Intersociety: Nigeria Is Under Jihad And We Saw It Coming Over Five Years Ago And Warned

“Researchers and statisticians are social spirits and seers,
what they see today, many, if not most don’t see until years, if
not many years after”-Emeka Umeagbalasi, Criminologist,
Researcher and Investigator.

It is our repetition that the present State of
Nigeria is gravely endangered by state actor and non state actor
fueled and funded jihadist attacks and governance styles and other
forms of leadership failure. The state actor foundation for these
was laid as far as last quarter of 2015 or months after the present
central Government was sworn in. The movement for jihad in Nigeria
at state actor level was practically started in 2016. Before June
2015, Nigeria was heavily under the threats of non state actor
jihadist attacks with the involvement of leading radical Islamist
state actors from security and political circles. In other words,
the present Government of Retired Major Gen Muhammadu Buhari was
invited through electoral process to govern Nigeria pluralistically
and heterogeneously in peace and harmony but it came and brought
jihad, blood and tears; totality of which has put the country at
crossroads of uncertainties and intractable
dangers.

The above was the position of the International
Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law contained
in a statement issued today in Onitsha, Eastern Nigeria and signed
by the following Principal Officers: Emeka
Umeagbalasi, Board Chair, Chinwe Umeche, Esq., Head, Democracy &
Good Governance, Obianuju Igboeli, Esq., Head, Civil Liberties &
Rule of Law, Chidimma Udegbunam, Esq., Head, Campaign &
Publicity and Comrade Sam Kamanyaoku,
Head, Field Data Collection & Documentation.

We had as far as in July 2015, through our extensive research
and investigation, uncovered the jihadist intent of the present
central Government and warned of its severe or catastrophic
consequences. Through the central Government of Nigeria’s jihadist
intent layered in structural, physical and cultural violence,
politics and policies of segregation, exclusion and persecution
were introduced and made a major policy direction-targeted at
Christian held areas of the North (old Middle Belt) and the South
(old Eastern and mid Western Nigeria) and their citizens; to the
extent that security and protection of the citizens’ lives and
properties became tied to their ethnicity and religion. Today,
ethnicity and religion have indeed become a major criterion for
protecting and safeguarding lives and properties of the citizens of
the country.  The most undoing of the present central
Government of Nigeria was the adoption of ‘Cow or Cattle’ as a
symbol of its jihadist attacks and governance styles. This is to
the extent that life of a cow now matters much more than that of a
living citizen of the country. Another atrocious undoing of the
present central Government of the country was conversion of the
country’s security forces and intelligence services into pro
jihadist security establishments. This was done by having them
substantially Islamized and sectionalized.

For instance, Nigerians, media practitioners and international
watchers are respectfully invited to check out or investigate
identities, ethnicities and religions of the present Brigade
Commanders of 63 Nigerian Army Brigade (Asaba), 34 Brigade
(Obinze/Owerri), 14 Brigade (Ohafia/Abia) and Cantonment Commandant
of 302 Army Artillery (Onitsha). Others are Commanding Officers of
Ogbaru (Anambra) and Owerre-Nta (Abia) Naval Bases, Onitsha and
Abakiliki Army Engineering Regiments, 144 Nigerian Army Battalion
(Asa/Aba) and those in charge of Army Battalions and Artilleries in
Enugu, Ebonyi and Cross River States. Included are the present Air
Officer Commanding Nigerian Air Force Bases in Enugu and Port
Harcourt and their sub heads, the Principal Officers of Nigerian
Army’s 82 Division in Enugu and 6 Division in Port Harcourt
(including its new GOC) and Army formations in Warri, Edo, Akwa
Ibom and Bayelsa as well as Police AIGs in charge of Zone 9
(Umuahia), Zone 5 (Benin), Zone 6 (Calabar) and Zone 13
(Ukpo-Anambra) and State Commissioners of Police and SSS Directors
of Anambra, Imo, Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi, Rivers, Cross River, Edo,
Delta, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa States. Such investigations shall be
done bearing in mind the clear provisions of Sections 10, 14 (3),
42 and 217 (3) of the present Constitution of Nigeria 1999 and the
country’s multi ethnic and religious compositions.

Intersociety had severally researched and
investigated and found that the state actor movement to jihad and
its body language in Nigeria started in the last quarter of 2015
with the adoption of ‘Cow or Cattle’ as its symbol. In same last
quarter of 2015, a country-wide forest mapping was carried out in
the guise of “anti terrorism or counterinsurgency strategy”. In
2016, the Nigerian Armed Forces particularly the Nigerian Army
deceptively launched several annual operations targeting Southeast,
South-south and old Middle Belt and gave them several deceitful
code names. Through our careful study of the operations with Igbo
Land as a case study, it was discovered that the operations were
disguised and used to facilitate movement and permanent settlement
of armed indigenous and foreign (Jihadist) Fulani and non Fulani
Herdsmen in forests and bushes located in the named regions-to the
extent where they are settled, there must an Army/Military post or
Mobile Police Base or key Police Post.

The Governors were also coerced or forced or undermined into
accepting or conspiring in the movement and permanent settlement of
the jihadists. This was in addition to forceful introduction and
implementation of the Federal Government’s pro jihadist policies of
“RUGA”, “Military Ranching”, “Livestock Transformation Plan”, “Open
Grazing” and so on. The Nigerian Government’s movement to jihad is
divided into three to four phases; starting with 2015 country-wide
jihad friendly forest mapping for the armed Jihadists, followed by
2016 military or army backed movement and settlement of the
jihadists and 2017 and 2018 enforcement and implementation of
“RUGA”, “NLTP”, “Open Grazing” and “Army/Military Ranching”, etc.
The Governors including those of the Southwest were forced to cue
into such jihad friendly policies in return for their fresh
election into office or second terms. Few who refused were
frustrated through posting in their States of jihad compliant
Army/Military Commanders, Police AIGs/Commanders and Intelligence
Directors.

At the non state actor level, a critical look at the state of
insecurity bedeviling the North including killings, abductions,
sexual violence, forced conversions to Islam and violent attacks
and closure of schools are all patterns of modern day jihad; with
Taliban and ISIS infested Afghanistan and Somalia as a clear case
in point. Ransoms worth millions of dollars or more paid to
jihadists’ ring leaders masquerading as “leaders of the Bandits”;
are nothing short of ‘buy-back jihad’ or ‘returned-jihad’. It is
also reasonably suspected that chunk of such paid ransoms ends up
in illicit arms market in furtherance of jihadist attacks and their
related violence.

At the state actor level, the recent years’ activities of those
referred as personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces particularly
soldiers of the Nigerian Army” are not only nothing to write home
about but also bear same outlook when compared with those of the
non state actor jihadists. Today, ‘Nigerian soldiers’ are so
ethnically and religiously wicked that they now abduct persons on
the grounds of their religion and ethnicity, hold them ad infinitum
and rape women among them serially, severally and beastly.

We also recall warning, as back as in 2016 and 2017, the
Nigerian Army in particular and other members of the country’s
security forces and the present central Government of the country
in general on dangers of their violent crackdowns on defenseless
and unarmed citizens of the Igbo Nation particularly the nonviolent
Indigenous People of Biafra. The trios were also warned to desist
from breeding more insurgencies across the country, capable of
exploding and enveloping the country in part or in whole. It was
also our advice that it is gravely dangerous and catastrophic to
persecute and push to the wall an ethnic nationality with
membership presence in over 90 countries of the world including
super powers and makers of arms and armaments and that there are
over 1000 forms or types of violence in this modern time and nobody
or group holds monopoly of same.

Today, and as a matter of fact, the present central Government
of Nigeria divides, polarizes and destabilizes Nigeria much more
than those falsely or correctly accused of ‘planning to do so’ and
has bred and instituted insecurity (full blown and embryonic
insurgencies) in Northwest, North-Central, Southeast, South-South
and Southwest as well as encouraging that of the Northeast. 
Through jihadist policies and conducts and other forms of
leadership failure, the present central Government of Nigeria has
plunged same into intractable divisions and doldrums. The amount of
monetary debts alone borrowed by the present central Government has
made the country perpetually limping, crawling and economically
ungovernable. This is in addition to perpetual takeover and
occupation of all key federal judicial, security, administrative
and political appointments by citizens of Fulani-Hausa Muslim
background. Totality of these has truly and realistically made ‘one
united, peaceful and prosperous Nigeria unthinkable and
unachievable’.

“Researchers and statisticians are social spirits and seers,
what they see today, many, if not most don’t see until years, if
not many years after”-Emeka Umeagbalasi, Criminologist,
Researcher and Investigator.

It is our repetition that the present State of
Nigeria is gravely endangered by state actor and non state actor
fueled and funded jihadist attacks and governance styles and other
forms of leadership failure. The state actor foundation for these
was laid as far as last quarter of 2015 or months after the present
central Government was sworn in. The movement for jihad in Nigeria
at state actor level was practically started in 2016. Before June
2015, Nigeria was heavily under the threats of non state actor
jihadist attacks with the involvement of leading radical Islamist
state actors from security and political circles. In other words,
the present Government of Retired Major Gen Muhammadu Buhari was
invited through electoral process to govern Nigeria pluralistically
and heterogeneously in peace and harmony but it came and brought
jihad, blood and tears; totality of which has put the country at
crossroads of uncertainties and intractable
dangers.

The above was the position of the International
Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law contained
in a statement issued today in Onitsha, Eastern Nigeria and signed
by the following Principal Officers: Emeka
Umeagbalasi, Board Chair, Chinwe Umeche, Esq., Head, Democracy &
Good Governance, Obianuju Igboeli, Esq., Head, Civil Liberties &
Rule of Law, Chidimma Udegbunam, Esq., Head, Campaign &
Publicity and Comrade Sam Kamanyaoku,
Head, Field Data Collection & Documentation.

We had as far as in July 2015, through our extensive research
and investigation, uncovered the jihadist intent of the present
central Government and warned of its severe or catastrophic
consequences. Through the central Government of Nigeria’s jihadist
intent layered in structural, physical and cultural violence,
politics and policies of segregation, exclusion and persecution
were introduced and made a major policy direction-targeted at
Christian held areas of the North (old Middle Belt) and the South
(old Eastern and mid Western Nigeria) and their citizens; to the
extent that security and protection of the citizens’ lives and
properties became tied to their ethnicity and religion. Today,
ethnicity and religion have indeed become a major criterion for
protecting and safeguarding lives and properties of the citizens of
the country.  The most undoing of the present central
Government of Nigeria was the adoption of ‘Cow or Cattle’ as a
symbol of its jihadist attacks and governance styles. This is to
the extent that life of a cow now matters much more than that of a
living citizen of the country. Another atrocious undoing of the
present central Government of the country was conversion of the
country’s security forces and intelligence services into pro
jihadist security establishments. This was done by having them
substantially Islamized and sectionalized.

For instance, Nigerians, media practitioners and international
watchers are respectfully invited to check out or investigate
identities, ethnicities and religions of the present Brigade
Commanders of 63 Nigerian Army Brigade (Asaba), 34 Brigade
(Obinze/Owerri), 14 Brigade (Ohafia/Abia) and Cantonment Commandant
of 302 Army Artillery (Onitsha). Others are Commanding Officers of
Ogbaru (Anambra) and Owerre-Nta (Abia) Naval Bases, Onitsha and
Abakiliki Army Engineering Regiments, 144 Nigerian Army Battalion
(Asa/Aba) and those in charge of Army Battalions and Artilleries in
Enugu, Ebonyi and Cross River States. Included are the present Air
Officer Commanding Nigerian Air Force Bases in Enugu and Port
Harcourt and their sub heads, the Principal Officers of Nigerian
Army’s 82 Division in Enugu and 6 Division in Port Harcourt
(including its new GOC) and Army formations in Warri, Edo, Akwa
Ibom and Bayelsa as well as Police AIGs in charge of Zone 9
(Umuahia), Zone 5 (Benin), Zone 6 (Calabar) and Zone 13
(Ukpo-Anambra) and State Commissioners of Police and SSS Directors
of Anambra, Imo, Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi, Rivers, Cross River, Edo,
Delta, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa States. Such investigations shall be
done bearing in mind the clear provisions of Sections 10, 14 (3),
42 and 217 (3) of the present Constitution of Nigeria 1999 and the
country’s multi ethnic and religious compositions.

Intersociety had severally researched and
investigated and found that the state actor movement to jihad and
its body language in Nigeria started in the last quarter of 2015
with the adoption of ‘Cow or Cattle’ as its symbol. In same last
quarter of 2015, a country-wide forest mapping was carried out in
the guise of “anti terrorism or counterinsurgency strategy”. In
2016, the Nigerian Armed Forces particularly the Nigerian Army
deceptively launched several annual operations targeting Southeast,
South-south and old Middle Belt and gave them several deceitful
code names. Through our careful study of the operations with Igbo
Land as a case study, it was discovered that the operations were
disguised and used to facilitate movement and permanent settlement
of armed indigenous and foreign (Jihadist) Fulani and non Fulani
Herdsmen in forests and bushes located in the named regions-to the
extent where they are settled, there must an Army/Military post or
Mobile Police Base or key Police Post.

The Governors were also coerced or forced or undermined into
accepting or conspiring in the movement and permanent settlement of
the jihadists. This was in addition to forceful introduction and
implementation of the Federal Government’s pro jihadist policies of
“RUGA”, “Military Ranching”, “Livestock Transformation Plan”, “Open
Grazing” and so on. The Nigerian Government’s movement to jihad is
divided into three to four phases; starting with 2015 country-wide
jihad friendly forest mapping for the armed Jihadists, followed by
2016 military or army backed movement and settlement of the
jihadists and 2017 and 2018 enforcement and implementation of
“RUGA”, “NLTP”, “Open Grazing” and “Army/Military Ranching”, etc.
The Governors including those of the Southwest were forced to cue
into such jihad friendly policies in return for their fresh
election into office or second terms. Few who refused were
frustrated through posting in their States of jihad compliant
Army/Military Commanders, Police AIGs/Commanders and Intelligence
Directors.

At the non state actor level, a critical look at the state of
insecurity bedeviling the North including killings, abductions,
sexual violence, forced conversions to Islam and violent attacks
and closure of schools are all patterns of modern day jihad; with
Taliban and ISIS infested Afghanistan and Somalia as a clear case
in point. Ransoms worth millions of dollars or more paid to
jihadists’ ring leaders masquerading as “leaders of the Bandits”;
are nothing short of ‘buy-back jihad’ or ‘returned-jihad’. It is
also reasonably suspected that chunk of such paid ransoms ends up
in illicit arms market in furtherance of jihadist attacks and their
related violence.

At the state actor level, the recent years’ activities of those
referred as personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces particularly
soldiers of the Nigerian Army” are not only nothing to write home
about but also bear same outlook when compared with those of the
non state actor jihadists. Today, ‘Nigerian soldiers’ are so
ethnically and religiously wicked that they now abduct persons on
the grounds of their religion and ethnicity, hold them ad infinitum
and rape women among them serially, severally and beastly.

We also recall warning, as back as in 2016 and 2017, the
Nigerian Army in particular and other members of the country’s
security forces and the present central Government of the country
in general on dangers of their violent crackdowns on defenseless
and unarmed citizens of the Igbo Nation particularly the nonviolent
Indigenous People of Biafra. The trios were also warned to desist
from breeding more insurgencies across the country, capable of
exploding and enveloping the country in part or in whole. It was
also our advice that it is gravely dangerous and catastrophic to
persecute and push to the wall an ethnic nationality with
membership presence in over 90 countries of the world including
super powers and makers of arms and armaments and that there are
over 1000 forms or types of violence in this modern time and nobody
or group holds monopoly of same.

Today, and as a matter of fact, the present central Government
of Nigeria divides, polarizes and destabilizes Nigeria much more
than those falsely or correctly accused of ‘planning to do so’ and
has bred and instituted insecurity (full blown and embryonic
insurgencies) in Northwest, North-Central, Southeast, South-South
and Southwest as well as encouraging that of the Northeast. 
Through jihadist policies and conducts and other forms of
leadership failure, the present central Government of Nigeria has
plunged same into intractable divisions and doldrums. The amount of
monetary debts alone borrowed by the present central Government has
made the country perpetually limping, crawling and economically
ungovernable. This is in addition to perpetual takeover and
occupation of all key federal judicial, security, administrative
and political appointments by citizens of Fulani-Hausa Muslim
background. Totality of these has truly and realistically made ‘one
united, peaceful and prosperous Nigeria unthinkable and
unachievable’.