On November 28 2014, Boko Haram
killed 100+ people in Nigeria while ISIL
killed 150 others in Iraq on the same day
– these two sects are now the two
deadliest terror groups around the world –
both worse than Al-Qaeda yet the US/UN/
Allied Forces keep pretending as though
they are not aware of what is going on in
Nigeria rather choosing to play the
Politics We don’t care as they did
with Rwanda. The US is now spending
billions of dollars to fight ISIL while it
suggests to the world that “ we can’t sell
vital ammo and would not have our
partners do likewise to Nigeria because
of report human right abuses by its
military.”
Yet this is the same military that the US
and other nations had in the past
commended for helping the world
experience more peace as Nigeria spent
billions of dollars and human lives
embarking on many peace missions
around the world – even at times that the
US and others turned its back on one of its
former colonies – Liberia – now that
Nigeria needs the US and the world, they
are choosing to play the politics of we
prefer certain section of Nigeria to rule
the nation so as to maintain a certain
equilibrium in the nation and would
rather turn a blind eye to the loss of lives
going on daily in Nigeria while its media
daily focuses on ISIL.
Well, it should be remembered that Peace
in one part of the world is peace for all
other nations – while the US continues to
suggest that “ISIL is a threat to the
Homeland” they conveniently forget that
ISIL must have links with Boko Haram –
and can choose to carry out such threats
recruiting soldiers from Boko Haram to do
so.
Then this certain conspiracy against
Nigeria gets worse – the US is equally
ready to drone Al-Shabaab targets, killing
its leader among many others in a recent
operations against the sect yet refuses to
share intelligence with Nigeria because
“it is not comfortable with the perceived
corruption in the Nigeria Army” yet we
are all living witnesses to how this same
US under Barack Obama killed Osama bin
Laden without sharing intelligence with
the Pakistani government and ISI; why
then can they not do likewise with
Shekau and his soldiers?
The US has equally stood by as many of
its prominent citizens carried the
#BringBackOurGirls banner all over the
place – further suggesting to the world
that “Nigeria is currently being ran by a
heartless government led by Goodluck
Jonathan that cares little for these girls
but is rather desperately seeking re-
election in 2015″ – this propaganda they
seem very willing to buy from the
Nigerian opposition party – and its other
loud associates within the Nigerian Civil
Society many of whom who live in the
US.
In the last couple of weeks, ISIL has
moved on to behead Japanese Citizens;
burnt alive a Jordanian pilot; all of these
done in the full glare of the world – with
videos posted to show off their
wickedness – and we have seen the same
Nigerians that seem to provide moral
support to the Boko Haram sect [all
because they oppose the incumbent
President] express disgust with such
atrocities – these they keep doing as the
pretend as though they are not aware that
Boko Haram employs the same tactics of
absolute evil against Nigerians as ISIL
does in the Middle East – suggesting that
they stand with the people of the Middle
Belt and others against ISIL but stand
against the Nigerian nation versus Boko
Haram – really sad, indeed.
History would appropriately document
the actions of The White House on this
saga as it has began to when when Hillary
Clinton was only recently called out for
her U.S. Department of State’s neglect of
the Boko Haram threat while she was in
office – look out for more of that as the
2016 US elections comes closer.
But it is not too late for the US to review
its approach towards Nigeria – one that
has become an open secret especially with
the war of words currently going on
between the US Ambassador to Nigeria
and the Nigerian Ambassador to the US –
the US should take up again its global
responsibility towards the peace of the
world – without choosing when to act and
when not to by supporting Nigeria in
countering Boko Haram and it can always
find useful ways to cooperate with Aso
Rock rather than always finding faults
with it.
It is also not too late for Nigerians at
home – and especially those abroad to
pressure the US, UN, and Allied Nations
to act against Boko Haram as they are
currently doing with ISIL – there should
be no gain with seeking political capital
against your own nation as the Terrorism
that you decry elsewhere is threatening to
wreck your own nation.
[Note: I sent in this article to New York
Post on November 29th 2014 but they
chsoe not to publish only for me to notice
that on December 11th, 2014, they had
gone on to publish this another article
completely similar to mine – so I equally
urge you to read – http://
www.nytimes.com/
interactive/2014/12/11/world/africa/
boko-haram-nigeria-maps.html]
Favour B. Afolabi, lives in Lagos,
Nigeria and is founder and principal
consultant at Online Republic
Media. @favourafolabi