Survival of Boko Haram is crucial for Nigeria

Sir, This is how Christianity and Islam are responsible for the lawlessness of Nigeria rulers who ignore the Constitution that prohibits state religion and grants religious liberty and freedom of association to citizens, only so as to be able to be projecting Islam and Christianity as Nigeria’s religions, rather than what they are: religions of certain Nigerians. That lawlessness was (and is) responsible for the unjustifiable war against the Boko Haram Islamic sect-community of men, women and children that did not attack anybody until attacked by government forces in 2009, under the presidency of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, acting as an agent of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA).

The alliance of Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and his truncation of rotational presidency against the north, compounded the Boko Haram crisis, and helped the cause of NSCIA that is still (even now) bent on annihilating Boko Haram, because the Quran “disapproves of sects and divisions”. The name of Boko Haram itself testifies to the mission of the organisation: to fight Boko Haram to a significant extent. For the benefit of doubt, Boko Haram derives from the Hausa Boko (book) and Arabic Haram (forbidden or misappropriation), and it (boko haram) refers to the misappropriation and embezzlement of public funds and properties, due to which Nigeria is grossly underdeveloped and mass abject poverty is raging. It is, therefore, a diabolical propaganda saying that Boko Haram is bent on eradicating Western education. That propaganda is the equivalence of calling the dog a bad name to get it hanged, and there is no other evidence for my claim better than the obvious fact that the former president, General Dr Olusegun Obasanjo (OBJ) saw no justifiable reason to fight Boko Haram, and he did not; and those who have been doing that (late president Umaru Yar’Adua; former president Goodluck Jonathan, the current President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari – GMB) have been doing it for extremely criminal reasons. What have the attackers of Boko Haram achieved, 2009 till date than carnage and economic destruction of Nigeria, to which GMB has added protection of the Fulani herdsmen terrorists, and mushrooming armed bandits arising from harsh economic realities?

In Kwara state, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRasak prides himself as Mallam. That reminds me of that man of the people, Mallam Aminu Kano (of blessed memory). But when Mallam AbdulRasak organised a security conference, he saw no reason to invite a representative of African Traditional Religion (ATR), but only a bishop and an Imam, even though some ATR priests in the state are not closet, even in Idi-Apẹ, Ilorin, and Shao that shares border with Ilorin (the state capital). Islam and Christianity are promoted through political and financial marginalisation of other religionists.

Why invite the Church and Mosque? Are Christians and Muslims more than citizens? Nigeria rulers use Christianity and Islam to perpetrate social injustices. And after creating insecurities, they ask local hunters who use magic powers inherited from the demonized African ancestors/ancestress to come to the rescue of the state. One era is passing; another era is advancing; no era lasts forever. One day majority of Nigerians will see Christianity and Islam for what they are: antisocial forces that are bent on creating earthly kingdoms for their members, with particular reference to the clerical classes. My vision, which dates back to December 2011, is this: Nigeria will extinct if the Boko Haram Islamic sect-community is not allowed to exist as peacefully as under OBJ. What is your take?

Prof Ọlọjẹẹde Oyeniran Abiọjẹ, wrote from Ilorin.