Terrorism in Africa: Nigeria Should Address Her Internal Security Challenges

Since September 11^th attack on the World Trade Centre (WTC) and the Pentagon which brought the death of over 6,000 people in America, most nations have come to terms on the need to fight terrorism. The attack commanded global attention partly because the people that died in the Twin Tower building alone cut across different nationalities. The advances made in this direction (fight against terrorism) became more complex than even terrorism itself. For example, the leading nations in the fight, went through UN and used the phrase “weapons of mass destruction” to bring down other nations which they suspected as harborers of such weapons as well as terrorists camps which were breeding evil minds against humanity. While other people consider such wars as deliberate attempts by the stronger nations to influence the politics of the weaker nations, others view them as pure religious wars which according to them is baseless and concentrated only on the Muslim world. Six months into the war in Iraq for example, the reason which was initially considered as the basis for the (search for weapons of mass destruction) came not to be justified. With continuing loss of lives and the inflicting of untold suffering on the innocent civilians in areas where big nations were searching for weapons of mass destruction, it appears the concept of terrorism was being manipulated to suit other agenda. However, it can be said that fighters of the war against terrorism achieve success considerably, and US as a nation is to commended for her untiring efforts in this regard.  

Consequently, the aggressive nature in which the issue of terrorism was being handled made fighters of terrorism to became terrorists themselves in their quest to unmask or reveal the mystery of terrorism. Security checks/processes were being reviewed meet the current global challenge in places like airports and other similar areas. Meanwhile, countries like Nigeria and some other African nations could not look at terrorism and take security actions the way countries like US and other western nations approached it. Until Mutalab’s issue of attempted bombing of an American aircraft on 2009 Christmas day, Nigeria as a nation has a resistive ideology in accepting the fact that terrorists (irrespective of their kind, type or nature) exist in the country.

The question is, must a terrorist act be associated with bombing of an aircraft or people before it is termed terrorism? I think the answer is NO! The Federal Government herself has in certain occasions carry out a terrorist attack on the helpless as well as armless civilians. In 2001, for example, the Tiv- Jukun boundary disputes led to the killing of 19 Nigerian soldiers whom their mission was alleged by the Tiv militia to have been compromised by taking side with the Jukun in killing of Tiv. Instead of the Federal Government to investigate thoroughly and arrest the perpetrators of the act, as well as help in resolving the long-time conflict, they released a fleet of armory (heavily armed soldiers) against the helpless civilians most of which were women, children and aged men.

This was a complete terrorist act. But it was argued otherwise. Aside from that, the religious crises in the northern part of the country are never seen by Nigerians in the helm of affairs as terrorists acts, rather, they are seen as in the light of “mere understanding between groups”. Yet the magnitude of their effects (the loss of  lives and properties destroyed) on the society have remained a major set back in the social/ inter- cultural development of the country.

The issue in the Niger- Delta is another good example of a terrorist act. Kidnapping and other social crises associated with youths within the south- south region have complicated issues rather than view them as mere agitations for better social conditions of living in the area.The amnesty deal between the Federal government and youths of the south-south was quite revealing as it shows evidence of a country taken siege by terrorists minds. But if you ask an average Nigerian who works within the political circle, what is terrorism? He/she may try to think or link it either to Mutalab’s story or Bin Ladin act, instead of looking inward for clear definition of terrorism using the examples that abounds.

Let us now agree that “bombing” is the yard stick for measuring a terrorist act. The Abuja bombing during the independence celebration is a clear message that terrorism as an evil against humanity is something Nigeria should not take for granted. While Okah is still standing trial in South Africa over the issue, the Jos trouble has taken a new dimension with the same issue of bombing. The December 24 bombing in Jos, Nigeria which left about seven people instantly dead and several others wounded is enough reason for Nigeria to draw a security plan and beef up security measures to holistically deal with the current situation of things. Who knows, if this were the situation last year, Nigeria wouldn’t have got a clear ground to deny involvement with Mutalab’s 2009 Christmas bombing case. The whole world could have used the internal security challenges as evidence of terrorism and claim that Mutalab’s terrorist actions have roots in Nigeria.

On the whole, terrorism whether international or local, mass killing by bombing or killing with a knife, so long as it involves taking lives of people; the meaning is the same. Nigeria must seriously address her internal security challenges or in the nearest future, terrorism would build its roots in Nigeria and spread to other nations. Considering Nigeria’s relatively porous borders, diverse human nature with multiple ethnic groups, as well as an overwhelming population, it will be difficult to smoothly tackle terrorism if it is allowed to established strong base in the country. The time for it is now!