Every Nigerian Is A Victim Of The Boko Haram Bombings

EVERY NIGERIAN IS A VICTIM OF THE BOKO HARAM BOMBINGS

Saheed M. Toyin*

The startling tragedy of the Nigeria’s Bombardiers is already far above our imaginations. It’s not funny that the activities of some set of hoodlums have resulted in turning the most populous country in the Black race to a religio-political hullabaloo and becoming non-habitable. In fact, one may not but concede that the challenge, hitherto, was more of ideology rather than a technical or military one, which, not too flabbergasting, the government has failed to arrest. Little wonder then, when even the Federal Government of Nigeria is ‘Bokophobic’.

It’s high time we called on our Statisticians, Mathematicians, Numerologists and Data Analysts to, in microsecond; give us the approximate number of victims of the various bombings. Can this be done successfully? In fact, why do we need it? To my mind, it’s relevant, in determining the approximate number of lives lost and for the vulnerable members of the society to prepare afrorehand, so that we’ll not be gradually and systematically bombed to extinction. I am not trying to be owlish, but optimistic that an exercise of this nature is, to a reasonable extent, very easy. Shall we then, embark on a voyage of calculation?

The country’s population was put around 140 million by the National Population Commission after the 2007 population census. In 2011, after the voter’s registration exercise, it was estimated that about 80 million Nigerians were eligible to vote and be voted for. The important thing is that Nigeria’s population is more than 100 million. It is also interesting to note that the orbit of the Boko Haramites circulated its nuke more conveniently (if you don’t mind) in the year 2011 due to the numbness of the FGN. In fact, nothing less than fifteen (15) different strikes were launched last year, with approximate 1000 lives lost and bodies injured.

On the 27th of May, 2011, eight (8) people were killed at a Police station and a Bank in Danboa, Borno State. Barely two (2) days after, three 3 people were killed and 13 wounded in Bauchi on our ‘Democracy Day’. The month of June opened another episode of reed in the display of bombing prowess, when on the 20th of June, 2011, some people, including five (5) policemen were killed in Kankara, Katsina State. A week later, precisely on the 27th of June, 2011, at least, five (5) innocent citizens met their untimely death in a beer parlour in Maiduguri. In August, 2011, at least, fifteen people were killed, in Gombi, Adamawa State and 23 people, at the UN House, Abuja. On the 12th of September, 2011, seven (7) men, including four (4) policemen were reported dead after the Misau attack in Borno State. The month of November, 2011 rings bell in our memory for the portentous strikes therein, resulting in the death of about 150 people, when the motorcade of the Borno State Governor were killed, and the attack on a Police station and its suburb in Damaturu, Yobe State, same day. In the same month, particularly on 9th of November, 2011, there was also a bombing, but none died. In the last week of November, 2011 we ‘witnessed’ the killing of three policemen and some civilians in Geidam, Gombe State, six Churches were also reported to have been bombed, a police station was also attacked, a beer parlour in rampage, a shopping complex raided, a high court struck, a local building gutted and 11 cars burnt.

The month of December 2011, brought in an éclat of bombing attacks, which the Boko Haramites were reported to have claimed responsibility for. On the 4th of December, 2011 a Soldier, a Policeman and a civilian were killed in a bomb on police buildings and two Banks in Azare, Bauchi State. The Boko Haramites were also held to have claimed responsibility for the firing at a wedding program in Maiduguri, killing the groom and some guests in the first week of December, 2011. On the 7th of December, 2011, there was an explosion in Oriyapata in Kaduna, and claimed eight souls. A week after (13th of December, 2011), 10 died and 30 injured at a military checkpoint in Maiduguri, Borno State capital. In the same city, 20 died on the 22nd of December, 2011, plus four policemen and a civilian that died in Portiskum, Yobe State.  About 100 people were also killed in the outskirt of Damaturu, Yobe State and some people also died after a bomb was detonated about two (2) days after. We have not forgotten so soon the December 25th, 2011, bomb blast at St. Theresa Catholic Church, Madalla, near Abuja, which claimed about 42 worshippers’ lives. Three (3) SSS members were also killed in a suicide attack at the gates of SSS headquarters, Abuja, and a Policeman was also killed in Jos, Plateau State in the last days of the year 2011.

Earlier this year, Nigerians expressed their resentful feelings on the January 20th strikes in Kano, which claimed over 150 lives. Few days after the tragic incident, there was another bombing at the Police outpost at Sheka, along Zoo road, close to Shagari quarters, but no life was recorded to have been lost. In February, 2012, about 35 lives were lost in a bombing that occurred at the headquarters of the Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN). Recently, there was a suicide bombing on the 11th of March, 2012 at St. Finbarr’s Catholic Church, Rayfield, Jos, Plateau State and claimed about 11 lives and several injured barely 10 minutes after commencement of the Hausa service in the Church’s program.

It is instructive to note that the incidents above are not the only baleful attacks we’ve witnessed. They are just tips of the iceberg of the band’s balderdash strikes. At this juncture, let’s ask ourselves whether the country is not going to extinction. How many victims have we had? More importantly, WHO are the victims of the various bombings the hoodlums have claimed responsibility for?

Let me be on my knees to posit that a halfwit is he who submits that only some fractions of the country’s population are victims. To my mind, victims of crimes or criminal acts are not the immediate members of the family of the deceased, nor restricted to the persons, who sustained one injury or the other, neither are those, with whom the deceased would have ‘taken’ to heaven. Ask yourself whether you have suffered psychologically or physiologically, or in a simple word, emotional trauma, after a crime is committed. Then, you should ask yourself whether or not you are a potential victim or not. After answering these questions, you should be able to know whether you are victim in disguise or not.

I am in total agreement with the definition of ‘victims’ proffered by THE UNITED NATIONS DECLARATION OF BASIC PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME AND ABUSE OF POWER (1985), which defined ‘victims’ as “persons who individually or COLLECTIVELY have suffered harm including mental injury, emotional suffering, economic loss or substantial impairment of their fundamental rights through acts or omissions that are in violation of criminal laws operative within member states..” Another pertinent question is whether every Nigerian has not substantially suffered, psychologically, the fear of being bombed. Last year, the FGN decided to adopt a ‘low-key’ celebration of the ‘Independence Day’ for, unarguably, the threat of the Boko Haramites to strike on that day. Recently, the National Youth Service Corp said it will not be posting Corp members to the Boko Haramites– laden states. Earlier in this month (March), the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) was reported, to have said it will not hold its Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination in some States, due to the ‘fear’ of being struck by Boko Haramites at the examination centres. Also, on the 14th of March, 2012, the Lagos State was reported to have shut out hundreds of vehicles belonging to visitors to its secretariat, due to what its officials called ‘proactive measure’ against the menace of Boko Haram. The long queue at various check points is not unconnected with the fear of the Boko Haramites.

A Criminologist, Von Hentig, in his ‘The criminal and his victim’, suggested that certain individuals are ‘victim- prone’. I then ask myself whether or not Nigerians are victim-prone to the avalanche of bombings by these set of bombers. If there is a strike in a State, with which another State shares border, are the inhabitants of the other State not victim-prone? In fact, the manner the dreadful ‘invisible’ sect strikes makes inhabitants of a distant State to be fearful and pray vehemently not to be struck by these bombers.  One then, wonders whether it’s right for anyone to compensate some victims, neglecting others. Who is not a victim of the Boko Haramic strikes?       

With all humility and respect, the FGN is treating this menace with glove hands. I wonder whether the ‘Fire for Fire Approach’ will bring any meaningful result. Funny enough, the President, said, on 11th of March, in a statement, through his Spokesman, Reuben Abati that “The President urges Nigerians not to despair or be discouraged by the persistence attacks.. government is indeed winning the war against terrorists..” The government is really a Victor, who wins by failure. What is the efficacy of the declaration of the state of emergency when the expected positive result is not fully sate? The inherent irony in that assertion is the ‘winning’ when another bombing claimed several innocent lives. Little wonder, then, when the President declared that there are sponsors of the Boko Harami even within his cabinet.

The government is hereby urged to take the welfare and security of lives and property very important. I think if the government is able to curb this menace and Nigerians can safely travel / live to / in every part of the country, without the fear of Boko Haramites’ bombings, the nation will be a place to be and local cum foreign investment will grow. I wonder whether until the entire nation is grounded before it wakes from its kip. Who is ready to die? Indeed, we are all victims of the Boko Haramic bombings.

* He is a Public Analyst and writes from Ilorin. You may contact him on [email protected], [email protected], or visit his blog at http://mtoyin.blogspot.com.

16 COMMENTS

  1. MUSLIMS!! Stop looking for sympathy. It won’t work. You people gave birth to Bokoharam and nurtured bokoharam. I remember in the north when President Jonathan was newly elected in 2011, muslims were carrying their shoulders high thinking it was only christians that were suffering. Now they want to put an end to bokoharam just like that?! NA LIE O!! You must reap what you have sown. Bokoharam will never depart from north. May they kill muslims up to 20times more than they killed christians. May they be drunk with the blood of muslims till their tummies are bulging. May bokoharam never depart from north. Oh! How i still cry for the corpers that were bombed in bauchi for no reason. Christians slaughtered anyhow. Kai! Now muslims don’t want bokoharam because the group has started striking them also. Bokoharam will never depart from the north. They must kill all the leaders and people that supported them to kill christians. One by one. No muslim is to be spared!

  2. I don’t believe the muslims are responsible for this, this is caused by non an arbitrary sect under the pretext of islam. Am sure very soon God would show their faces.

    In the mean time, i would strongly suggest you all learn about simple ways to protect yourself during a bomb situation, check out this website: Bomb Prevention Tips for Public Premises and Private Establishments http://ediaro.com/wrd/bomb-prevention-tips-for-public-premises-and-private-establishments/ and Responding to Telephone Bomb Threats http://ediaro.com/wrd/responding-to-telephone-bomb-threats/

  3. I’m not a victim…. and i and every Christian’ll never be,”surely” the bokoharam and their sponsors will reap what they’ve sown. And as we all can see, God has started fighting our battles 4 us(Christians). It’s certain that “God of war” will surely fight for His people, and 4 the Christians that’ve been victims may their souls RIP. Whatchout “WHAT SOEVER A MAN SOWETH HE SHALL REAP”

  4. The Nigerian nation keeps descending into the abyss of disgusting stereotypes. Intellectually dwarf fellows like the one whose comment above attacked Muslims are a minus to the progress and unity of our beloved nation. What do they do? They hawk hate, discrimination and bigotry. They fail to acknowledge superior logic and explanation of things for nothing but their parochial and subjective interests. They are parrots who dogmatically, blindly and sheepishly trumpet every nonsense their godfathers tell them without having the least comprehension of it.
    In all fairness, can one have any reasonable doubt about the fact that every Nigerian is a victim of Boko Haram? Mtoyin, kudos to you! This nation needs the insight of people like you to overcome her hydra-headed problems. I have no difficulty in subscribing to your view because your analysis is holistic.
    InformationNigeria should always screen out senseless and biased comments like the one above.
    Long Live Nigeria!

  5. Oxygen may u and ur family with ur descendants continue to suffer from terrorism. Since u hav acknowledgd dat u ar victim of bokoharam, may it be so for you. Useless muslim like you. You ar lukn 4 who wil sympathse wit u and ur cursd islam race. May bokoharam target and kill all muslims that are against them. Muslims gav birth to them, so they must reap it. Useless muslims. May ur land never know peace. Bokoharam will continue to thrive in the north. Nonsense muslims. I curse Fredrick Lugard and his bitch of a girlfriend for joinin all of us as one. GOD punish u muslims. May bokoharam devour ur flesh like carnivores devour meat. Useless muslims. I have neva given any muslim; beggar or not money. GOD forbid.

  6. I said it earlier that Nigeria would be better off without some mediocre like the last commentator. Why curse Muslims for the wrongs of Boko Haram? If a Law student steals, does that make all Law students thieves? If a Jew commits adultery, would all Jews become adulterous by that alone?
    Well, I sincerely advise him to go and polish his English rather than waste his energy crying on split milk. He wrote “Muslims gave birth to them, so they must reap it.” How on earth can “them” and “it” refer to the same object (Boko Haram)? The word “them” should read “it” so that the sentence becomes intelligible.
    Long Live Nigeria!

  7. It’s only muslims that will support oxygenmat. Bokoharam must continue to terrorise the north. Muslims started bokoharam so they must dance with bokoharam. Now their leaders are pointing fingers at each other. Now one of them is saying that Namadi Sambo is in league with bokoharam. Northerners are for bokoharam and bokoharam is for northerners. Why are they complaining? Bokoharam should keeping spotting the northerners that don’t want them and should keep killing them.

  8. Many Nigerians are grossly tribalistic and unpatriotic. I’m not moved a bit by the ignorant schizophrenic rantings of some fellows above since they’re unable to flaw my submissions on points. They’re not even armed with facts and figures, but with prejudice and stereotypes.
    I challenge them to prove my arguments wrong if they’re civil and sensible.

  9. I am happy that the muslims are crying because of bokoharam issue. Initially they seemed ‘untouchable and happy’ since they ‘birthed’ bokoharam. Now that bokoharam is also not sparing them, they want sympathy. May bokoharam forever remain in the north. Slice all muslim necks one by one

  10. Oxygenmat, God will continue to bless you with SUPERIOR KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING. The idiot that made that comment probably lacks adequate knowledge and even understanding of what is happening.
    People like him just stupidly open their mouth to say what pleases them.

  11. Oxygenmat or whatever ur name is, whats d rationale behind vaunting urself like ur some learned folk. I suppose if u are as learned as u vaunt urself to be, u shud be knowledgeable enuf to know that the purpose of communication is defeated when u cant convey ur message across to ur audience. So next tym u want to leave a message on a platform like this, be intelligible, leave it in plain english or get lost……this is not a showroom.