Any nation that fails to trace its crises history and uses the same history to wage war against crime risks repeating past mistakes that may lead to deeper instability, loss of legitimacy, economic decline, increased corruption, social fragmentation and potential state of collapse, thereby creating fertile ground for extremism and humaniterian crises as seen in some failed states.When historical grievances are left unattended, such grievances could fuel conflicts. And this is exactly the predicament facing Nigeria today. Our political leaders should stop pretending they don't know this. This reality should form their new security mindset as 2026 dawns.
Undocumented history of crises in a country can foist serious breakdown of law and order. This can snowball into:
Nigeria has, in its 65 years of independence as a nation, at one time or another, severally suffered these challenges. This can also be gleaned from the vicious crimes and insecurity bedevilling the country currently: Kidnapping, Islamic terrorism and insurgency, Fulani herders' terror spree, violent separatists' atrocities in the South east, criminal oil bunkering in the South South, violent robberies and ritual killings in the Southwest, Odua nation fever in the Southwest etc. Sadly there are little or no statutory data or research, investigation and interrogation of these security challenges documented for easy reference, through which records can be accessed and used to prevent similar incidents in the future. Government needs to work ahead, plan ahead and think ahead.I hereby chronicle some ethno-religious- poliical crises that are of historical importance to us as a nation to buttress my point:
1.Mai-Tatsine carnage: In the 80s, there was the case of an Islamic religious sect known as Maitatsine.The sect initially reared its head as a promoter and propagator of the Islamic religion but later turned out to be a violent organisation, attacking innocent Nigerians and causing lots of havoc in some Northern states. The government of the day had to apply force to subdued the gangstars. Aftermath of the carnage and four decades on, there is no data or documented research of the Maitatsine bloodbath to act as a guide against future reoccurance of such malady. I can't find any book written on Maitatsine by our elites and scholars, including students of history from any University, military, Police or paramilitary institutions. Unfortunately, the Maitatsine crises died down but the scares and its grim memory linger.
2.Sharia Law riots: The Islamic legal code, Sharia law, in its complete, strict form, was first introduced in the Muslim- dominated states in the Northern part of the country on January 29, year 2000 by Zamfara state led by the then Governor, Alhaji Sani Yerima. Before long, the sharia wildfire spread to about 12 Northern states. This was of course in utter disregard to the secular nature of Nigeria.Sharia law wasn't only introduced in the 12 Northern states, it was also widely and wildly celebrated in the states thus triggering deadly riots as over zealous individuals, Islamic extremists and government- sanctioned Sharia police moved to implement the legal code amidst resentments by non-Muslim residents who perceived the law as a weapon of intimidation and oppression against them.
It has been argued, and I agree, that Sharia is not entirely a bad law but it's application and interpretation was and is still being wrongly effected and abused by the sharia states and non- state functionaries like the Almajiri thus giving it (Sharia) a bad image and wrong perception among non muslims and even some Muslims.
Like others before it, not much has been done by government to interrogate the advent of strict form of Sharia Law in Northern Nigeria, the consequences of its introduction and victims of its missapplication. If this had been done, it would have served as a guide for the future.
3.Religious insurgency and mass murders in God's name: No religion commands its adherents to fight for God or carry out unspeakable mass murders in the name of God or in the course of promoting or propagating such religion or in the course of doing the work of God- Not Islam, not Christianity, not Judaism, not Hinduism, non at all! Infact, the Holy Quran contains verses that frown at killing of innocent souls, verses that emphasize the sanctity of human life, and explicitly forbid killing of any body, with exceptions (Corruption) . Surah Al-isra 17.33 says, "do not kill any soul" and "Surah ak-maida, 5.32: "Whoever kills a soul, except for corruption. Surah sl-bagarah 2.256, there shall be no compulsion in all matters of religion". Forgiveness is found in surah 3. 159.I am not versed in the Quran since I'm not a Muslim but my little knowledge of the Holy book which I conspicuously quoted above speaks to Islam's stand against killing of innocent souls. The question, however, is, are the bloodthirsty Boko Haram, Lakuruwa, ISWAP, Ansaru, bandits and all other terror groups committing heinous murders and claiming they do so in the name of Islam readimg a different Qur'an? We most often watch in the social media with horror how terrorists slaughter their victims crudely as if they were slaughtering annimal shouting Alhahu akbar as they do so. They repeatedly claim they are doing the will of Allah while slaughtering fellow human beings. Sadly, governments- states(where these crimes occur) and federal- watch in awe, cowardly and in utter surrender as these criminals daint the image of Islam with their atrocities. And truth be told: Some radical, extremist Islamic preachers fuel and energies these deviant groups through incendiary preaching and sermons. The time has come for the government to go after such enablers of terrorism disguising as clerics and preachers.
I am also of the opinion that unless our religious leaders and elites, especially in the North, come out boldly to denounce such toxic and retrogressive sermons, religion- induced violence and crimes will remain with us for a long time and will continue to fester. Besides this, government also needs to interrogate the genesis of violence religious extremism in that part of the country and document the same so as to us use it in future to nip in the bud extremism and crime.
4. A case study of Sheikh Ibrahim El-zakzaky: The Sheikh and his followers are of the Shia brand of Islam with Kaduna state as their base. This sect has existed in Nigeria since the 70s but nobody (government inclusive ) knew what their mission was until 2015 when they confronted Gen. Burutai, the then Chief of Army Staff violently.Ever since then, the sect has gained prominence with the Kaduna state government occasionally applying some measures to tame it.
I submit that treating violent religious sects ( Christians or Muslims) with kid gloves allows such groups to grow, mature and lay solid foundation to the detriment of national security. If violent religious sects are not tamed at infancy the tendency is that government will later lack the political will to confront them when they grow and become monsters and security threats to the country. While I agree that every government needs to be careful on sensitive issues as religion, that must however, not be at the expense of nationalsecurity as it's equally dangerous to allow religious sects with extremist views or orientation grow. It's incumbent on the government to find solution to the security challenges facing the country so that citizens can enjoy peace at all times.
5. Boko Haram: Nigerians need no soothsayer to know that Boko Haram is a violent Islamic terror organisation. Its violent activities which began in 2009 gave birth to other terror groups already listed above. As it is today, Nigeria appears to be on a cross roads as to how to put a permanent end to the insurgency, terrorism and kidnapping for ransom of these terror groups.I believe however that it is not too late to begin.First, government should commission a strong team of expert researchers to delve into the actual root causes of the establishment of these terror groups and the heinous crimes they commit with the view to coming up with recommendations on how best to defeat them, free the country from the throes of their madness, and then get the entire gamut of the insurgency documented for future reference.
Bottom line: A nation that fails to plan on how to achieve peace has intentionally planned to fail to secure her citizens. My argument here is, why should government fold its arms and watch her citizens perish in the hands of terrorist? Government must be alive to its primary responsibilities of securing lives and property of the citizens. This it must do by, at all cost, crushing terror groups causing Nigerians pains, sorrow and anguish. Government must be proactive in identifying extremist religious organisations whose activities pose security risk to the country and checkmate them with iron fist.
I believe too that there is the need for government to establish a War Research Department to be saddled with the responsibility of carrying out in-depth research as to the causes of religious crises and other related violent crimes that have occured in Nigeria in the recent past. The department should also be saddled with recommending deterrent measures against such crises and groups sponsoring them. This will allow for the free flow of information by private individuals to security agencies. There are other factors that contribute to violent crimes in the country, the war department, when established, should be tasked with taking proper action on them and assist government in formulating ways forward in eliminating violent crimes in the country.
Written by Supol Sunday Maichibi (Rtd).
Happy New Year, dear esteemed Security File readers!
*Written by Supol Sunday Maichibi (Rtd).