₦airaland Forum

Domestic riots in Nigeria are lethal. Each successive one is a new baseline on the fatalities and losses. We have gone from using machette to injure and kill to using axe to decapitate and amputate, soaking with fuel and setting bodies ablaze to planting bombs and shredding the bodies to pieces, we've gone from firing MarkVIII rifles to spraying AK47 automatic. Now we for the first time we have suicide bombers and IEDs that will shred through the fortified security of an armored personnel carrier and mangle its reinfoced metal structure with the flesh and bone of the occupants, leaving nothing but a useless, irrecoverable debris of metal and wires.   We have gone from a stern and dominating Army feared by all to an Army that is chased and intimidated, mocked by all.

So pay attention:

1. Do you believe we will experience another riot after this one by BokoHaram?

2. Do you know where will erupt next?

3. Is it possible to have multiple riots running simultaneously in same region and or in different regions all at same time?

4. In situations (1) and (3) what will you do?


5. Judging by the tactics of BH, is the next one likely to be as bad or worse with new and more dreaded baselines?

6. Have you ever been a victim of inter-ethnic riot?

7. Whether you answered yes or no to (6), if you were caught in a riot today do you know what to do to stay safe and alive?

8. If (7) is yes, do you have a handy list?  If (7) is no, do you need help making a list?

9. If you know what to do for safety and survival, have you trained or share the knowledge with every member of your household?

10. Depending on what time of day or night and the severity of the emergency you might not have access to bank, do you have an evacuation kit which includes a safe deposit containing reserved cash?

11. Are you staying or will you be leaving town?

12. If you are leaving and an employee, call your job or boss and report out on emergency. If you are self-employed and will be leaving, take your inventory list and ledgers if they are not already electronically filed, shut down business, call insurance (if you have one) and report emergency.

13. Do you have a vehicle?

14. Are there designated evacuation routes in the city? If not map your own get-away route and rehearse it with family members.

15. Are there designated emergency holding areas on the outskirts? If not create your own.

+ in a spontaneous riot, travelling 200miles or more to evacuate might not be necessary is hotels or friendly but discrete accomodations can be found within 100 miles and there is no danger of attack. Such midways should serve as good holding area. If the riot spreads and security is at risk, abandon hold and move further out another 100miles or return to your native land completely+

16. If you will be riding public transportation, create a proactive safetynet out of town.

+draw a proactive agreement soliciting inclusion of others in same shoe and approach a bus operator or company with the contract for priority bus or lorry reservation out of town in a case of riot or other emergencies, man made or natural+

17. Have you ever been a victim of direct physical assault or attack in an inter-ethnic riot? Has anyone in your household?

18. Have you ever lost an investment property to inter-ethnic riot? Has anyone in your household?

19. Have you ever lost anyone to a inter-ethnic riot post 1975? Has anyone in your household?

20. If (17), (18) and (19) are true, will you be willing to repeat the experience?

21. If (17), (18) and (19) are not true or applicable, do you understand the risks and the impacts of an inter-ethnic riot?

22. Nigeria so far has witnessed four different types of violence. No violence should be tolerable but they are not inevitable wherever mankind sets camp. Pick the two you can tolerate and the two you cannot tolerate.  

Coup (military vs military

War (military+civilian vs military+civilian)

Intra-Ethnic riot

Inter-Ethnic riot.

23. As the BokoHaram war escalates and government yield to their demands do you know that it will spur other nationalist groups like MEND to aspire for similar goals?

+such an imbalance in which the powers and role of the  government is eroded in default to the agenda of a regional movement creates a new awareness in which the country generally could erupt into multiple rebellions and at which an already weakened center, not knowing what to do, may ultimate collapse in a disorderly, chaotic and complete confusion of who is in power and where is the power - the SOMALIA case+

24. What is your preference?

An orderly coordinated dissolution.

A dismissed authority that erupts into national chaos and possibly inter-ethnic massacres on a very large and broad case.