Prof Pius Adesanmi
Dec 15, 2015

It is nearly impossible to determine now what really went down in Zaria. As my son, Mitterand Okorie, points out, too many versions and counter-versions. But this much is certain - and you should know this, irrespective of your religion, ethnicity or party affiliation:

1) Ordinarily, military presence in civilian areas the way we have it in Nigeria is an aberration. Let's make an allowance: things are not normal in the North. It's a war zone, technically.

2) Even where we make this generous allowance, if for any reason, if for any reason, if for any reason, soldiers kill a civilian in a civilian area, an explanation to the country from their Commander-in-Chief becomes obligatory.

3) When one hundred civilians are killed in civilian spaces - even if they were breaking the law - by soldiers, and you do not hear from your President, it is called "criminal silence". In a proper democracy, it could cost him his job at worst or exact a heavy political price from him at best.

On a final note, I am beginning to patently dislike the haughty arrogance of the Buhari Presidency whenever there is loss of lives. And don't nobody give me that canard about how the routine of killings somehow immunizes the Presidency from reacting to every case.

In America, President Obama has an epidemic of mass shootings by American terrorists. The day he fails to address his nation on the occasion of just one mass shooting - because he somehow thinks that there will be Stockholm Syndromed citizens ready to argue that he does not need to address every occasion - he is playing with fire. When your troops kill civilians, you do not leave things to the Army High Command to issue arrogant statements directing the public to go about their normal duties and to report stuff to the police. When did it become in the place of the military to be issuing public directives?

This why Nnamdi Kanu calls you a zoo. Anvbody will pick up the phone and order cash from the Central Bank; Christians and Muslims will just stand up and block roads; soldiers will stand up and mop up civilians and issue inane directives after that; the presidency will not react, knowing that the citizenry lacks enough civic capital to understand that she is owed explanations by her President in such circumstances. How else do you define a zoo?

Note to the Presidency - some of us are multitaskers. That we are following Dasukigate very closely does not mean we are distracted. We can detect how and where you are failing even while monitoring Dasuki.

Tell us what happened in Zaria.

Tell us why one hundred civilians died in the hands of the military.

Announce an inquiry. There may be need to punish some soldiers.

ME: Buhari has always been the same person.