Genocides in Nigeria and Western propaganda, By Ahmed Aminu-Ramatu Yusuf

Rightwing racist forces in the West, led by the United States (US), are religionising the ongoing terrorism and genocides against indigenous Nigerians. While Nigerians should strongly counter this propaganda, we should, nevertheless, hold President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as President, Commander-in-Chief and Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria, largely responsible for the development.

The ongoing terrorism, which has led to genocides, date back to around 2014, when Fulani oligarchs imported Fulani terrorists from all over West and Central Africa to destabilise Nigeria should General Muhammadu Buhari lose the 2015 presidential elections. Happily, the then President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, willingly, and without any ado, accepted defeat, congratulated, and handed over power to Buhari.

The terrorists they brought in, however, refused to return to their countries, deciding to remain in Nigeria and make a profession in banditry, kidnapping for ransom and terrorism. Buhari and his fellow Fulani oligarchs not only tolerated these terrorists, but also defended them.

President Tinubu, who took over power from Buhari in 2023, promised to continue where Buhari stopped. True to his promise, he has catapulted poverty, hunger, and insecurity to the “next level”, making Nigerians to nickname him “Uncle “T”-Pain”.

With the increasing terrorism, which has to genocides and crimes against humanity, and government indecisiveness in confronting them, why won’t Western powers not capitalize on these inactions to blackmail and arm-twist Tinubu administration to totally submit to their dictates?

If Tinubu had given express directives to the armed forces, State Security Services, and police, had given them a free-hand, provided the resources needed, and set time-table to liquate the terrorists, the West would not have been maliciously spreading the little-truth and great-lies about the alleged mass extermination of Nigerian Christians.

If Uncle “T”-Pain had approved the historically informed and politically expedient suggestions that society be armed to confront the terrorists, the ongoing genocides against African Traditional Religions (ATRs) practitioners, Christians and Muslims would have been history.

If Tinubu had expose those supporting the terrorists, and brought them to justice, Western powers would not have been wailing about genocide against Christians! Even if they did, the Nigerian society – not the government – would have successfully countered their propaganda, caricatured them, and expose them for who they really are!

Nay, Tinubu’s politicism, pomposity and his do-or-die desperation to win the 2027 presidential elections, might have compelled him to compromise “the security and well being” of Nigerians. If he had paid attention to tackling insecurity the way he is paying attention to 2027 elections, the West would not have dared say Christians are being exterminated in Nigeria!

The “T”-Pain appointment of Nuhu Ribadu as his Security Adviser, Mohammmed Badaru Abubakar as Minister of Defence, and Bello Matawelle as Minister of State for Defence – all Fulanis – show how unserious he is with security of lives and property! These men are widely seen to be empathizers of those non-state actors troubling and terrorizing the country.

Therefore, the sentimental criticism against never-good Western elements by Nigerian lumpen politicians, pseudo intellectuals, praise-singers, political turncoats, cash and carry clerics, and hungry social media propagandists will not sell. It is pointless inflaming national parochialism and anti-imperialism when terrorism, genocide, and crimes against humanity are the order of the day in Nigeria!

Whether we like it or not, Christians are being daily massacred, their farms destroyed, and women – including underaged children – raped. Their villages are sacked, ethnic-cleansing perpetrated, land confiscated, communities seized and renamed, Fulani chiefs, or ardo, installed, and more Fulanis imported to change the ethnic and religious demography of the areas.

Story-story, portrayed as “history”, are fabricated, and “religious verdicts” concocted to justified the seizure of people’s land. Peaceful co-existence preached, the indigenous people disarmed, while the invaders are left with their arms to keep terrorizing and exterminating the aboriginal people.

The results have been peace without justice, appropriation of people’s land, pollution of their traditions, devaluation of their cultures, and their dehumanization, and depersonalization.

But Christians are not the only victims. ATR practitioners and Muslims are equally victims. Therefore, just as Churches are attacked, worshippers massacred, and clerics kidnapped, ransomed, and even killed, after the payment of huge ransoms, so are the practitioners of ATR and Muslims.

In fact, no Nigerian ethnic group has been so much terrorized, so depopulated, so dehumanized, and reduced to virtually nothing by the terrorists like the Hausas. Their mosques are continuously attacked, and worshippers massacred by satanic forces, who cheerfully shout “Allahu Akbra”!

The Hausas, largely Muslims, with few Christians and ATR practitioners, are largely agrarian, highly industrious, deeply religious, and extremely tolerant. They are the largest ethnic group, constituting thirty-two per cent, of Nigerian population.

Yet, the Hausas more than any Nigerian ethnic group have suffered the most from the terrorism and genocides of Fulani terrorists – backed by the Fulani oligarchs. They are virtually excluded from politics and administration in their native land, and have been reduced to virtual irrelevance. Their tolerance to injustices has been, and remains, their greatest misfortune and undoing.

The terrorism against the Hausas first emerged, on a major scale, in Zamfara State. There, a religiously hypocritical and ethnically-biased Fulani oligarch imposed and enforced anti-poor “Sharia law” in October 1999. The victims were primarily and largely Hausas.

Increasingly, but especially from 2015, Fulani terrorists began to massively commit genocides against the Hausas in Zamfara State. This gradually spread to Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, and Kaduna States. The genocides systematically extended to the Middle-Belt states, especially Benue and Plateau States – peopled largely by indigenous ethnic minorities and Christians.

Today, the terrorism has engulfed Nupe, Gbagyi, Ebira and Igala lands – areas, which under Buhari, decisively struck fierce blows on the terrorists. Even the Yorubas in Kwara State are now terrorized. This cancer has spread to Edo and Enugu States in the South, and, if nothing concrete is done, will soon engulf the entire country! These are what fertilized the ground for perverted and hypocritical elements in the West to religionize the genocides in Nigeria!

Therefore, blame not the West. Western satanic interests dictate they divide and rule. Like vampires, they eat human flesh and drink human blood. Every struggle for democracy, development and justice must be weaponized, without which they will not get our natural resources at cheap rates. Without which they cannot successfully dictate to African governments not to join BRICS. Without which they cannot keep us in perpetual bondage.

Equally important, these Western elements are interested in smashing the ever-increasing unity and solidarity between indigenous Muslims, Christians and ATR practitioners. The increasing collaboration and struggles between Hausas and the Middle-Belters for recognition and treatment as human beings must be subverted. That is their mission, goal and objective.

Of course, Western uproar has drawn global attention to the terrorism, genocide and crimes against humanity in Nigeria. But it must be remembered that Western imperialist forces are the greatest terrorists’ humanity has ever seen, and history has recorded. They are what they are today because of their wars, terrorism, genocides, racism, classism, plundering and crimes against humanity. Hence, they should never be trusted.

Whatever ‘good’ the United States does to us, we must always remember what Che Guevara said; that America is an: “immense imperialist hyena” and “the greatest enemy of the human race”.

For the terrorised ATR practitioners, Christians and Muslims, our unity of purpose must continuously be marched with our unity of actions. Our slogan should be: “An injury to one is an injury to all!”

Ahmed Aminu-Ramatu Yusuf worked as deputy director, Cabinet Affairs Office, The Presidency, and retired as General Manager (Administration), Nigerian Meteorological Agency, (NiMet). Email: [email protected]