FEATURE ARTICLE

E O EkeSunday, September 7, 2014
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MR PRESIDENT, I BEG TO DIFFER ON NIGERIA HIDDEN WAR ON TERROR

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https://www.channel4.com/news/nigerias-hidden-war-channel-4-dispatches-video

his is the title of a documentary by British Independent Television channel 4 on how the Nigerian army is conducting the war on terror.

Predictably, instead of the government using it as opportunity to thoroughly examine the strategy, and the way and manner the army is carrying out this war, it has opted for denial, obfuscation appeal to unthinking support and blind patriotism. Meanwhile, Boko Haram continues to terrorise the people, win the propaganda war, and control more territories.

There is no doubt that Nigerian army deserves the support of every Nigerian in its effort to defeat Islamic insurgency and the people have given support in good measure. But, what should be unacceptable and indefensible is the army's resort to collective punishment, abuse and attack on innocent people and torture and summary execution of suspects. The army has been accused of committing similar atrocities in other areas of the country is has been sent to quell insurrection. Nigerian army committed war crimes during the Nigerian war for which people like Muritala Mohammed and Obasanjo should have been held accountable, if Igbos have honest and purposeful leadership.

Nigerians cannot ignore these atrocities and retain any iota of respect from the international community. We have to figure out what the right responses should be, in the face of the evidence that those who we have sent to fight terror are under equipped and themselves terrorising innocent people and committing unspeakable atrocities.

There is no doubt that some Nigerian soldiers are paying the ultimate price in the war against terror and many more will, until the war is won. The duty of the government should be to make sure that they have all the equipment they need and that they do not die in vain, by continuing the war and caring for the families and loved ones of fallen soldiers. Therefore, the need for all Nigerians to give the soldiers who are going about this war in the moral way possible all the support they need, cannot be over emphasised.

However, when one reads and sees evidence of war crimes committed by some very undeserving elements in the Nigerian army, who should not be wearing the Nigerian army uniform and carrying arms on behalf of the state because of their attitude, behaviour and psychopathic personality, one cannot but condemn them and urge the government to sanitise the army by bringing them to justice.

Therefore, for anybody to suggest as the Nigerian presidency has suggested, that patriotic Nigerian citizens criticising the activities of undesirable elements in the Nigerian army, in any shape or form are undermining the war on terror, is both preposterous and unhelpful to the aim of defeating sectarian terrorism in Nigeria and turns logic and common sense on their heads.

This is the same attitude that has allowed corruption impunity to fester in Nigeria. The same attitude that makes a president to refuse to declare his assets and undermine the foundation of probity and accountability in the country. It is the same mind-set that makes the president to pardone those convicted of looting the state treasury, differ to them and place personal friendship and loyalty to them over and above the interest of the country. Yes, it is the same pattern of thinking that makes the president to keep quiet about the endemic corruption, impunity, abuse of power, and due process that permeates, the police, army, customs and other security organisation.

It is really a tragedy that fundamental human rights seems to mean very little to the president of Nigeria. I am lost for words, that criminal elements in the Nigerian, army beating, torturing and murdering innocent citizens, falsely accusing them of being members of Boko Haram are acceptable to the Nigerian president and his government. Does it then mean that the Nigerian president, in spite of all his religious prostration has no conscience and his mind unaffected, when the innocent suffer and men abuse their power to defend the weak, to plunder and oppress them?

I thought that the changel 4 report would have compelled the president, his ministers and advisers to review the way the security forces are prosecuting this war to ensure that war crimes, which human rights organisations and individuals may be minded to prosecute them later, are not being commuted under their watch. Instead, the president has reverted true to type. His reaction and attitude to say the least is tragic.

The targeting of patriotic Nigerians because they are against corruption, defend human rights and fight for civil values, by the Jonathan Administration is not only a betrayal of his Christian values, but an act of political terrorism against Nigerians.

This may give credence to the belief by some that The route to power in countries like Nigeria, is such that only people with predilection for criminality and psychopathy often get there. Sadly,history and what is happening in a Nigeria today seems to support it.

How can any human being watch this video and not be touched that human beings are treated in such inhuman and medieval barbaric ways by people who have been assigned to protect them. How can a democratic government justify impunity and summary execution of suspects? How can a government turn a blind eye, when its citizens are being abused by the security forced and still believe that it has the moral right to lead? Why should the government turn a blind eye to these abuses because the victims are northerners. When the atrocities was committed in South and East, the government then , headed by northerners kept quiet. It was wrong then, it is wrong now.

It is not enough to say, now, they should test what my people tested. No one or people should test cruelty, abuses and wanton violation of their human rights and dignity.

The right cause of action would be for the government to hold the soldiers responsible for these atrocities accountable and remove them from the Nigerian army to save the image of Nigeria and her security agencies. People like them should have no place in the Nigerian army and the country will never win the war on terror with soldiers like them. They are a disgrace to the army and a Liability to the country and they should be expelled from army to begin to address this serious culture of impunity and abuse of power in Nigerian security forces.

Nigeria needs many years to evolve into a civil society, where the rule of law, civility , justice as fairness, equality and individual liberty reign supreme. The behaviour of the soldiers in this documentary will not help this process. Nigerian government should stand on the side of rule of law, justice, due process and fundamental human rights no matter the barbarity of her opponents.

Mr president, power is abused, when it is used to defend evil and protect those who find justification to behave in the ways and manner the Nigerian soldiers involved in this atrocities behave. It is happening in your watch and the buck stops with you.

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