By Dele Sobowale

NOTE: The two columns below were started on Sunday, May 12, 2013 – before the President’s declaration of Emergency Rule in three states of Nigeria. More than ever, and despite the risks and dangers which could result from the measure taken by the President, I still believe that he needs our support to bring this war to an end.  If for no other reason than that the opposition has failed to offer a better proposal.

Being anti-Jonathan is a political statement not a Plan of Action. Until somebody else comes up with a better solution Jonathan’s approach remains “the only game in town”. Until somebody else comes up with a better alternative, I stand firmly with the President on this issue.  “A soldier is HIRED to kill for his country; not to die for her. In so far as he dies, he is a failure…”.

This column could easily have been titled JONATHAN BETWEEN THE TWO JAWS OF A CROCODILE – HIS FRIENDS AND FOES or WHY BLAME THE JTF: THEY EITHER KILL OR THEY ARE KILLED? Anyone would have been appropriate. Before you continue to read this article, just picture yourself as the father, mother, brother, sister, wife or daughter of a soldier, sent to Bama, Kiama or Jos North, and suddenly coming under enemy fire. What do you expect him to do?

If he is my son, and a professional soldier, I expect him to shoot and kill every son of a bitch in the direction where the shots are coming from. Discarding sentiments, no soldier can do anything else. He shoots first and continues shooting until the other side stops or he is incapacitated or killed himself. To do otherwise is to waste all the resources the nation had spent to train him as a defender of our nation.

The probes can come later, but the shooting must go first. The soldier under violent attack simply has no chance to determine who is a civilian or enemy soldier while the firing continues. Whenever I read or listen to “Human Rights Activists”, sitting in the comfort of their homes and air-conditioned offices in Lagos, Abuja or elsewhere, condemning the JTF, the first thing that occurs to me is: “There goes another ignoramus who does not know what happens on the battle field”.

Neither can the C-I-C, nor the field commanders, be held responsible for what happens afterwards – unless there is evidence that they have authorized targeting civilians. If not, any probe will be a waste of time –even if conducted by the USA. No US patrol leader will ask his troops not to fire back if they come under heavy bombardment. Often, retreat is not even an option because the troops might get killed anyway.  Nigerians simply have to decide whether, or not, they need soldiers. If we do, we must let them operate like soldiers; if not we should disband them and see if we will have a nation left in six months time. Right now Jonathan and the JTF have my vote. 

Nigeria is at war. Nobody doubts that any longer. In fact, the country is engaged in several wars at once; we fight in the north, the south and the Middle belt. The reasons for the bloodshed vary from one place to the other; but they sometimes overlap as in Plateau. In the North it is religious and political; in the Niger Delta, it is essentially, all about control of stolen crude oil. In the Middle Belt, especially Plateau, it is the age old “Indigenes versus Settlers” struggle for territorial control. That, I realize is an over-simplification of reality because politics is an integral part of the conflict everywhere.

In all these, there are only two ubiquitous entities involved – the President, as Commander-In-Chief , C-I-C, of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Armed Forces themselves, operating nationwide as the Joint Task Force, JTF. With little or no exception, neither Jonathan nor the Commanders of the JTF, started the battles for which they are called out to fight, to die, to get maimed for life; and, if possible, to help put down. Many of those risking their lives in Borno State could be Igbos, Ibibios, Gbagyi or Nupes. But, they face dangers to bring peace to the Kanuri, Hausa and Fulani – among others – resident in Borno State irrespective of their ethnicity.

Similarly, I know from actual physical presence in their midst about four years ago, that the JTF stationed in Jos consists of Igala, Yoruba, Anang, Isoko and others. They also face possible annihilation while protecting those living in the war front. The Niger Delta JTF is certainly composed of Fulani, Higgis, Afemnai and Yoruba; again just to mention a few ethnic groups. Some have lost their lives; others will do so before peace reigns – far away from their states of origin. But, they all have one thing in common – they would have done it in the service of their fatherland.

Incidentally, and that is the first and most important reason why the majority of us must support them. Ironically they fight, and some die, to defend the country which those shooting at them, everywhere, hope to live in and rule; to defend their families – who might not be involved in the actual carnage going on at the ever shifting war fronts. The C-I-C seldom dies because “kings” nowadays don’t go to the battle field with their troops. But, he too might “die” if his troops are overwhelmed by the adversaries and his government is brought down — making him a potential victim.

Too many of us have an ethnic/religious bias against the JTF depending on where they operate. The same fellow who carpets the government and JTF for operating in the Niger Delta against “people fighting for their rights”, would applaud Jonathan and JTF for standing firm in Baga; and vice versa – as if anarchy in the Northeast will result in something different from chaos in the South-South. Even some patriotic Northern Muslims jump to the conclusion that dead civilians were slaughtered only by the JTF.

They forget the suicide bombers who deliberately targeted commuters at university campuses, churches and at bus stations.  What makes the war situations most confusing is the similarity to other guerilla wars worldwide – the enemy usually wears no uniform; so any dead body can be called “civilian” by those wanting to discredit government. Few, if any, carry any identity cards, so anyone could claim they were anybody for reasons best known to themselves – but mostly to accuse the government and the President of callousness. We should not allow them to demoralize our defenders.

Indeed, who else do we have? Boko Haram does not protect us; neither do the so-called militants of the Niger Delta. They are in these conflicts only for themselves. Only the President and the JTF are fighting for us – even if they occasionally make mistakes. But, even those errors of judgment pale by comparison with the atrocities Boko Haram has committed and will continue to perpetrate without stiff and overwhelming opposition from the JTF.  The truth is; we need the President and the JTF and they also need us; it is a symbiotic relationship…

BAGA 185; MOSTLY GHOSTS — 1
“When all think alike, none thinks very much”. Walter Lippmann.

“Baga: 185 killed”; screamed the headlines of all Nigerian newspapers on the same day. I was furious and marched off to Uncle Sam’s house to register my anger and disappointment. Unfortunately, the Publisher of Vanguard was on his way to Ibadan for an important function when I got to his residence. But, I still managed to register my complaint which was simple.

“I think this is a falsely exaggerated story designed to embarrass the government and the print media had been made accomplices in spreading a dangerous rumour”. Then, I promised Uncle Sam to go North and find out myself if the figure was authentic. I didn’t have to go far to get a lead on what I can now tag as “The Baga 145 Dead Hoax”.

Ten years of living in the North making friends and living in various cities had accumulated for me finger tip knowledge of the region and a few friends – some of my friends are alive till today. One friend lives in New Marte, a community close to Baga – and it was to him I turned. My suspicion about the I85 casualty story arose from three irrefutable facts available to me.

First, I can never remember a single occasion in the past when the newspapers in Nigeria had agreed on the same figure when a great catastrophe had occurred. So: why now? The answer to that took little time to figure out. The figure I85 was given by someone seeking to plant a horror story after the battle. Second, Baga, being about 230 kilometers from Maiduguri, no reporter could have been there as a witness. Visit:www.delesobowale.com