It Is Either Boko-Haram Has Already Conquered Nigeria or IPOB’s Crimes Are More Grievous than The Boko-Haram Killings.

By Lucky Okoedion

All over the news, every now and then, we hear of purported killings of members of the proscribed Indiginous People of Biafra (IPOB) who claim to be embarking on peaceful protests to exercise their right to self determination. And at the same time, in this same country Nigeria, and under the same leadership of president Muhammadu Buhari, we hear of rehabilitation, pardon and re-integration into the society for so-called “repentant” Boko-Haram fighters.

Let’s assume we accept that the allegations by the police who purportedly open fire and kill some members of IPOB was true – allegations  that these IPOB members were shot at because their protests were not peaceful, that they are often armed, then we would conclude that what we have on hand with IPOB at worst would be a situation in which we would consider IPOB as a group that could POTENTIALLY escalate to the level of Boko-Haram in terror – a futuristic assumption based on fear or proactiveness on the part of the police and the political leadership of Muhammadu Buhari to which the police is answerable. All in order to avoid allowing IPOB to grow into another Boko-Haram. 

That is the worst case scenario we can imagine for IPOB and it is still all speculative. Whereas in contrast, Boko-Haram is already living out the reality of full-blown terror by killing, burning down whole communities, ambushing and slaughtering Nigerian soldiers and turning their wives into widows and rendering their children fatherless, kidnapping hundreds of Chibok Girls and other girls, raping kids and grown women, butchering countless thousands and turning another hundreds of thousands of Nigerian citizens into refugees in their own country, taking over certian Nigeran territories, hoisting their flag and setting up their own state in those communities, etc. 

Consequently, the larger fraction of the Nigerian population who are educated and thoughtful are finding it difficult to make sense of a situation in which this same Boko-Haram that has caused the country so much damage and whose demands for western Education to be outlawed and for the country to be made an Islamic State cannot be constitutionally granted can get a lenient treatment whereas IPOB whose right to self-determination is constitutional are not being allowed fair hearing, freedom to embark on peaceful protests and possible referendum. 

There is gross scarcity of sane explanations for why a group like IPOB seems to be getting worse treatment from the Muhammadu Buhari led administration than Boko-Haram that has wrecked so much havoc. The only possible sane explanation is to conclude that perhaps the Nigerian government has become battle-weary with Boko-Haram and has thus surrendered, whereas IPOB is considered a lesser “enemy” that can still be conquered. This is the only sane explanation for why a country will be running a rehabilitation and reintegration program for a terrorist group like Boko-Haram while using the “iron-hand” to clamp down on a proscribed secessionist group like IPOB whose agitation can simply be ended through fair hearing and a referendum vote in the region. 

Instead of suspecting that perhaps Boko-Haram has already conquered Nigeria for these to be happening, should we rather assume that the reason for all these is that the Government led by Muhammadu Buhari does not know how secessionist agitations are treated in other parts of the world? 

No one can blame the victims of Boko-Haram who are now in different IDP Camps scattered all over the country for wondering how come Boko-Haram is getting rehabilitation and reintegration whereas people agitating for their right to self-determination are being allegedly shot at and brutalized. 

Again, no one can blame the other local and international observers of happenings in Nigeria for wondering why these things are happening, fearing that perhaps Boko-Haram has conquered Nigeria and infiltrated the government.

But is it remotely justifiable to assume that Boko-Haram may have conquered Nigeria and infiltrated the government, thereby influencing the government and ensuring that the actions of the Government are favourable to them while the government continues to clamp down on groups like IPOB with tougher blows than are being dealt to Boko-Haram? The answer is yes.

Here is a quote from a Premium Times publication of January 8, 2012 to that effect. 

“President Goodluck Jonathan today admitted that members of the extremist Boko Haram sect have succeeded in infiltrating his government, planting its  members in  government agencies and security outfits.

“The president made the assertion during a church service at the National Ecumenical Centre as part of the annual Armed Forces remembrance day celebrations.

“The deadly sect has become Nigeria’s biggest security challenge, operating in an amorphous manner and bombing innocent Nigerians at random, even in churches and mosques.

“Government has so far been unable to contain the sect, halt its deadly activities and arrest what appears a slide to anarchy.

“An obviously helpless Mr. Jonathan said he believed Boko Haram had sympathisers in government, national assembly and even security agencies.

“He lamented that the Boko Haram threat was becoming worse than the Nigerian civil war in which over a million people were killed.

“During the civil war, we knew and we could even predict where the enemy was coming from,” the President said. “You can even know the route they are coming from, you can even know what calibre of weapon they will use and so on.”

“He described the Boko Haram sect as mysterious, saying some people in the North had told him it was  possible their children belong to the sect without them knowing about it.

“Some continue to dip their hands and eat with you and you won’t even know the person who will point a gun at you or plant a bomb behind your house,” Mr Jonathan added.”

Here is another excerpt from an August 11, 2020 publication by Punch News, making it clear further that it is possible to fear that perhaps Boko-Haram has conquered Nigeria:

A former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Obadiah Mailafia, says repentant terrorists revealed that a serving northern governor is a Boko Haram leader.

Mailafia said this on ‘Morning Crossfire’ programme on Nigeria Info Abuja 95.1FM on Monday.

The former CBN deputy governor said he had a chat with two repentant terrorists who identified the northern governor.

He said the terrorists and bandits were one and the same.

Mailafia, who was the Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress in the last election, said the terrorists moved weapons even during the lockdown caused by the COVID-19.

He said, “Some of us also have our intelligence networks. I have met with some of the bandits; we have met with some of their high commanders – one or two who have repented – they have sat down with us not once, not twice.

“They told us that one of the northern governors is the commander of Boko Haram in Nigeria. Boko Haram and the bandits are one and the same. They have a sophisticated network. During this lockdown their planes were moving up and down as if there was no lockdown.

“They were moving ammunition, moving money, and distributing them across different parts of the country.”

To this end, we hereby call on president Muhammadu Buhari to investigate allegations of the fatal treatment of IPOB agitators and quickly call the police to order if the findings of the investigations require that. More urgent, the president has to wade in to douse the fears of Nigerians who are beginning to wonder why Boko-Haram fighters are enjoying rehabilitation and reintegration whereas their victims are still suffering in IDP Camps and peaceful protesters are being purportedly brutalized by security agencies under his command. The president has to wade in to help clear these allegations that make us fear that perhaps Boko-Haram has conquered and infiltrated the government.

Lucky Okoedion is a believer of a new Nigeria where true democracy and effective governance is practiced. He writes from Benin City. And can be reached on +2347038820118 .