started destroying oil assets in big ways. As far back as possible, militant groups used cutlasses to destroy oil assets, but MEND started using Improvised Explosives Devices (IED). When you detonate a bomb, the whole world hears. MEND became notorious for bombing and killings. It was OBJ who declared MEND as a terrorist organisation and its’ still on record,” Ekhomu recounted.
MASSOP
MASSOP is also a militia group which has been lying latent for decades, but abruptly woke up after democracy. “MASSOP finally coming out was backed by freedom of speech and association guaranteed by the constitution,” said Ekhomu.
He continued: “MASSOP said we lost the war, but Biafra is not dead. They said they didn’t go anywhere. Slowly they became violent, declaring they want to issue Biafra currency and that people should observed public holidays which they announced. MASSOP just confined itself to intimidation of people in the east. MASSOP is a menace, than a real a threat.”
Boko Haram
Ekhomu said that aside from the MEND threat, which puttered out, Boko Haram threat, is an outgrowth of the democratic experience. He revealed that Boko Haram was founded as far back as 1995. He said the members were just itinerant teachers and providers to widows and orphans before they degenerated into terrorists. Remembering how it transpired, Ekhomu said that in 2002, the former leader, Mohammed Lawal went for further studies in Medina.
The older clerics wanted somebody who was more vibrant and charismatics to take over from Lawal. They appointed Mohammed Yusuf as leader of the sect. When he got on the saddle, he met a guy called Mohammed Ali, who had just returned from Afghanistan. Ali radicalise Mohammed Yusuf. Ali told Yusuf to avoid anything western and to resign from working with the Yobe State Government.
Ali argued that western education did not lead to wholesome conversion of Islam; instead it was breeding corrupt leaders, who could not take care of the needs of the people. “They said schools and teachers were always on strike. Cost of living was on the high side. Prostitution and homosexual was almost acceptable. They were attacking the corruption that was in the leadership elites. They said it was not acceptable,” said Ekhomu.
While Ali went to Karama, Yobe State to start attacking police agencies and destroying assets, Yusuf stayed back in Maiduguri. “Ali eventually got killed. Sometimes in 2004, Mike Okiro, then IGP, said there was Taliban in Nigeria. He was talking about Ali. There was a time the US Government said there were Taliban training camps in Nigeria.
They were right. Ali group was right there, training people as terrorist fighters in Yobe.” It was police provocation that led to Boko Haram violence, said Ekhomu, adding that in July 26, 2009, Operation Flush was doing ‘Stop and Search’ in Maiduguri, when they accosted a burial party. Four Boko Haram members were killed in an auto-accident, while on a journey.
The others were taking the corpses for burial. Some of the mourners were riding motorbikes. The policemen asked why they didn’t have crash helmets; the riders said they were just going to bury their colleagues. Ekhomu said: “The Police threatened to arrest them. Can you imagine five policemen threatening to arrest a 1000 people? As they were arguing, a shot rang out. One of the policemen, fearing for his life, had opened fire.
“At the end of the day, 17 Boko Haram members laid dead. After that, the policemen ran away. When that happened, Yusuf finally had had it! After that July 26 conflagration, Yusuf said he was declaring war on the Borno State Government and the Nigeria Police Force. He said he was fighting Allah’s battle. He was eventually killed on July, 21, in circumstances which has been described as extra-judicial killing.
“His second in command, Abubakar Shekerau took over from him. Shekerau was a fighter, unlike Yusuf who was a diplomat. He aligned with foreign fighters, came back and broke his people out from Yola, Bauchi and Maidugiri Prisons. Since then, the rest has become history.” Coming down to present day, Ekhomu said Nigerians were happy with government claim that the man masquerading as Shekerau had been killed.
“But nobody has told me what happened to the original Shekerau,” quipped Ekhomu. “As a security man, I must see evidence to show that he’s dead. The original Shekerau could be somewhere right now, drinking margarita and laughing, while they said he’s dead!”
Differences between old, new terrorism
Davidson said that the difference between old terrorism and present day one is that terrorism of before was meant to bring self-determination of a people, especially the Niger Delta folks, who said they had been marginalised for long, despite the fact that resources being used by Nigeria, came from their land. Yet they didn’t have the basic amenities of life.
His words: “Many could perhaps see that as justifiable movement because of the nature of the demand. In terrorism of now, it’s not only domestic terrorism, but from information we have on BH show that it’s one based on ideology and religious inclination.
It’s not only home grown, but with a tilt of international terrorism. International terrorists working hand in gloves with home grown terrorists.” Most importantly, Davidson argued that the agenda of the northern terrorists today is not clear and their demands preposterous.
Solutions to terrorism in Nigeria
To stop Boko Haram for good and other terrorist group from emerging, Ekhomu said the government must realise that, “We’re not at the end of this war yet, even if we’ve killed Mohammed Bashir, alias Abubakar Shekau. We’ve only killed the leader. Others might rise. I hope they don’t. I hope the rest Boko Haram will throw in the trowel. But based on what I know about insurgence and terrorist groups, that’s very unlikely because it’s circular structure and made to keep reproducing itself.”
While noting that the killing of Bashir was a very important development, which had apparently led to other Boko Haram surrendering, Ekhomu said he was disappointed with the way government was handling those that surrendered. “Instead of government to debrief and investigated those Boko Haram who surrendered, its saying they want to integrate them into the society.
I really don’t understand the sort of people running things for us. How can people who cut those girls’ throats, people who are still keeping those girls in Sambisa forest, be called good boys just because they surrendered?” queried Ekhomu. He further said: “These guys were not covering their faces. They were so emboldened. They walked around openly, killing people and cutting throats.
There should be people who will testify against them! We’re in such a hurry to say, we’ve forgiven them and that Nigeria is back to normal. Nigeria is not back to normal! I don’t know what the heck they’re talking about! These people have killed 16,000 people; who are going to avenge all those people?”
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