It was in the early hours of the morning, when sleep is most pleasurable both for the rich and the poor; both for those who have the privilege of descent accommodation and those squatting in uncompleted buildings, makeshift structure and other detention facilities in the Federal Capital Territory. Yes, we all deserve to rest well because some persons have been paid to keep watch over the night however dark it may be; and no one including the law enforcement agencies have the audacity to disrupt this privilege except on very extreme situations as permitted by the Constitution.

Unfortunately for us in the vicinity of the Apo Legislative Quarters, the early morning of 20th September, 2013 is one of such extreme dawn. In a grand display of dexterity like what we watched in Sylvester Stallone’s movie – The Expendables, about 2am, the guns began to blare in the most unfriendly manner. I held my breath in my bed in frenzy, clasping my wife I reached for my three (3) months old daughter in the cuddle. At this time you could feel the trauma in my two (2) bedroom apartment. Never a time had I felt our world would come to an end like that morning? My wife and I whispered our last prayer and committed our souls into the hands of our creator, confessing our sins and forgiving all those that hate us and those we so passionately dislike as well. Indeed, we were dead spirit soul and body. And as God would have it, when the day eventually broke, my household was still alive, that itself I consider to be a miracle.

As early as 6am, I came out of my house, talking with my neighbors; the details of the horrible incident began to filter in. It was armed robbery we heard; others blamed it on cultists, yet the name of our Achilles Heels – Boko Haram was loudest of them all. At this time tension had began to mount. My immediate response was to relocate my wife and daughter to my Mother-in-law’s House in Wuse II.

On returning to my residence, a mini protest had begun. Officers and men of the Nigerian Police littered my street, trying to calm angry protesters, and as usual under the circumstance, harassing and molesting innocent Nigerians. I was one of such innocent Nigerian who was detained briefly in front of my house and asked some of the silliest questions; one of which was to explain what I know about the shooting and killings on my street – hmm, how insensitive and how inconsiderate.

This group of visibly angry corps led by a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) acted in the most unprofessional manner almost made me a scapegoat and prime suspect of an incidence that practically “consumed” my whole family. Well, I advised myself to be calm in the face of the irritation and answer their incoherent questions in the best way possible, at least to secure my release before I am posted to one of their detention facilities and charged to court as the prime suspect in the gun attack; wisdom they say is profitable to direct.

It is armed robbers, no cultists, no they were Boko Haram insurgents dressed in army uniforms that attacked – even as at 11am, these were the opinions in my street, the social media and online platforms. The Police continued to act confused, refusing to give any plausible explanation(s) to what had transpired. This was the limbo until the Spokesperson of the SSS; Mrs. Marilyn Ogah led some journalists and other fierce looking security men and women including soldiers to the scene.

My curiosity took me close to where the rowdy crowds were gathered, and I heard Ogah saying that it was a joint security operation involving the army and the SSS launched against members of an emerging cell of the Boko Haram in Abuja. Well, my first reaction was, “….hmm, so me and Boko Haram they share fence”. You may not understand, but I was dead in two seconds. So just a stroll across my fence, and am dead or amputated for life – How close to death we could be some times, and God in his mercies saved us”. I never heard any other statement the Madam made.


The assertion was serious and weighty on me and every other Nigerian who heard her. Although it gave us a clue into what transpired, OGAH’s position has continued to generate severe reactions across the country. One of such reactions of interest is the position of “My Friends” in the Nigerian Police Force (NPF). As is evidenced from the SSS account, the Police were not involved in the operation.
So, could it be that sentiments would have influenced their claim that they would probe the SSS over the incident? Does this posture support a recent statement credited to Mr. President that there is deep-seated rivalry amongst the security services? Why will the SSS choose to collaborate with the army and not the Police whose statutory responsibilities are more civil in nature? Why won’t the Police reach out to a sister agency behind close-doors to iron out grey areas, and give Nigerians a common picture? I find these posers extremely appalling. Please we beg the Police, SSS and Army to synergize more closely, interact more frequently, and address the discordant tones in the media – having another Episode in the similitude of the Oyerinde Saga will not do Nigerians any good.

But while the controversies over the Apo incident raged, news filtered in that Boko Haram had killed 34 motorists in Limanti village along Biu – Maiduguri highway in Borno State. Those killed included innocent Nigerians who were on their way to the Holy Land for the 2013 Hajj exercise. How malicious, how vile, how despicable is the Boko Haram becoming. Indeed the insurgent group has since gotten it most desired international outlook, collaborating with Al-Qaeda, Al-Shabab and other terrorist groups to wreck havoc in various parts of the world.

In a recent threat issued by Al-Qaeda Leader, Ayyman Mohammed AL-Zawahiri, America and Jewish interests in Africa have become targets for fresh attacks. He specifically claimed that the various cells of Al-Qaeda in Africa have been notified and directed to this effect. It therefore calls to question if there is a correlation between the hostage-taking incident at the Westgate Mall and the Apo attack? If Westgate was the target for Al-Shabab, an Al-Qaeda affiliate, was Shoprite located within Apo also marked for attack by the Boko Haram? The proximity of Shoprite, an international brand to my area where the incidence occurred, makes me believe that the Boko Haram planned to strike in Abuja in a systematic manner as Al-Shabab did in Nairobi Kenya. Why is the SSS, and Army keeping mute on this aspect of the story?
I thought I was the only one with this opinion, until I watched Gbenga Aruleba on Focus Nigeria last Monday, when he strongly related the hostage taking incident in Kenya to the Apo Legislative Quarters’ attack. I completely subscribed to his line of arguments which points to facts that the correlation may be true after all. Imagine the trauma and devastation Nigerians may have gone through over last weekend. Imagine news about Nigeria being littered for the wrong reasons on various media platforms both home and abroad. I think God delivered us from a very horrible plot, and we must come together and give him thanks, rather than politicizing the whole issue.

Talking about politicizing the issue, some of my Northern brothers and their co-travelers should stop making political gains of the Apo incidence. It has nothing to do with the New or Old PDP. They claimed that the incident does not have any connection with the Boko Haram. For me, such misguided statements only support insinuations that some notable elements are sponsors of the Boko Haram, since they know who those disreputable terrorist elements are. After all, one of them stated in 2011 that he will make Nigeria ungovernable for President Goodluck Jonathan, and obviously through the Boko Haram.

In all, I speak as one with a major experience of that devastating morning; I didn’t read it in the news but had a firsthand experience. As the Kenyan Government in collaboration with Israeli Commandoes struggle to rescue what is left of the hostages, I want us to look closely and thank God that the Federal Capital Territory did not fall into the hands of those agents of evil, called the Boko Haram.

Our beloved Country Nigeria, shall Overcome.

Musa Ibrahim

Apo Legislative Quarters,

Abuja.

musaibrahim2001@gmail.com


http://dailypost.com.ng/2013/09/24/musa-ibrahim-apo-killing-kenya-attacks-and-what-they-did-not-tell-us/

OHHHHHHHHHH!
WE SHALL OVERCOME!

PPLE STILL BELIEVE ITS ISLAM'S FAULT NOT KNOWING ITS WHAT THE AMERICA AND ALLIES WANTED IT TO LOOK LIKE.

This is a very interesting story, just like a movie with a lot of sense, i read it carefully it gave me an insight on how danger is starring at us, lessons learnt by me, terrorists are not sleeping, they may be around us planning evil to finish, God dey oh, thank God for the intervention of the Army and SSS if not we would have been mourning like the Kenyans by now...God bless and keep Nigeria

I love this analogy,
We are getting there

This is the real story from an eye witness. The analogy involving alqaeda terrorists is also an eye opener. I think those bringing sentiment into the issue can now rest. We must jointly flush terrrorism out of our country

Hembelembe (how does this concern us)

dtemidare: Hembelembe (how does this concern us)

I guess u must be from Jupiter, open ur eyes and see reality.

we must learn to tell ourselves the truth that we Nigerians never take things serious, it was after the Kenya mall attack that Nigerians on social media and newspaper online platforms started crying out asking the Government (security agencies) to increase security at supermarkets and other commercial places to prevent such an attack from taken place.

Take a look at the uncompleted building and its proximity to shop rite, Apo Mechanic village were the ibos are, the legislative qrts and estates around were the rich and mighty live. what if there was an attack at these places? what questions would we have been asking? that the govt is not doing anything.

we better start helping ourselves, nobody will make Nigeria better it is you and i.