Oladeji Olaniyan
The old scuffle between the Nigerian security apparatus and members of the Islamic movement in Nigeria (IMN) which led to the arrest of their national leader, Ibrabim El-Zakzaky resurfaced last week Monday 29th of October in the country's capital, Abuja.
The leaders of this sect was apprehended and detained illegally and the federal government remains adamant to comply with several court rulings for the release of the sect leader. This unrepentant and unconstitutional act of the Federal government of refusing to release the leader of the sect has prompted myriads of protest by the followers or members of this movement. Their protest, has in no point in time void of blood shedding, they are not involved in killing themselves nor others but the lifeless Nigerian security operatives have consistently turned this sect to an instrument of training on shooting.
Though, recently, this has become the usual means employed by our security apparatus to respond to citizens of the country who make their grievances known to the present government through peaceful protest. The list of protests embarked upon by Nigerians that have been met with stiff reprimands by the Nigerian security operatives is almost endless. One would ponder if the primary responsibility of the government is not protect the lives of citizens including their properties but a deliberate voracious killing and manhandling of the citizenry.
Notable and most recent among the myriads of protests embarked upon by the sect members was the one carried out on Monday,29th of October, the solitary aim of their protest is for the release of their embattled national leader, who has been in the Nigerian security custody for months. In the usual habit of the Nigerian security operatives, scores of the Shiites members were killed through an open fire on the protesters without mercy. It was alleged that about 50 members of the Islamic movement was killed during their demonstration in Abuja.
The federal government on their part, has ever since remain silent on the issue, just as in other issues bordering on the safety of lives her citizens. As though, that was did not suffice, like the case if the indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB), who were apprehended and killed during their usual protest by python dancers who could not dance before the herdsmen.IPOB were swiftly declared a terrorist group by the federal government, in the same manner the Nigerian army have also arrested about 400 members of this movement and were charged by the military for act terrorism. This is a condemnable act by the military and an apparent act of prejudice and hypocrisy having in mind the heinous crimes and deliberate killings of innocuous citizens by the marauding herdsmen in diverse region of the country. Unfortunately, the military did not deem it fit to apprehend these people who are becoming more like a legitimate killers.
With all these in mind, one would wonder if the government is surreptitiously in support of this people whom the military ought to have clamped down on and declare them as terrorists but the ungolden silence of the Federal government on the issue of rampaging herdsmen,strongly depict the degree of hypocrisy of the present federal government.
Sometimes ago, the presidency issued a statement of empowering and infusing into the society any member of the most dreadful terrorist group in the world, the Bokoharam sect, who relinquish their powers and arms to the government, why such mercy on them? After all the massive destruction and desolation they have brought upon the country? Why is such mercy not shown to others? Why has the government not gone all out to declare them as terrorists and clamp down on them totality? Are some set of people more important than the other? Why the preferential treatment? Those are some of the questions begging for answers in the Minds of Nigerians.
"I belong to no body but I'm for everybody." do you remember that statement, it was declared by the president when he first assumed power in 2015 but the opposite of that statement is what is obtainable currently in the country. If this hypocrisy and prejudice in handling the security affairs of the country doesn't halt, our progress may not augur well and our precarious unity may ultimately end up as a malady.
Oladeji Olaniyan is a student journalist at OAU Kilonshele. He can be contacted through;
email: olaniyanoladeji16@gmail.com
Twitter: Oladeji_ymcmb.
The old scuffle between the Nigerian security apparatus and members of the Islamic movement in Nigeria (IMN) which led to the arrest of their national leader, Ibrabim El-Zakzaky resurfaced last week Monday 29th of October in the country's capital, Abuja.
The leaders of this sect was apprehended and detained illegally and the federal government remains adamant to comply with several court rulings for the release of the sect leader. This unrepentant and unconstitutional act of the Federal government of refusing to release the leader of the sect has prompted myriads of protest by the followers or members of this movement. Their protest, has in no point in time void of blood shedding, they are not involved in killing themselves nor others but the lifeless Nigerian security operatives have consistently turned this sect to an instrument of training on shooting.
Though, recently, this has become the usual means employed by our security apparatus to respond to citizens of the country who make their grievances known to the present government through peaceful protest. The list of protests embarked upon by Nigerians that have been met with stiff reprimands by the Nigerian security operatives is almost endless. One would ponder if the primary responsibility of the government is not protect the lives of citizens including their properties but a deliberate voracious killing and manhandling of the citizenry.
Notable and most recent among the myriads of protests embarked upon by the sect members was the one carried out on Monday,29th of October, the solitary aim of their protest is for the release of their embattled national leader, who has been in the Nigerian security custody for months. In the usual habit of the Nigerian security operatives, scores of the Shiites members were killed through an open fire on the protesters without mercy. It was alleged that about 50 members of the Islamic movement was killed during their demonstration in Abuja.
The federal government on their part, has ever since remain silent on the issue, just as in other issues bordering on the safety of lives her citizens. As though, that was did not suffice, like the case if the indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB), who were apprehended and killed during their usual protest by python dancers who could not dance before the herdsmen.IPOB were swiftly declared a terrorist group by the federal government, in the same manner the Nigerian army have also arrested about 400 members of this movement and were charged by the military for act terrorism. This is a condemnable act by the military and an apparent act of prejudice and hypocrisy having in mind the heinous crimes and deliberate killings of innocuous citizens by the marauding herdsmen in diverse region of the country. Unfortunately, the military did not deem it fit to apprehend these people who are becoming more like a legitimate killers.
With all these in mind, one would wonder if the government is surreptitiously in support of this people whom the military ought to have clamped down on and declare them as terrorists but the ungolden silence of the Federal government on the issue of rampaging herdsmen,strongly depict the degree of hypocrisy of the present federal government.
Sometimes ago, the presidency issued a statement of empowering and infusing into the society any member of the most dreadful terrorist group in the world, the Bokoharam sect, who relinquish their powers and arms to the government, why such mercy on them? After all the massive destruction and desolation they have brought upon the country? Why is such mercy not shown to others? Why has the government not gone all out to declare them as terrorists and clamp down on them totality? Are some set of people more important than the other? Why the preferential treatment? Those are some of the questions begging for answers in the Minds of Nigerians.
"I belong to no body but I'm for everybody." do you remember that statement, it was declared by the president when he first assumed power in 2015 but the opposite of that statement is what is obtainable currently in the country. If this hypocrisy and prejudice in handling the security affairs of the country doesn't halt, our progress may not augur well and our precarious unity may ultimately end up as a malady.
Oladeji Olaniyan is a student journalist at OAU Kilonshele. He can be contacted through;
email: olaniyanoladeji16@gmail.com
Twitter: Oladeji_ymcmb.
 The hypocritical arrest and trial of the Shiites members.){kind=link}
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