I speak with a deep sense of sorrow, yet, mixed with a sharp instinct of hope, from ABC of Terrorism, Power and Politics in Nigeria: How we can avoid WAR.
despair.
I speak to all: men and women; haves and have-nots; the dregs, street urchins, pot-bellies, homed and homeless; the people in power, lawmakers in Abuja and in states, armed and defenseless people alike. My wife woke up midnight to cover our child with blanket as the cold wind crept in. Suddenly, she started, sobbing, then cried, then, a sudden shriek that stirred me up from my room. I rushed to her. What is the matter.?
‘I remember the kidnapped children in the bush, the chilly wind, the mosquitoes, their tears, their pain. Who will cover them as I do for my child?,’ she said.
Micheal Oyedokun was beheaded, probably in the presence of tens of toddlers kidnapped by terrorists in Esiele, Orire Local Government in Oyo State. It is now more than two weeks. Life goes on. Reports say over 600 pupils and teachers have been abducted, some remain in captivity, yet N145billion has been invested in Safe-School Scheme.
Before now, many have been abducted, old, young, pregnant women, across the country, raped, butchered; some had their body parts sold
Millions of farmers have been sacked from their indigenous homes
Our forests are littered with nuclea settlements of armed combatants, while our towns, villages and cities, sleeping cells adorn.
The terrorists are swimming in blood money. These funds are for arms
We are funding our own death.According to National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey, between May 2023 and April 2024, the total amount collected by bandits stood at N2.23 trillion. This is enough to transform Nigerian education. Many of the kidnapped children will never be found, not alive.
Before Oyedokun, others have been beheaded by the same merchants of horror. I saw a video, I could not watch to the end: three captured Nigerian soldiers, each introduced himself, before their heads were severed, with blade-sharp swords. This is Nigeria. Not Afghanistan. In our homeland, the vultures are hovering to feast on mass human carcass. The system is fueling the very conditions necessary for war; deaf and dumb operators choose to be blind to the naked misery, fire and fury on the land. The vultures think we are either dead or about to die. We are still breathing. Exhausted, we still manage to stir our feet. With life, there is hope.
The Real Danger: Terrorism, the mission and an avoidable war:
The First form of terrorism
Nigeria faces two poisonous arrows of terrorism. The first is the Nigeria state itself and its constitution imposed consistently since 1914. The state in itself is a primary act of terrorism. The law wishes to force violently opposed civilisations to live together, at gun point, without each discussing the terms.
Each ethnic group, has, at one time or the other expressed the desire to leave and to live, and die on its own terms. This led to the civil war and the various coups, at great human costs and then the toll on the economy that has forced many Nigerians to be scavengers in other countries, in the process, many have died on the high sea, some taken captives in the journey through Sahara desert, thousands massacred, including women and children. Sina Odugbemi, former UI Students Union President told me of his journey to Libya. In the desert, the girls in the team were openly raped, in the presence of the men, some of the girls were captured and taken away by the Tuareg rebels, never to be seen. The Nigerian garrison state, its totalitarian political economy, corporate exhaustion of the people by banditry DISCOs, heartless financial institutions, all driven by primitive accumulation of wealth, state policies of exclusion, dotted with stinking corruption and ineptitude are, ab initio bound to produce terrorist non-state actors
The Second form of Terrorism
The second form of terrorism is the on-going violence led by non-state actors, the nomadic terrorists from North West and Boko Haram and its factions domicile in the North East. While Boko Haram has been deadly vicious, the nomadic actors are equally horrific. We must ask ourselves what is the goal of the terrorists?
Political leadership and the lack of knowledge
Before we can address the second phase of terrorism, we must understand its form and content and then its mission One of the worst affliction is that majority of political office holders, academics, professors, bookmen and women, journalists and ‘technical experts’ do not know the mission of the current terrorism in the land and the main goal of those behind the veiled curtains. My greatest worry is the level of abysmal ignorance of many Nigerians, including the left that is completely barren of knowledge lacking the skill and history to interpret the current crisis. Worst are the many Yoruba, who occupy strategic positions, especially, those in power who have no zero understanding of the nature and character of the current crisis and the potential of a breakout of war is care is not taken. I have spoken to many Nigerian and Yoruba leaders in high and low places. The experience is the same: shallow understanding of the problem at hand. You cannot solve a problem without awareness which leads to knowledge, then understanding from whence the wisdom to tackle the affliction arises. Who are you, this writer? What gives you the impression you know better? For the past 30 years, I have devoted my time to the study of covert and overt political and economic developments in Nigeria. I was in Libya three times for conferences and met Muamar Ghadafi. I wa shocked at the number of Fulani, Kanuri and even Yoruba soldiers in the Libyan Army. The last time I visited Libya was the month the crisis erupted in Benghazi ane I told myself, If Libya collapses, these Nigerians would come home and they only way to survive would be through war.
My knowledge is also backed by scientific, physical and spiritual understanding.
I watched the sacking of farms by the armed Fulani. It was the same 1804 strategy: create stavation before the main attacks.
That is usually the first phase, followed by kidnaping and the third phase is brutal killings, including women and children, like beheading of Micheal, to send the chill of fear, fuel public anxiety, chaos and social disorder, ahead of the main goal: JIHAD. Technically, Nigeria is at the third and last stage before the war they have taken time to plan.
Unfortunately, the government is trying to divert public attention and present the crisis as mere criminality.
Let us go: Who are the terrorists and what do they want?
Let us not deceive outselves. The Fulani, from North West and Boko Haram, dominated by Kanuri are responsible for the terrorism we have had since 2009. It is then important for us to look at the Fulani and Kanuri as significant ethnic groups whose subjects are leading one of the most brutal organisations in modern world history.
Fulani and the search for Nationhood
Let us examine what goes on in their mind. To be sure, we have the sedentary, liberal Fulani and the orthodox, who for centuries have been violently looking for a country they would dominate and own. Having been expelled from various territories over the years, Nigeria is the only country in the world that they have firm grip. Millions of Fulani see Nigeria as the only country left they could have full control.
In Niger, Fulani are some 9%, in Chad, 2%, Cameroon 14%, Gambia where they are referred to as Peul, about 20%, Senegal, about 24%. Of all these countries, it is in Nigeria they constitute the ruling political and economic class. Other countries where they exist often seen them stiffed by other ethnic groups, hence the eye on Nigeria from time immemorial. In Cameroon where Ahmadou Ahidjo, a Fulani, once became the President, the Fulani believed he may have been poisoned, leading to his death. Who are the orthodox Fulani that have recently coalesce in Nigeria with their local counterparts and what do they want?
Sociologists described the Fulani as being a ‘dynamic transporter of cultures, greatly assimilating those of the environs where ever they settle, and indigenised as native African both in language and custom and as large mixers.’
Over time in history, they have been migrating, looking for an adopted home. They were driven by the Tuaregs in 1050 A.D., chased from Senegal and Niger. They misconstrue themselves as a master race. Some describe them as having ‘innate sense of what is desirous and proper, polite and respectful to their seniors, capable of great fortitude of bearing tremendous pain of affliction without showing feelings, reticent in their affairs, having a deep sense of shame, if unjustly humiliated, Fulani is prone never to forget such instances.’
Some scholars say of ‘superior intelligence’ of the average Fulani there can be no doubt; but their character would appear to retard their advancement.’ They are noted for being patient, resilient and diplomatic in matters of statecraft but can be brutal and vicious in pursuit of a cause.
The Fulani are a mix breed of Arabs, Berbers and Tuaregs who had been predominantly associated with living in Mauritania. Their search for sovereign state began in the early 11th century when the exodus was launched from Fouta Toro, leading to a split into three if its clans, some to Timbuktoo, Chad, Niger and some to Nigeria. Toalbe settled in Konni, now in Niger State in the 12th century with 400 horsemen, Sa’adu, descendant of Musa Jokolo, led another exodus out of Konni, came to Gobir, in today’s Sokoto State, due to oppression. Among this people was Uthman Dan Fodio, the most revered Fulani leader in the world, respected for his piety and knowledge.
Fulani had fought many battles for a sovereign state before coming to Nigeria. Earlier expedition led by Halilu, son of Abdullahi Fodio, to the Mossi capital of Wagadugu, was repelled. Also the Fulani sub-ethnic group, the Ba’en had occupied Mossi. They sent their daughter to marry the Mossi King but later tried to kill the Chief. The Mossi expelled them, from there, they moved to Lake Chad.
Uthman Dan Fodio became the most successful leader of the Fulani exodus. Make no mistake, he was highly educated and a soldier. He learn under the Maliki Moslem and Shaikh Jibrilla b Umar. In infiltrating Hausaland, the first thing he did was to study the social, political and economic problems of the Hausa States in Agades. The knowledge prepared him for the preconceived invasion and overthrow of the ancient Hausa State, using subterfuge, infiltration, intrigues to recruit Hausa masses as the bulk of his soldiers, under the pretext of a puritan Islamic revolution.
In the cause of learning, Uthman visited Timbuktu University and its famous library in the University of Sankore. He published hundreds of books. He wrote in his book Lamma Balagtu that he was appointed the commander of all saints by Prophet Mohammed (SAW) saying God drew him closer on his 40th birthday in what he called the Sufist experience during which he said he was given a Sword of Truth to fight unbelievers. He was said to have had ideological conflict with his teacher, Jubril, over branding some Muslims as unbelievers for offenses like drinking alcohol. He spent five years in Zamfara, preaching the gospel, returned to Gobir ruled by the Hausa King who made him the Royal Court Scholar. Soon, his popularity became suspect forcing Yunfa, the King of Gobir to launch attack on Degel, where Fodio lived forcing him to the historic escape referred to as Hijira in 1804. After the fierce battle of Tapkin Kwatto, Fodio was proclaimed the Amir’ul Muminin, or Commander of the Faithful of Fulani in West Africa. He exploited the weaknesses of the Hausa habes to launch his Jihad in 1804. The Hausa Kings of Kano, Adar, Katsina, Zazzau, Daura, caught unawares, organised resistance, but it was too late. In the pitched battles that dotted the years ahead, Fodio’s forces overwhelmed and subdued Hausaland. His revolutionary whirlwind led to the collapsed of the Kwararafa Confederation, a state of peace comprising most of today’s Middle Belt multi-ethnic minorities, which flourished from 14th to 19th century in the Benue-River valley. It was not until the Tiv in the battle fought on Ushongo Hills, and later the Yoruba resisted Fodio’s Army that temporary peace was still. The desire was to conquer West Africa, especially what is to be later known as Nigeria.
This was reiterated by Sir Ahmadu Bello in his book, My Life, when he said his forebears had the dream to conquer Nigeria and that it was as if the dream would be realised. The British merging of Nigeria in 1914 was temporary. It was certain that the primordial battles, would, one day, be reenacted in the post independence years.
The current Fulani onslaught on the Middle Belt was a design to repeat its 1804 success and pave the way for its crushing advance to the South. The idea of changing the names of indigenous communities in the Middle Belt is a clear indication of conquest plot. It should be noted that Nigerian minorities, over time, have attempted to upturn the Fulani yoke in different forms, even in the military which accounted for the botched Col Buka Dimka coup of 1976 and the Major Gideon Orka coup of 1990. Both were essentially ethnic minority revolts. This is what stares us in the face today, even as covetous liars, revisionists attempt to divert public attention from the realities, treating the insurgency first as law and order, civil crime, born out of poverty, and even propelling the false narratives that the upheaval is resistance to climate change or nomad-farmers clashes.Thrash and ideological fraud.
Electoral Politics, Jihad and the Fragile Future of Nigeria
Since independence, the Fulani have been in charge of Nigeria directly or through proxies, courtesy of the British
President Mohammadu Buhari was one of their icons, and the ideological leader of the Fulani renaissance, in modern time, hidden under the false veil of an incorruptible nationalist. The Fulani manipulation of leadership got to its apex under Buhari. Recall when the late Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu issued quit notice to armed groups in Ondo forest, the Presidency countered, saying they had freedom of movement.
The Fulani has continued its full control, until 2023 when President Ahmed Tinubu came to power.
It should be known that until Tinubu was sworn in, there was no certainty that he would be President. The threat came from within the late President Buhari’s caucus which wanted to impose former Senate President, Ahmad Lawan as its Presidential candidate in a daring North-to-North succession plan, the suspicious bombing of Owo in Ondo State on the heels of the APC primary and the botched emergency security meeting held a midst the primary to cancel the process. The same forces within, that wanted to scuttle power rotation, the people who see the acquisition of political and economic power as means for religious domination, are behind the current state of siege. In the past, they had entrenched their influence through military rule, for 27 years, that empowered them to concentrate military assets in the North, create by fiat Local Councils, States, moved the capital to Abuja, parastatal all in favour of the caliphate.
To them, having lost absolute control with the end of military rule, democracy itself is antithetical to the ancient dream of having the political-economy firmly under their control. Check out the names of those responsible for the botched coup of October, 2023. Today’s upsurge in violent attacks is nothing but, in part, the continuation of the agelong dream of Fodio. It explains the massive migration of Fulani from across West Africa, the alleged covert landing of helicopters to arm insurgents and the full empowerment of these groups with the right to forcefully occupy indigenous land, at gun point, the bid to enforce RUGA by former President Buhari.
The Liberal Fulani group
Within the political-military circus, the Fulani have never been short of a progressive bloc led by people like Aminu Kano, former Inspector General of Police, M.D Yusuf, Dr Bala Usman and Col Umar Dangiwa. One should also be kind to Fulani politicians and ideologues who oppose the method and strategy of the orthodox Fulani, like the Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sanni, the radical Shehu Sanni and even former Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje including the current Kano Governor Abba Yusuf. The question is if they would be able to tame the tiger and not be overwhelmed.
Between Banditry and Terrorism: The Fulani Movement Across Africa
Let it be clear: We are not dealing with bandits, neither with armed robbers, but violent ethnic political movements who have iron-cast determination to take over Nigeria and rule the country in the context of their own civilisations, using religion as a cover in order to raise funds especially from the Middle East, exactly what happened in the years preceding the 1804 Jihad. This takes us to the Fulani Resistance Movements in Africa
The focal point of Fulani all over Africa is Nigeria but they have nucleus armed resistance groups in Central African Republic referred, the 3R (Return, Reclamation, Rahabilitation) which operate in Western and Northern CAR, the Union of Peace founded by Ali Darassa, a Fulani. In Niger, the Fulani armed group is aligned with the Salafi-jihadist group. In Mali, the Fulani formed the Macina Liberation Front, (MLF), an extremist Islamic group that recruits from nomadic Fulani led by Amadou Koufa. The group is affiliated to Jama’at Nusrat al Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM). It began operations in 2015, the year Buhari emerged as President.
There is also the Popular Front for Recovery, (PRF). The leader, Abdel Kader Baba-Ladde between 2006 to 2008. He later joined the Fulani fighters in CAR. Ladde fought in Darfur, and his group has recently signed agreement with Chadian government and now leads a registered political party. Ladde was in Nigeria for many years where he was said to be involved in the local mobilisation of fighters.
The Boko Haram menace
The other form of affliction is Boko Haram, from the North East, the Kanuri violent group making, rooted in the ideology of the defunct El Kanemi Empire. The group wants to harness Yobe and Bornu States in Nigeria. The mission of Boko Haram is to revive the defunct El Kanem expire which had existed 1000 years before as a great Negro Kingdom in the Sudan, covering parts of Chad, Mali and Southern Libya.
The leader in the middle ages, Al Kanemi, the equivalent of Fodio, was a well educated scholar. He attended Universities in the Middle East like Al Ahram in Cairo. El Kanemi and the Uthman Dan Fodio Empire were ancient rivals. Fodio first attacked the El Kanemi. He took over Bauchi, Biu, Potiskum, Yola and others. There were various peace treaties. El Kanemi could not understand why Muslim nations should attack each other.
Both El kanemi and Fodio later exchanged letters on the rightness of using Koran to justify brigandage and terrorism in Kanem-Bornu. The Fulani forced the then El Kanem, Mai Ahmed to leave the throne for his son, Dunoma Lafiami. The Fulani soldiers stormed the El Kanemi capital, Gazargumo on March 12, 1808. It was the Shuwa Arabs, Kanumbu tribesmen that saved the throne leading to the defeat of Fulani but the Kanuri had to move the capital of Bornu to Kabela. Even after the death of Fodio in 1817, the Fulani siege on Bornu continued until the British came. Contrary of popular belief, Boko Haram and nomadic insurgents operations show they are well organised, well trained, backed with infantry, intelligence departments that seem to have deeply penetrated Nigerian security network. There are two main factions of Boko Haram: Jama’tu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal Jihad (JAS), led by Bakuro Doro and Islamic State West Africa Province, (ISWAP) ran by Shura, the Parliament and Amirul Jaish or Military commander all led by Al Mainok said to have been recently killed by US-Nigerian joint force. Both leaders and their fighters trained in Algeria, Libya, Somalia and other middle-east countries.
A report by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom said there are 30,000 Fulani insurgents fighting in Nigeria. Boko Haram and JAS are likely to have the same number of fighters. This is the mountain that faces Nigeria today.
The way out
A leadership that does not understand the problem, cannot offer enduring solutions. A system that is corrupt, driven by ten per centers, greedy institutions that see Nigerians as commodities to be exploited, can never, ever solve the current menace. However, this should not stop us from offering solutions. The National Assembly should fast track state police. The President should immediately issue Executive Order asking all Mobile Police who are naturally half military, half police to return to their states of origin and protect them. The Federal Government should take serious the suggestion of the DG, DSS Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi that communities should form the first line of resistance-It was the most remarkable intervention in this debate.
Lastly, the Federal Government should not rule out dialogue with all insurgents and self determination groups, including IPOB tailored towards the immediate restructuring of Nigeria as a minimum step to revive the fortunes of a country that is tumbling down the cliff in geometric progression. Adeoye is a muti-award winning Journalist and former Regional Secretary, International Alliance of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forest, IAITPTF based in Thailand
