‘First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out, because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me.’

  Martin Niemöller

I have always wanted to address this issue that has bugged my body, soul and spirit for months now. Each time I wanted to, something in me just felt uneasy. I think Senator Kabiru Marafa’s chilling revelations on the floor of the Senate over a fortnight ago, finally did the magic.

We are in trouble. I want you to know that. As a young adult, I have never felt so insecure in my life. Every night, I sleep with one eye open. When I drive, I am scared to death to give a fellow Nigerian a ride. Even at shopping malls, I am always scared that a bomb could just go off. In church, I feel restless. Why? I am scared that one day, an armed militia could just storm the auditorium and open fire.

Days before I embark on any road trip, I have sleepless nights. Why? I am scared that armed robbers, gun totting herdsmen and kidnappers would lay an ambush and do the unthinkable. Ironically, I have experienced one of these. In the last four years, there is seldom any time I travel to my home state, Edo, that I do not encounter armed robbers. They are lords and they ply their trade without any qualms.

I know I am not alone. Millions of Nigerians feel unsafe too. People can no longer walk freely on lonely roads. Young and innocent girls get molested daily by people who should protect them. Young boys are not exempted either. Certain doctrines and norms that were hitherto alien to our culture, are now the new ‘normal’.

Something is wrong. Something is wrong with us. Something is wrong with our society, our psyche, our homes, lives, churches, mosques and every facet of our life. We can pretend that these threats do not exist. It is immaterial. One day, you will realise that there is nothing left to hope for.

You remember Liberia? At least, the country was in the news for the right reasons few days ago. But like many African countries, Liberia has had its unfair share of instability and strife. For the purpose of this write up, I will recall few historical facts.

Liberia has had two deadly civil wars since 1989. The last one ended in 2003, when its former warlord, Charles Taylor, was granted an asylum in Nigeria. The cause of the civil war in Liberia can be traced to the country’s unresolved ethnic and political differences. The country was founded on the principles of freedom and democracy, but after one and half centuries of its existence, the country descended into destruction in which both democracy and human rights were compromised.

By the conclusion of the final war in 2003, more than 250,000 people had been killed and nearly 1 million were displaced. At the peak of the strife, thousands of Liberians fled by land and sea to safety using whatever resources they had to pay their passage or to bribe their way to safety. Many endured grueling journeys on foot through the bush or by ship.

As a young university undergraduate, I can still recall faces of some Liberians who took refuge in my uncle’s house in Lagos. This was around 2003. Liberia is our neighbour. When the country had its civil unrest, we foolishly thought a day like that will never come in Nigeria. Well, we are almost there.

What led to the civil unrest in Liberia is playing out here and we are moving on as if it does not matter. Today, we are at war. In the North East, our under-funded military is fighting a guerrilla war to dismantle Boko Haram islamist terrorists. Down south, security forces are battling to keep our oil facilities safe. Piracy is at its peak. Kidnapping is almost becoming a norm. ‘Yahoo Yahoo’ boys are having a free ride. In fact, they have graduated. Today, they engage in all manner of illegality, including ritual killings, just so they could ‘belong’.

The thrust of this piece is the invasion of Nigeria. Like I wrote from the beginning, we are in trouble. Armed militias have technically infiltrated our space. Unfortunately, we have a government of excuses and blames. President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is programmed to give lame excuses and blame others, but itself.

On January 17, Senator Marafa, told his colleagues on the floor of the Senate that foreign militia groups now control his state, Zamfara. He said the militia groups move around with guns and administer justice in place of emirs and traditional rulers.

Marafa revealed that the group members have their presence in all the local government areas of the state and also coordinate kidnappings and other criminal activities in the state.

He said: “Zamfara state is now under the control of foreign militias and the saddest thing is that the governor knows these people. The deputy governor knows these people. They know the perpetrators of this crime. They move around freely with their arms. I said it on Tuesday. I was home during the fuel crisis.

“In my own town, they (militia groups) are the ones that judge between people. The people no longer go to the local authorities. They do not go to police. If there is a problem, they go to the bush and tell these people that I have a problem with somebody. This is a national emergency. In all the local governments, this is the truth of the matter.”

Again, last Thursday, Marafa raised another alarm. He again told his colleagues that a young girl had been kidnapped by the same armed militia group, few days to her wedding. He also revealed that the same foreign militia group, recently kidnapped two sons of a serving member of the House of Representatives. According to Marafa, a ransom of N40 million was paid to this known group before the victims were released.

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Marafa, who is currently in a running battle with his state governor, kept insisting that the presence of these armed foreign militias was well known. He claimed that the state governor is aware of its existence.

In Taraba State, this armed militia group exists. Spokesman of the Senate, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, on Thursday, told senators about the existence of a similar foreign militia group in parts of Niger and Kwara States. In some parts of Edo State, these same folks have been sighted.

Unfortunately for Nigerians, we have a government that appears to be clueless on how to confront these challenges. How can they confront them when a serving minister openly and passionately defended his kith and kin, the armed Fulani herdsmen?

Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, in an interview with State House correspondents, recently identified the blockage of cattle routes across the country as the remote cause of the killings by herdsmen.

He also identified the implementation of anti-open grazing law in some states as the immediate cause of the killings.

The minister said: “Whatever crisis that happens at any time, there are remote and immediate causes.  Look at this issue (killings in Benue and Taraba), what is the remote cause of the farmers’ crisis? Since the nation’s independence, we know there used to be a route whereby the cattle rearers take because they are all over the nation.

“If you go to Bayelsa or Ogun, you will see them. If those routes are blocked, what do you expect will happen? These people are Nigerians. It is just like one going to block the shoreline; does that make sense to you? These are the remote causes of the crisis. But the immediate cause is the grazing law.”

Behold your minister, Nigerians! With people like this in government, I hope one day, we will not desert this republic and find solace in safer havens. This union is not working. If you live in Nigeria and you are not perturbed, I feel sorry for you.

I so submit!

One more thing…

Emergence of Sam Melaye as NASSLAF chairman

The crisis rocking the National Assembly Legislative Forum (NASSLAF), may have finally come to an end, following the inauguration of Samuel Melaye as chairman of the forum.

The controversial elections, which held in March 2016, and observed by the National Assembly bureaucracy produced Melaye, who was the former chairman and Mr. John Udeh, as chairmen of two factional groups. 

Speaking shortly after his inauguration, Melaye told newsmen that “the forum would be registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission to enhance its engagement with the management of the National Assembly regarding members’ welfare and conditions of service.”

He also urged bona-fide members of NASSLAF and the general public to ignore the fictitious story meant to cause friction amongst members and portray NASSLAF in bad light.

Melaye, while pledging to protect the interest of the association, said he remains committed towards “uniting all members and protecting the collective interest of the National Assembly Legislative Aides, as diligent service to our bosses can only be achieved when the members work in unity.”

I hope the crisis is ‘finally’ over. Time to sit up and behave like adults and not like over-pampered babies. Best wishes to the new leaders.