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Mynd44 Lalasticlala

It should be about eight months now, since this group came into existence. The "Unknown Gunmen" or "UGM" as they are called, have operated throughout Nigeria's south-eastern region, killing at least 60 people, mostly federal security agents, attracting the attention of Nigerians at home and even in diaspora, as they watch the new "menace". That's why I'm writing this. Logically they should be a menace, but with substantial local support for their actions, there must then be some good about them, or rather perceived good about them.

First of all, who are the gunmen. There are lots of opinions and speculations on their real identity, some realistic, some hilarious and some simply uninformed. There are those who call them the IPOB armed wing, Eastern Security Network (ESN). Some others call them state actors in disguise, working to destabilize local support for the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB). Another set are convinced they are simply hired gunmen and assassinators and hooligans, with no definite political aim. But what if all are wrong?

In my opinion, there is a missing piece in the puzzle, and this is it. Radicalism, Fundamentalism, Ethnic Nationalism and Propaganda. I called them "a' missing piece because in a broad sense they are one. Preach a movement to a set of people with a Utopian Republic as the end goal, then preach their hindrances to it. Finally, sit back to watch how that particular set of people would do everything to get there, without thinking, provided they are not adequately educated. The hindrance then becomes a sworn enemy.

This strategy has worked like a law of physics throughout world history. From Religion to Politics. Take for example, Radical Islam, Nazi Germany, Iranian Revolution, Rwandan Genocide, US Capitol Insurrection, Taliban Resurgence. etc. It has destroyed independent states and led to the deaths of millions. A ordinary local who has been conditioned to believe that he will achieve good, will happily commit evil, even when he was not explicitly told to do so. Because he believes it will lead to a utilitarian goal in the end. Others of like minds will cheer him up as they may not be courageous enough to carry out the acts.

Never underestimate the power of Public Conformity, as humans are living animals. Propaganda grows in a geometric progression, because people jump into a bandwagon simply because others they saw have done so. Before you know it, things spiral out of control, as millions of people now believe in one thing. Now I must say here that the entire people may not believe exactly the same thing with a common level of radicalism. The degree to which an individual can be brainwashed depends on his education, social status and natural intelligence.

So who are the gunmen. Simply put, they are young men who have been conditioned to believe in the "Paradise" of Biafra, and have taken up arms to achieve it in their own way, even though it goes against the standards of IPOB's weak leadership structure. Probably, they believe it is better than the usual IPOB's arguably peaceful approach. They may have shot prominent people in the process, but that could be more of a coincidence and government resemblance rather than the work of hired assassins. An opinion of a state plot makes no logical sense. Lastly, to call them ESN or not is debatable.

Faithful007.
No insults, tribal banters or unnecessary comments please.

Sometimes based on preference a cooked rice will not have curry or nutmeg or what have you but that doesn’t make it concoction; it’s still jollof.
Half truth is no truth.

Ma gee
It is well.....

UGM in the East was created the day Buhari ordered his terrorist soldiers to kill the igbos in Igbo land.....

But people don't want to listen to the truth....
Igbos now see police and soldiers as there enemies....

Truth is bitter....

We have ESN whose duty is to protect the Igbo Nation from Fulani marauding killers of this terrorist Regime.

While ESN have done marvelously well and the people see them as their savior and always hailing them.

The government have employed the services of killer squad who move from place to place killing IGBOs and stamping the killings on Igbos to instigate the IGBOs to hate them.

That is their strategy, that udele aka oyigboupdate aka ijelespeaks is their camera man.
He is always with them everywhere with camera recording all the killings
DSS has refused to pick him up because is IGBOs they are killing.