It is difficult to
resist the temptation of writing about the unfolding turmoil in the
Maghreb region. The events in Tunisia, Egypt, and other countries that
up until recently seemed untouchable by popular revolt is instructive
in many ways.
In Sub-Saharan
Africa, we appear to be sitting on the ringside, buffered by the
dessert, maintaining largely deserted streets, and probably see the
uprisings up north as opera.
The courageous
uprisings in North Africa reveal the complexity of history. Just take a
look at Cote D’Ivoire with two presidents and divided streets. Cabals
with political leverage have played various cards to maintain their
hold on power and as long as the people are divided, their reign is
secure.
It is also
instructive that a movement can erupt without a physical icon or
individual leader and led by even loose collectives as we see in Egypt.
But this piece is
not about all of these places. It is about our own backyard, Ayakoromo
in Delta State. This community received an end of year package from the
Nigerian military on December 1, 2010 when bombs and other weapons of
war were unleashed on it. Their crime? There was or had been a militant
camp in or near the community.
According to
reports, the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) attacked the community in
their effort to apprehend or annihilate John Togo, the leader of a
group known as the Niger Delta Liberation Force (NDLF). When the news
broke, the JTF announced that they had captured and destroyed the camp
of the NDLF. However, the militant group claimed that they had
destroyed the camp themselves and relocated weeks before the attack.
The attack resulted
in extensive destruction of property and displaced thousands of
innocent folks who had to run to refugee camps in Warri and environ.
The aged, infirmed, and others who survived the raid but could not run
away apparently remained in the community which was taken up by the
troops. The number of lives lost is contested. The community has used
stakes to outline a spot they claim is a mass grave of the victims.
This is a totem to an outrage.
Dreams betrayed
The tragedy of
Ayakoromo is the tragic manifestation of dreams betrayed in the
evolution of our national history. Ayakoromo underscores the fact that
the citizenry of this nation have not in any deep qualitative way,
enjoyed better respect of their human rights under military autocracy
or under democratic structures. Apart from the casualties of the civil
war, more lives have arguably been lost under civilian rule than under
the military.
We are in no way
nostalgic about the days of the jackboot, but think of what the
ordinary people have suffered since ‘agbada’ replaced ‘khaki’ in the
corridors of power.
Odi happened soon
after the return to civil rule in November 1999 when the town was
shelled (no metaphor meant), bombed, and wrecked by the Nigerian
military on the pretext that they were searching for some ‘kidnappers’.
In the attack,
about 2800 lives were wasted and a blanket of silence still shrouded
that monster assault. There has been no inquiry, and those who survived
learnt their lessons from the several graffiti left behind by the
rampaging troops who were obviously out on a mission to decimate the
local population.
This was followed
by that of Odioma. Last May, the Gbaramatu kingdom of Delta State
received a dose of the lethal medicine. We are not mentioning several
cases of lesser magnitude that have occurred in-between.
Consider also the
unravelling events in Jos, Maiduguri, and Bauchi. Bombs are used freely
and now lynch mobs appear to have stepped into the fray. What do these
portend for the forthcoming elections? The mass response of the
citizens to get registered may be an indication that Nigerians are
ready for change, to do things right. Are our leaders ready? One can
only hope that we are not waiting until folks immolate themselves and
trigger a Tunisian run.
Every assault is
treated as being of no consequence. There are no enquiries. There are
no punishments. Sometimes, there may be grudgingly given apologies, but
generally, justice is not served. The streets of Jos and creeks of the
oil fields run with the blood of the innocent. Is the life of the poor
of such little value that we can simply shut our eyes and move on as
though nothing has happened?
Certainly, we
cannot afford a reign of terror either from the military or armed gangs
in our country. The onus lies on the government to provide security for
the Nigerian people. The Nigerian security forces cannot be allowed to
terrorise, kill, and destroy at will under any guise. Where individuals
run foul of the law, it is the job of law enforcement agents to fish
such out and bring them to justice through constitutional avenues.
The time has come
for the books to be opened and all the cases that have been swept under
the carpet openly examined in a special commission of enquiry.
Offenders, military or civilian, should be appropriately sanctioned.
Other elements of justice must encompass restitution; including the
rebuilding and upgrading of destroyed communities should be the
undertaken. The tragedy of Ayakoromo must not be repeated.
Donations of
blankets and rice to victims of these attacks may be good, but the real
relief will only come when governments own up to their responsibility
to protect lives, apologise to the people, and commit never to turn out
troops against the people.
We see pictures of
jet planes and helicopters flying low over protesters in Egypt. We see
protesters step on armoured tanks. Here, when helicopters, gunboats,
and air force planes swooped over Gbaramatu and Ayakoromo it was not to
warn anybody. It was to bomb, level, and kill. This must stop.
