Massob And Murder of Northerners
By
Recently, it was reported that Hausas and other people of northern Nigerian origin were attacked at Aba, Abia state by a gang of people suspected to be members of the "Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra", MASSOB. Pictures were displayed that clearly demonstrated brazen act of brutality, cruelty and violence meted out to innocent persons for the simple reason of differing their ethnic and religious identity.
The hospitalized victims were shaved with serious scars and injuries sustained in the hands of the hoodlums. It has also been reported that the Hausa community and persons of northern Nigerian origin based in Okigwe and Owerri, all in Imo State, had most often become subject of xenophobia and ethnic emotionism as represented by the MASSOB. Artisans and petty traders from the north were not only harassed but are constantly intimidated and blackmailed to conform to 'the realities of Biafra'.
It was also in the news that the Certificate of Occupancy of the land belonging to the Hausa community in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, had been revoked. This and many more have constantly become the lot of innocent northerners living in the East. Ethnic irredentists, perhaps may argue that the Igbos living in the North, are also subjected to similar acts of barbarity, as such, what is happening to northerners in the East, is a 'justifiable reaction'. However, those of us who stand against any act of inhumanity and discrimination based on one's ethnic group or religious identity can only consider this line of thinking nothing but insane.
The pursuit of any course whether ethnic, sectional or religious that involves such idiocy and savagery that entails any act of arson, murder and organized vandalism against individuals or group of individuals, is a condemnable and criminal act that must be rejected and resisted by any sane society. It is not in the interest of the hundred of thousands of Igbos residing in the northern states to learn that northerners in the Southeast are repeatedly being molested and harmed. Bandwagon act that also hurt the Igbos in the north does not in anyway benefit the northerners settling in the east.
The record ought to be set straight and stakeholders ought to be educated and enlightened. The Hausas and persons of northern Nigerian origin living an Igbo villages, and cities in the eastern part of Nigeria, who are mostly petty traders, hawkers, artisans and security guards are not in any way responsible for the marginalization of the Igbos. They are not responsible for the inability of ethnic champions and dreamers of the state of Biafra to realize their goals. They have no say whether or not an Igbo man was never appointed an Inspector General of Police or Minister of Internal Affairs. They have no say whether or not Igbo man is made the president of this country. They have no say whether or not an Igbo man has never risen beyond the level of a major general or has never been made a chief of army staff. They are not responsible for the neglect and deprivation the Igbos suffered in the hands of various regimes of the past. The ordinary northerners living in the East are themselves victims of an unjust political and socio-economic systems operated by past dictatorial and corrupt regimes. Most of these people are poor and uneducated. They cannot read newspapers nor do they know what even the intrigues of governance are.
The destruction of the country was not done by Hausas or the persons of northern Nigeria as a group of people. Nigeria was destroyed by a succession of tyrannical and corrupt military regimes aided and abetted by reactionary, retrogressive and conservative, elites from almost all parts of the country. Most Igbo chiefs, Ezes and politicians played a major treacherous role in this regard. The energy of the MASSOB can better be utilized if they redirect their activities to the vultures in Igbo land who spend most part of the last fifteen years dancing to the tune of every government, worshipping every dictator and trading the dignity, integrity and future of their people for a price. The ordinary persons of northern Nigerian origin constantly being intimidated and harassed in the East knew nothing about the misrule and recklessness of the IBB or Abacha era. They had no access to the seat of power and had no knowledge of how to go to Aso Rock to solicit for 'contract' or 'supplies' or curry for a favour, as most Igbo traitors do.
It is a misplaced aggression for the MASSOB militants or their Bakassi Boys counterparts or any violent irredentist in the East to byepass the likes of Uche Chukumerije and attack a poor cattle rearer from the North. It is also equally ironic and an act of misplaced emotion for anyone of the above, to byepass the likes of Walter Ofonagoro, Lazarus Izuogu and attack a common 'maiguard'.
The problem of the Igbos is caused by no one other than former military dictators and their collaborators now living comfortably in Igbo land. A great number of those championing the course against Igbo marginalization today were either direct or indirect beneficiaries of it. When we were framed by Abacha and jailed in Kirikiri, Port Harcourt and finally Aba prison, Abia State, for criticizing that despotic rule, for which I spent over three years, the likes of Orji Uzor Kalu were then supporting him. And the likes of Daniel Kanu were organizing a million man march in his honour. If I'm not mistaken, the two of the above were all living comfortably in Abia State while I was languishing in cell 5J, Aba prison. When Shehu Musa Yar'Adua was languishing in Abakaliki, prison, Ebonyi State for his principled opposition to Abacha, the likes of Walter Ofonagoro were singing Abacha praises and the Arthur Ezes of the East were conveying the ezes of the Ndigbo to Aso Rock to bow down before their lord, Abacha. And the Ojo-Maduekwes were doing everything to see that Abacha remained till eternity.
When the likes of El-Zak-Zaki, Abdulkarim Daiyabu and Uba Sani, Yohanna Madaki of the North were busy fighting Babangida, the likes of Uche Chukwumerije, Odumegwu Ojukwu, Arthur Nzeribe and substantial members of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo were rooting deep for the 'evil genius'. They sang, danced and beat drums to appease and please the architect of the alienation of their people. So, where lies the fault of the common northerner residing in the East? To intimidate persons of northern Nigerian origin living in the East is to strengthen the resolve of anarchist, divisive elements and anti-democratic forces in the North. It also exposes the enterprising and prosperous Igbo community in the North. It is the height of contradiction for some prominent Igbo sons and politicians to recently express support for IBB's weird presidential ambition, while at the same time innocent persons of northern origin are victimized and brutally maltreated for what they know nothing of.
IBB who misruled Nigeria for eight years, and incontrovertibly marginalized the Igbos for same period of time, recently visited Abia, reportedly in commemoration of the second anniversary of democracy. He was reported to have been given a warm reception, hailed and praised by the crowd - where was MASSOB then? Why couldn't they treat him just the way petty Hausa traders living in the East are treated? The likes of Buhari, Shagari, Umaru Dikko, Jubril Aminu, Gowon are constantly on visits to the East, but all they receive are praises. To commend these people and treat them as heroes and lords and to attack poor innocent northerners is an act of cowardice, sycophancy and opportunism.
Shehu Sani, is the president of Civil Rights Congress, Kaduna.