Boko Haram: Northern Christians talk tough, advocate that Nigeria should split
From NOAH EBIJE, Kaduna

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Apparently worried over the menace of the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has advocated that Nigeria should split.



advertisement

Addressing a press conference yesterday, the Secretary General of the Northern (CAN), Elder Saidu Dogo, said the division of the country was necessary in view of the unabated killings and wanton destruction of property, particularly in the northern region by the Boko Haram.

Although the CAN scribe did not say how many parts the country should be divided into, he simply said if one section of the country did not want wholesome togetherness, everybody should go his own way, even as he expressed optimism that the sect would one day fizzle out.

He recalled that CAN was principally founded in 1964 to stop an interest group in the North opposed to the expansion of Christianity in the region, adding that the recent call by former minister, Prof. Jibri Aminu for the disbandment of CAN had justified the fear of Christians that some non-Christians did not want Christianity to thrive in the region.

Dogo also alleged that there was no Christian group in the country that was marginalized as those in the North, citing inability of northern Christians to clinch juicy jobs in public service allegedly because of their religious background.

He also accused former inspector generals of police of not helping in checkmating clandestine activities of criminals and the Boko Haram over the years through informants:

“If Nigerians are serious, then from here, we have to move forward, call a spade a spade, and move Nigeria forward. If we want to stay together, let’s stay, if not, everybody should go his own way. We cannot continue this way with this type of killings and so on and so forth. Some people do not want Nigeria to stay as one; It is important that this marginalization must stop.

“If you know what CAN stands for, CAN was formed in 1964, and why was it formed in 1964? There was an attempt to actually stop the expansion of Christianity in the North and Christians in the North decided that if we don’t unite and speak with one voice; we will be run over. So, all the Christians denominations decided to unite, forged ahead and formed this united body, so that they would be in a position to defend Christians in the North. If you look at it now, all these talks about indigenes, non-indigenes in Plateau State, people are just playing to the gallery.

“If you go to Katsina, Sokoto, Kano you have indigenes who are Hausa/Fulani, they have no other town, no other local government. They are being discriminated, they cannot be commissioner, they cannot contest for local government chairmanship because they are Christians. It is the Muslims in the North who started trouble in Nigeria, most especially in the North, the records are there.

“Someone carrying trailer load of beer across federal highways to another country, and some people somewhere attacked it and destroyed the whole beer, all his earnings and living gone. Nobody said anthing, and you want Nigeria to remain one?

“Let me tell you, believe you me, Boko Haram will fizzle away, our population is not up to America’s population, but as soon as the 9/11 incident happened, they put in place all mechanism, toady you cannot go to America and terrorize them.

“What is our population compared to America? Look at the amount of money we are having in this country, we are in the position in this country that even if a fly comes to any local government in Nigeria you will know. If we are determined to fight insecurity in this country, we will do it. But the issue is that, because of massive corruption, if you vote billions of naira for security, it will go into private pockets. Nobody will give any information. Anybody can cross from Niger, Chad illegally to Nigeria and have all he wanted and go free whereas individuals are stockpiling this money and taking them away.

“Honestly, if we have a government that is serious both at the state and the national levels, I am telling you that this crisis can be checkmated. This thing was done before, so I just want to tell you that if there is determination by the government, this thing can be checkmated by the government; if the United States and other countries have done it, why not Nigeria?

“There are elements of truth in what the former inspector general of police, Sunday Ehindero said recently that police intelligence unit is obsolete to withstand Boko Haram because when E-Department was cancelled and National Security Organisation (NSO) which is now the State Security Services (SSS), it was no longer effective.

“When the police had the E-Department, it was purely confined to intelligence gathering for the police force which work hand in hand with Criminal Investigation Department (CID), so in any place, you have any problem, even before the problem comes, the commissioner of police, the DPOs in that locality will know exactly what is happening, and within a shortest time, trouble will be curtailed, and the ability of anybody to cause problem will not be there.

“And let me tell you this, Boko Haram does not have the type of ability to bomb people outside the initial place where they were initiated, that is Maiduguri, Borno State. There are people who are actually using this opportunity to operate under Boko Haram. Boko Haram does not have the ability to do what they are doing, people know them and those who are sponsoring them. Thank God some of them have been arrested. Government can fish out all the Boko Haram members if it is determined, and that will be the way of stamping them out.”

http://odili.net/news/source/2011/dec/14/506.html

It appears that these guys are more than 40 years late. No splitting for now, not after I have invested billions in Lagos, SW and the North. They wan claim my hard-earned property, okwa ya?

“Someone carrying trailer load of beer across federal highways to another country, and some people somewhere attacked it and destroyed the whole beer, all his earnings and living gone. Nobody said anything, and you want Nigeria to remain one?

This was an Igbo man meted with such injustice