₦airaland Forum

A dangerous trend has been playing out for a while now and it has reared its ugly head all over again. Several Northerners including politicians and Islamic religious leaders have compared Boko Haram to MEND who "enjoy" the government's amnesty. It was only recently that the president's "I will treat them in the language that they understand" was taken as a genocidal threat towards Igbos since it was spoken within the context of IPOB, Igbos and the South East.

Ironically, the president's body language toward herdsmen, bandits and Boko Haram is totally the opposite when juxtaposed with that of the IPOB. Several times, the president did nothing but issued warnings to these groups. Examples can be seen below:

1. Buhari to bandits: Your menace’ll be addressed soon
2. Buhari warns on killings by bandits in Zamfara
3. Nigeria’s Buhari Warns Rising Banditry a Threat to Food Security
4. Stop pushing me, I can crush you all – Buhari to bandits
5. Buhari warns bandits to stop kidnapping, killing poor people
6. You Are Not Powerful Than My Govt, Buhari Warns Bandits

The list of warnings the president issued to bandits in the space of 4 months is well over 20—despite killing defenceless Nigerians and even men of the Nigerian army. It was almost a case of a powerless president against a mighty insurgence.

About three weeks ago, bandits shot down a military jet in Zamafara with the pilot barely escaping. That, ideally, is an act of war but as usual, nothing was heard from the government. Everyone pretended and looked on like it was the new normal.

Sheikh Gumi and Isa Pantami have all spoken in defence of Boko Haram and banditry respectively. Old but indicting recordings released months ago had Pantami weeping passionately during an Islamic lecture that then government was killing their brothers (Boko Haram) like pigs (sic) and even called for the need to defend them. It was old and Pantami was supposedly young and ignorant at the time according to excuses.

In 2020, the Senate Committee rejected the rehabilitation of repentant Boko Haram members but the government rehabilitated them regardless while some Northerners likened them to MEND. They were soon released into society after being 'deradicalised' but it wasn't long before they went back to their old ways. As if we have not learnt a thing, the military lately, has been claiming that its recent offensive approach against insurgency has resulted in massive resignation of members of ISWAP and Boko Haram from their groups. What's interesting is that these unlearned individuals strategically held cardboards with various inscriptions.

https://i1.wp.com/www.naija247news.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/5E273B48-09E0-4972-8AF1-55075B72E42A.png?fit=1008567&ssl=1

1. Do we need to ask who wrote those inscriptions on cardboard for them?
2. Should we ask how they got markers and cardboards to write assuming they are formally educated?
3. What happens tomorrow when they relapse again if they don't get their regular supply of guns, drugs and young girls to rape and sleep with?
4. Are we to bank on their deradicalisation and believe those in charge mean well?
5. Why is the military allowing these groups to surrender instead of taking them out?
6. This is not an attempt at whataboutism but why treat Sunday Igboho as an enemy of the State when ISWAP and Boko Haram have crippled activities in Northern Nigeria for nearly a decade?
7. Why not treat ISWAP and Boko Haram equally as IPOB and the ESN are currently being treated?

You guys lose your arguments when you make statements like "president's body language toward herdsmen, bandits and Boko Haram is totally the opposite when juxtaposed with that of the IPOB."

The government has been bombing and killing Boko Haram fighters and bandits on a regular basis. Herdsmen is a separate issue and they have not done enough to deal whit this group of killers and everybody is in agreement. But lets not mix facts with untruths. It doesn't help matters.

The repentometer of our government only guages muslims accurately. Since ipobic religion doesn't feature in constitution, the repentometer cannot work on infidels. OP take your time or you will be discovered with an IPOB flag.

amc:
You guys lose your arguments when you make statements like "president's body language toward herdsmen, bandits and Boko Haram is totally the opposite when juxtaposed with that of the IPOB."

The government has been bombing and killing Boko Haram fighters and bandits on a regular basis. Herdsmen is a separate issue and they have not done enough to deal whit this group of killers and everybody is in agreement. But lets not mix facts with untruths. It doesn't help matters.

Those news of bombardments are just news and nothing more
If not, why will they glamourize IPOB that's tagged a terrorist group and not glanourize successes against another terrorist group?
Use your kidney.

CodeTemplar:
Those news of bombardments are just news and nothing more
If not, why will they glamourize IPOB that's tagged a terrorist group and not glanourize successes against another terrorist group?
Use your kidney.

You can choose to believe what suits your agenda. If you beleive Boko Haram and Bandits are not being killed, that's your problem. It doesn't change the FACT!

amc:
You can choose to believe what suits your agenda. If you beleive Boko Haram and Bandits are not being killed, that's your problem. It doesn't change the FACT!

Even your moniker is like BMC with a slight typo...so mine isn't a fact and it is your audio assault news that contradicts other news that's a fact.

CodeTemplar:
Even your moniker is like BMC with a slight typo...so mine isn't a fact and it is your audio assault news that contradicts other news that's a fact.

Like I said, you can believe what you want to believe. It doesn't change the FACT. The same way IPOBians and their supporters are complaining about government attacks, is the same way bandits and their supporters are complaining. As long as all enemies of state are being dealt with in the language that they understand, its all cushty. The only one I am not happy about is the treatment of Herdsmen killers.

Bombardment of bandits responsible for rise in Kaduna killings, abductions —Gumi
https://punchng.com/bombardment-of-bandits-responsible-for-rise-in-kaduna-killings-abductions-gumi/