Mubi killings: let us talk

“It is easier to wake a person who is asleep than a person who pretends to be asleep” Ugandan Proverb

It will be dangerous to get over anger and indignation at the impunity and provocation which was at the heart of the killings of anywhere between 26 and 46 students in Mubi, Adamawa State. Too many signposts and turning points in the violence against Northerns and Nigerians have been ignored in the past, and we have reached a tipping point in this nation at which we must take a stand. Even a brief recall of similar massacres is a painful exercise: massacre at a market in Damaturu, routine slaughter of Christians at their places of worship, unending mayhem in the fast-depleting towns of Damaturu and the ancient city of Borno, high profile bombings and assassinations, shrinking economy in many parts of the north, and an entire people living in permanent fear. Terror has gradually taken over lives of people in the north, and we are at that dangerous point where people could resign themselves to live (or die) with it.

This should not be allowed to continue. It is time to stand up to this threat, and turn the tide. Which is why we should not stop being angry, but we should turn our anger into constructive energy. What did the people who woke students up in the middle of the night, and calmly and systematically shot or slaughtered those on their list seek to achieve? Perhaps we may, in due course, get to know what they wanted to achieve, but we can safely conclude that their action was pre-eminently contemptuous of our government and the security agencies, and an act of supreme provocation against the community and all citizens. We may also conclude that they intended to trigger further bitterness and conflict between religious and ethnic groups in the northeast and in the whole of Nigeria. Above all, they may have wanted to send a signal that peace-loving Nigerians have lost the war against terror. The lesson from Mubi, from recent events Zaria and Kano, from Damaturu and Borno and many other parts of the north is that citizens should be prepared to die. It could be you, your children, your wives, your economy, and your values. But this war you are losing will get you in one way or the other, sooner or later. And there is nothing you or your government; or your community can do about it. You could be muslim or christian, civilian or soldier, poor or rich. It will get you when it wants, how and where it wants.

The people are losing this war because the federal government is ill-prepared, ill-equipped or poorly-committed to fight on our behalf. Perhaps the federal and state governments do not understand the nature of the enemy, in spite of billions of Naira invested in logistics, intelligence and equipment. Perhaps they are using the wrong weapons against the enemy, in spite of countless suggestions that force alone will not defeat it. Perhaps they are fighting more than one enemy, going by numerous allegations that rogue elements and other opportunistic interests are hiding behind the Boko Haram franchise to pursue their own objectives, which may include weakening the Nigerian state. Perhaps there is too much money chasing the insurgency to bring it to an end; and the very forces fighting it are not too keen to see to its end. Perhaps both those who terrorize the people and those who terrorize them in the process of protecting them recognize the hopelessness and powerlessness of the civilian population.

Well, it is time to stand up to both. And since it is very obvious that the people in the north are in for a long haul, those who have responsibility to facilitate or find solutions to their problems must act now. The first line of action must be our governors, people who are living at our own expense, and who swore to protect and defend us. They must convene a high-level, all-embracing forum of political, traditional and religious leaders, academics and other citizens with relevant and useful insights and experiences to examine the entire situation of the North, and the options available to it. Just in the event the governors say they have in place a Committee on Peace and Security, or a contraption with a similar name, they need to be told it is not what is needed. The North needs to holistically and honestly examine itself under its present circumstances; examine its challenges in relation to its governments, including the federal government; examine its limitations and opportunities; and consider what steps it needs to take to address short and long-term challenges.

If the governors will not do this, either because they are satisfied with what they are doing, or are afraid that such a forum will indict them as part of the problem, then a coalition of politicians, elder statesmen, civil society groups, academics and other citizens should convene their own forum to discuss the current situation of the North, and how it can solve its own problems and engage the rest of Nigeria. This forum should examine the genesis, dimensions and manifestations of all security threats, including JASLIWAJ (a.k.a. Boko Haram); its impact on the Northern political economy; the roles of governments and security agencies and the community, and practical steps that need to be taken to arrest the decay and disintegration which is evident in the North and Nigeria respectively.

If our politicians are too busy looking for opportunities to field themselves or surrogates as presidential candidates in 2015, then patriotic citizens from the North and other parts of Nigeria who recognize the manifest danger which Mubi signals for the nation should convene a platform which should dispassionately discuss national security and the survival of the Nigerian state. This would be a forum convened by Nigerians who recognize that the unity and survival of the nation are worth fighting for. They should believe that our current challenges transcend partisan, ethnic and religious divides. They should believe that a failed Nigerian state which is staring us all in the face will be an unmitigated disaster for everyone, and the pathetic barricades being put up against each others’ “problems” are parts of the problem. They should be well schooled in the history of our nation, and draw inspiration from past triumphs over serious challenges and threats to our security and unity.

Mubi should be where the people in the North and Nigeria draw the line. There is very likely going to be many more killings, but for every life or limb lost henceforth, our voices must be heard. It is time to put our heads up from our holes and act. This is one war we should not leave to the government and security agents to fight. We need to get more involved. The young people shot with such impunity and callousness in Mubi are our children. Not to do anything anymore will consign more of them to similar fate.