THE FALSE CRY TO SAVE THE NORTH

MaTaZ ArIsInG
Dallas, Texas

First published December 18 2021. Included also in the book “BLOOD IN THE OIL” published 2023.

THE FALSE CRY TO SAVE THE NORTH

Basil Okoh

There is this not so small matter of deploying the armed forces to the Northwest to force the marauding bandits out and enforce peace in the territory. Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi and Niger state in the North Central have all become gangland where life fits Thomas Hobbes hopeless description of “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short”.

The trouble with deploying soldiers to pacify a region is that there is no nice way for troops to subdue a territory without using guns and bombs. Guns kill people and bombs also destroy, so soldiers must kill and destroy. That’s what soldiers are trained to do. Soldiers doing their jobs bring economic devastation, kill and displace people, creating refugees.

In order to get at the bandits (or are these terrorists?) and pacify the northwest, troops must kill people and destroy property, including public installations and investments. A soldier at war must kill or be killed.

This is what the leaders and politicians of the Hausa and Fulani of the Northwest don’t want. They don’t want soldiers of the armed forces moving unruly into their territory to kill and destroy. Can you imagine Nigerian Air force pilots dropping bombs on Daura, Katsina or Sokoto or mortars landing in the homes of these cities?

It was alright for troops to attack towns and communities in Orlu and Oguta in Imo State, Odugbeho community in Agatu, Benue State or Kajuru in Southern Kaduna. That’s “nyamiri” territory. But Sokoto? Common man, have sense. “Eye wey dey cry dey see road”.

And then there is the matter of revenge by troops whose own territories have been devastated by soldiers, ordered by politicians of the Northwest. The Igbo, Idoma, Tiv, Gwari, Kataf, Berom etc. Are you going to give these vengeful crazies their chance to do the same thing to Hausa and Fulani communities? Again, have sense, man.

So if you have been wondering why the hesitancy in calling these bandits terrorists and deploying troops to the northwest to deal with them, now you know. “Another man head na bongo, e good to play music”.

My friend, an Hausa man marooned by banditry in Abuja and can no longer get to his home in Sokoto State, is gloating and happy over the military bombardment of oil thieves in the Niger Delta. Imagine his countenance when such bombardment is taken to his community in Sokoto.

So the North chooses to live with its criminals and bandits, no matter how bad it gets. Let the north stop calling others for help to “save the north”.

@basilokoh.

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