Killings in the name of religion

[Richard Akindele]

The likes of Maitama Sule, Sultan Dasuki, Sultan Maccido, Atiku Abubakar, Ibrahim Babangida, Mohammadu Buhari, Shehu Shagari, Adamu Ciroma, Abba Kyari, Ghali Na’Abba, Masari, Dantata, Mai Deribe, Umaru Dikko, Gidado Idris, Sani Sammi, etc. too many to mention. These are all men of peace and perceived leaders of the North, yet they keep quiet, they do nothing while this continues; not even to be at the forefront of educating their people and reminding them that (Quran 8:16) enjoins Muslims “to seek peace with those who seek peace with them and trust in Allah for He is the one that heareth and knoweth all things�.

At the burial of my relatives killed in Maiduguri (for nothing), an uncle said by the graveside "when Atiku and Babangida and others come here or send people to ask for our vote, you all should ask them where they were when our sons and daughters were murdered as they do almost every year; ask them. Ask them O". And he burst into tears again. Think about that scene –– all you aspirants to Aso Rock. Imagine his pain. Two of those boys kept him alive. My suggestion? These perceived Northern leaders should either directly or through their representatives in the National Assembly, sponsor a bill for deliberation and passing into Law that (a) Any state where these killings occur again would pay N20million to the families of every person killed and N10million to those wounded and N15million to anyone whose shop or property was looted as a result. (b) The State Commissioner of Police would lose his job forthwith. (c) The state head of security service should be jailed –– except they both can prove that they reported to the appropriate quarters before the mayhem and nothing was done. The officer they reported to (if they did) must be sacked, tried for murder and punished accordingly. The states and their executives must be made to feel some loss. The security operatives must be made to feel some pain for their inefficiency. This is the good way to prevent re-occurrence and save lives. It is pertinent to state here, that to make this move is not to do a favour to Ndigbo whose blood the bigots hunger for.

We should all be reminded that the Northerners who reside in the South are about the most hardworking people from the North. They are all engaged in legitimate businesses or employment; selling foodstuff, foreign exchange, etc. Many are quite wealthy and they have their families up North who they cater for. Times have changed. It is time to educate these bigots. Southerners love to listen to music a lot. And one rascal called Sunny Nneji sang a new song with a chorus that goes "if you do me, I do you". Someone must have played that music in Onitsha recently. The failed state called Nigeria cannot protect life and property so the people have to resort to self help. Northern elders, you have the power to save lives all over the country. Use that power. Educate the people seriously.

Forget the Federal Government, they have other distractions. Please be reminded that Ndigbo have demonstrated an amazingly unprecedented spirit of forgiveness in the face of all these over so many years and have always given total cooperation and loyalty to the North politically and otherwise and hardly refer to these unfair and hateful treatment from our brothers in that part of the country. It is not weakness. Irresponsibility is cheap and any man can act irresponsibly. It is mind-boggling to quantify the amount of Igbo blood shed and tolerated just for the unity of this country. Yet, they do not qualify to be president of the same country they were first to accept as a political reality and proceeded to give their all. The fear of sanctions encourages discipline. We need the law to make the state and the security agencies sit up. It would score a great political goal if someone from the North moves for that law to be passed. It is about the life of Nigerians. We cannot tribalise it.
Concluded

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