The Jos pogrom is a barbaric act and it hastens the fact that Nigeria needs a sovereign national conference or a referendum to determine its future with the continuous bloodbath.Ethnic tensions, which led to the pogrom of May 1966 against Southerners predominantly Igbos in Northern Nigeria, were significant straws that led to the Nigerian civil war of 6 July – 15 January 1970. The pogroms were still repeated in July and September of 1966.

That civil war caused the estimated death of over 1 million Nigerians. Presently, the Boko Haram sponsors have pushed Nigeria to the threshold that led to that civil war. Boko Haram has increased ethnic tensions and has been continuously conducting a systematic pogrom against Christians and churches in Northern Nigeria, which is the more reason why Nigerians need a sovereign national conference or a referendum instead of conducting another election that may lead to more bombings and genocide.

While people argue over the right and wrong of the violence in the North, Boko Haram is rushing like a whirlwind to wipe the North of every Christian, of every Southerner and every Muslim in the opposition before the 2015 elections.

What is pogrom? Is pogrom not planned killing? Is pogrom not the killing of a large number of people? Boko Haram has killed over 1,500 people since 2010. And deaths from churches have accounted for over 400 alone right from December 2010 Christmas bombings that killed over 80 people to December 2011 bombings that killed over 37 people to July 17 that has killed tens of people.

A pogrom is ongoing. We cannot pretend not to know. We can no longer turn our face or pretend that all is well. We can no longer feel safe in our pretence because those who have died at once felt safe too. There is no safety in pretence and there is no pretence in death.

Time is running out. What is silence if it will lead to a man’s death? What is silence if it will lead to the destruction of one’s brothers and kindred? Nigeria needs a sovereign national conference or a referendum to determine its future instead of planning for the 2015 elections that may cause more genocide of burning to death of children and innocent Nigerians by Nigerians.

As of today, the sponsors of Boko Haram are Nigerians. The suicide bombers are Nigerians. The actors and directors live in Nigeria. The victims are Nigerians. Property being destroyed all belong to Nigerians. Is being a Nigerian now a curse? Is being a Nigerian now a route to death or a deathly route of horror? O! Why should a Nigerian become a prey to another Nigerian in Nigeria? O! Is politics more important than the life of a Nigerian?

In fact, the International Criminal Court should investigate the Nigerian civil war and declare an arrest warrant on the leaders of the Federal troops that caused the starvation and death of hundreds of thousands of Igbos. Some of the commanders of those Federal troops are still alive. That was pure pogrom. It’s because such daring evils have not been treated that is why a repeat is at hand.

The ongoing killings have nothing to do with Goodluck Jonathan as a person. It is a clear preparation for 2015 elections. But should Southerners and Christians be killed and sacrificed as baboons and dogs? Should all Christians be killed in the North in the name of Boko Haram? This is the time for Nigerians to come together and decide how we can live in Nigeria

Efemena Agadama, Poet, playwright and activist wrote in from London
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GOOGLE WAS RIGHT INSTEAD......

in fact, the International Criminal Court should investigate the Nigerian civil war and declare an arrest warrant on the leaders of the Federal troops that caused the starvation and death of hundreds of thousands of Igbos. Some of the commanders of those Federal troops are still alive. That was pure pogrom. It’s because such daring evils have not been treated that is why a repeat is at hand.
GBAM JUST THAT SOME OF THE CRIMINALS THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE CRIME ARE DEAD SUCH UNFORTUNATE

In aburi we stand. SNC is what we need.