Until recently, terrorism was an alien word in theaverage Nigerian’s dictionary as it was regarded as a ‘Western thing’. Today, terrorism is not only alive, but it is actively breeding. Before we discuss why Nigeria’s terrorism profile should concern everyone, let’s define terrorism.
Etymologically, the word terrorism derives originally from the Latin and French words: terrere and terrorisme, meaning “to frighten” and “state rule by terror” respectively. According to Bill Hoffman, one of the world’s foremost experts on the issue, terrorism is often times political in its aim, violent or threatened violence, designed to have psychologically reparations beyond the immediate target, conducted by an organization with an identifiable chain of command or conspiratorial cell structure, and perpetuated by a sub national or non-state entity.
The United Nations Security Council report defines terrorism as any act intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to civilians or non-combatants with the purpose of intimidating a population or compelling a government or an international organization to do or abstain from doing any act. Note that there have been variousdisagreements on the true representation of theUN’s definition.
Since the advent of numerous attack cases purposely carried out by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), in their quest to drive home their ‘grievances’ against the injustice melted on the Niger Delta region, terrorist groups like the Al-Qaeda linked Boko Haram, Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi Biladis Sudan (JAMBS), Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJAO) and more recently the yet-to-be-confirmed linked Lebanese Shite Movement group, Hezbollah havesprung up unleashing mayhem and destruction on our country.
The major reason we should worry is because our people are dying. Everyday, the death toll increases. Men, women, children, innocent people are cut down violently by blood-sucking rebels void of consciences.
Another reason why we need to be concerned forNigeria’s growing terrorism profile is the ‘salt upon injury’ approach taken by the United States in blacklisting Nigeria on their watch list of terrorist countries. The average Nigerian is being homogenized as a terrorist or a potential one. The already somewhat humiliating process doesn’t suffice, we are now automatically suspected because we are from a terrorist ridden nation.
The Nigerian government has always been and is still an active player in championing anti-terrorism both nationally and within the African continent. The IBB administration movedto stem religious fanaticism by setting up the Karibi- Whyte tribunal under the Justice Donli Commission to try and sentence guilty suspects during the 1983 and 1987 terror incidents thatstarted in Kafanchan and spread to Zaria, Funtua, Malumfashi and Kastina.
The different anti-terrorism bills sponsored by Senator Benjamin Obi, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and late President Umaru Musa Yar-Adua presented to the National Assembly between February 2005, 2006 and 2010 before Yar-Adua passed on, suffered setbacks due to lobbying and party politics, an inherent problem eating into the roots of our democratic system. Where there is no law, there is no sin and no one can be held accountable to his/ her actions. Scary.
We need to mount pressure on our lawmakers to pass efficient, targeted anti-terrorism bills that will empower the pursuit, trial, and swift punishment of people who say no one can have peace.
More importantly, we need to speak up. See evil and keep it to yourself? Infantile terrorism.
We need to be concerned for the place we all call home.