WE MUST ACT BEFORE WE ARE ALL CONSUME:

There is no doubt everybody in Nigeria is a potential victim of ravaging violence that placed us under siege. Whether we are aware is out of the question, because we all have submitted to evil because of sentiments. I say this without apology because when boko haram's campaign of blood letting started in 2010. I alerted on the consequences of ascribing religion to their mission. I recommended dialogue as crucial to engaging the up coming ideological extremism. Also, I called on all faiths to close ranks because we shall all be casualties if we play to the gallery. This was not only rejected but I was called names and referred to as been part of it.

My fear was informed by experiences of such Movements from my research and how it was tackled. Countries that survived extremist arms carrying movements conquered it with diplomacy and dialogue while use of might was reserved as potential monster. Well, the rest is history.
Who is safe in Nigeria of today? May be those who lived in fortified mansions enjoying protection of heavily armed security relocated to them as political leaders or their friends or allies or surrogates or military or other security chiefs etc.

For the little mortals like us we must say our last prayers daily, because surviving a day is quite uncertain.
We are collectively responsible because we dishonestly used religion to escalate it. Some Christians assisted in promoting violence anytime they church was attacked, reprisal is targeted on any available innocent or culpable Muslim. It is believed that boko haram is a Nigerian Muslim agenda to Islamisize the country . Some clergies were front liners in spreading this religious vector of disharmony harmony. Majority of Nigeria Christians keyed into it due to either past experiences or hatred for Islam.

The Muslims on their part did not do much to extricate these misgivings of the Christians, rather there was blanket denials of complicity tinted with suspects. Some Islamic clerics compounded the situation with jihad sermons which referred to non Muslims as infidels subject to boko haram rampage. It was like Muslim leaders were waiting for the gains of extremism if it succeeds in installing an Islamic state. Those few that raised their voices against it paid the supreme prices. Here Mallam Ja'afar stood out to be counted and Mallam Abani recently, may their souls rest in peace.

The political class took advantage of the division between the two major faiths. They aligned themselves strategically with either faiths, widened the gap to keep people permanently divided to entrench misrule. While trading of blames exists between both faiths politicians were engaged in looting public funds in the name of security votes. They have been so heartless with the question of insurgency because non of them or their own has been directly affected. All they did was to rolled out troops stationed them on the high ways to harass and exploit innocent citizens. The presence of the military littered all over Northern states with state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states is not a threat to boko haram at all rather it has strengthen their resolve to fight gallantly.

The Nigerian security outfits has not demonstrated requisite professionalism. Corrupt practices is the success story recorded so far. The manner which some soldiers collect monies at check points explains their failure. The use of unnecessary hold ups created just to facilitate extortion is notorious. Indeed, the conduct of our security men coupled with some of their outbursts is intimidating. A soldier once told a man at the check point in Jos in my presence that, "if I shot you I kill boko haram" meaning so many innocent Nigerians have been wasted by over zealous security men in the name of war against terrorism. Therefore, the success story of the counter terrorist force of killing so many boko haram may be security gimmick since the definition of who is boko haram is subject to the opinion of soldiers. If report of huge success is believable, certainly we would not be having all these heart piercing reports of hundreds of people killed under the watchful eyes of our soldiers.

The security challenge is a big enterprise where billions of tax payers money is spent. The major stakeholders are top security chief, arms contractors and political benefactors. This lucrative enterprise is sustained at the peril of national security. Those benefiting will do anything to justify their fang on the public treasury not minding the consequences. That the insurgency flourish unabated despite huge budgetary allocations is evidence of insincerity of the war against terrorism.
What is happening in the North Eastern parts is lamentable. People are killed daily like flies. Also, the carnages in North central and Southern Kaduna is worrisome. There are pockets of violence spread all over the Southern parts including kidnaping, armed robbery and bunkering. All these are indices of a failed state. A state is said to be failed when it cannot discharge its basic responsibility of protecting lives and properties. Nigeria has fulfilled this requirement.

Now that boko haram has turned their war on fellow Muslims do we still believed that they are fighting a jihad? To covert them from Islam to what? Alternatively, can we mention who are the targets of the jihad, Christians or Muslims? As it is every body is a target and it's fire on the mountain. This is where we were all fooled. We initially undo our selves by playing into the hands of evil, we are all under fear of extermination.

Instead of collaboration against common enemy, we resorted to primordial cleavages against each other, today we are all
casualties. We cannot survive this situation as it is unless we close ranks sincerely to face it. It will be of advantage for our religious and political leaders to restructure their sermons, machinery. Instead of hate, let's preach love, instead of war, peace, instead of corruption, probity, instead of blame game, performance, instead of looting, accountability, instead of bigotry, tolerance and so on.

May the blood of those fallen be the supreme sacrifice for peace, unity and progress of this nation of ours.