This essay will not
be released to or published in the mainstream Nigerian media because it will be
considered as being “too hot”. Yet its message is far too important for it not
to be written or for it to be ignored. I would urge those that have thin skins,
that are easily excitable, that have an aversion to truth or that are unduly
sensitive to criticism and the ugly realities that we are faced with in Nigeria
today to stop reading now and drop the essay because they will not be able to
cope with its contents. I am a historian and my intention for writing it is
simply to enlighten, educate and inform rather than to create rancour, tension,
strife, division or stress. I do not seek to incite anyone and neither do I
believe in or advocate violence in any shape or form. I have also proferred a
solution to what I consider to be the problem that some of our northern
compatriots pose at the end of the essay. It is a long contribution so I have
broken it into two parts. Each part is well worth reading and it is my prayer
that you stay with me till the end. Here we go. A few weeks ago one Mr. Adamu
Mohammed wrote an essay on Facebook titled ‘Your Land Or Your Blood’. The
write-up was widely-published in Nigeria and it was well circulated in the
social media. It has indeed been the subject of much interest and a heated
debate. He wrote as follows and kindly overlook the bad grammar and colorful
language: “Ever since President Muhammadu Buhari took over the mantle of
leadership of this great country Nigeria, we (Hausa-Fulanis) have come under
severe media attack from enemies of progress. Just because they are educated
than us, they stereotype us with negativity. Just because they own and control
the media, they use the media against us. But let me make something clear to
you stupid fellows hating us, whether you love us or hate us, it doesn’t change
anything. We are who we are and we will continue to remain like that. We hate
you even more and we can never love you because you are all infidels. I pity
those of you who keep deluding yourselves that we can love and trust you simply
because you worked against your people to our own advantage, never! I heard
that the stupid Governor of Oyo State, Ajimobi said that they won’t accept the
proposed Grazing Bill. But my message to the filthy Yoruba pig is that, if you
don’t want to give us your cursed land, we will rear our cattle not only on
your farmlands but in your churches. And if you try to stop us, we would killed
your chicken hearted men like rabbits then turn your mothers, wives, sisters
and daughters to our sex slaves like we have always done. It is either you give
the whole of South to us to use as grazing reserve or we soak it with your
blood. And what you would do like you always do is noise on Facebook and
Twitter. You cannot be united against us because there would always be the
likes of Tinubu, Amaechi and Okorocha in your midst who will divide you for
selfishness and love of money. Such treacherous characters can’t survive in our
midst because we burn them and their families. I so much detest Southern
Christians because they are the problem of this country. If I have my way,
there won’t be any functional church in this country, especially in the North.
That’s why I am so much happy with Governor El-Rufai who
is living up to the expectations of Allah in Kaduna State. We are not really
pleased with President Muhammadu Buhari who is too slow to implement everything
we asked him to implement in this country for us; he has not even done 20% of
the Northern/Islam agenda, what he is waiting for I don’t know. We will make
life unbearable for Igbos like they are in Hell, and yet we won’t let them have
their useless Biafra because the whole of South is a conquered territory. We
can never see Yorubas as allies no matter how hard they try to please or serve
us because they are born traitors and infidels. Those slaves in the Middle Belt
would continue to be willing tools in our hands, and the day they attempt to
raise their heads, we will cut off their heads like weeds. I lack words to tell
the inconsequential and always crying Niger Delta because what we are waiting
for is for President Buhari to declare state of emergency in Rivers, Bayelsa
and Delta, then we will show them how to use power. We are at war with you
people but we won’t allow the country to breakup because, natural resources
found in any part of the country is our heritage and birth right. We will
continue killing you in large numbers until you are truly submissive to us as
your slave masters. We won’t stop killing you until we fully takeover your land
as a conquered territory. This is not the time to mince words, this is not the
time to sugarcoat things, and this is not the time to be economical with the
truth, this is nothing but the truth, ignore it at your own peril”- Adamu
Mohammed. As repugnant as they are and as despicable as he is we must thank Mr.
Mohammed for his honesty and for speaking his mind. His views and intent are
self-evident and need no further analysis or explanation. The point that needs
to be grasped and fully appreciated though is that his is not the view of a
minority or some inconsequential lunatic fringe in the core north. His words
represent the thinking of many in the north even though most of them would
rather hide it or mask it rather than voice it out. Mrs. Mary Ekeh captured the
situation very well when she offered the following counsel about the Grazing
Reserve Bill after she read Mohammed’s essay. She wrote: “Please continue to
pass this leaked information until every Yoruba, Igbo, all tribes and all
Christian parts of Nigeria gets alerted. This was planned many years by Fulanis
as a strategic way to Islamization of Nigeria. That was why Buhari continued
running for presidency even at his old age because they knew he is the most
possible mean to achieve their goal. In 1804 – 1808. Fulanis came in from
Guinea to the Northern part of Nigeria, led by Usman Dan fodio. He
lead in jihad against the Hausa kingdoms of the northern Nigeria. The forces of
Usman dan Fodio slowly took over more and more of the Hausa kingdoms through
war. By 1810, Fulanis had already conquered all Hausa. They formed Boko Haram
sect solely for the process, waiting for Buhari or any of their Fulani brother
to come in power but Unfortunately, Goodluck Jonathan came into power and they
became annoyed. They started their violence to distract him and whether it was
Yoruba or Igbo that was on the seat during President Goodluck Jonathan’s
regime. The same thing could’ve still happened about Boko haram. Now their
dream has been achieved having their brother on top. Here is their plan. They
started herdsmen war believing that they have the chance to control all parts
of the country since they are in power and forces. If Grazing Reserve Bill is
passed and achieved, it means that Fulanis will have a place mapped out for
them in all 36 states of Nigeria. The next thing is that they will start
bringing in their wives and children and take over your land”- MARY EKEH. Mrs.
Ekeh’s analysis is superlative and her admonitions are timely and appropriate.
Permit me to share another contribution from yet another northern voice who has
employed the same colourful language as Mr. Adamu Mohammed and who suffers from
the same hateful disposition. His name is Mr. Aliyu Gwarzo and in 2014 he wrote
an essay titled “It Is Either The Koran Or The Sword”. Like Mr. Mohammed’s
which came two years later, his piece was also widely circulated and it also
generated a heated debate. He wrote as follows: “When I say that the Presidency
must come to the north next year I am referring to the Hausa-Fulani core north
and not any northern christian or Muslim minority tribe. The Christians in the
north such as the Berom, the Tiv, the Kataf, the Jaba, the Zuru, the Sayyawa,
the Bachama, the Jukun, the Idoma and all the others are nothing and the Muslim
minorities in the north, including the Kanuri, the Nupe, the Igbira, the Babur,
the Shuwa Arabs, the Marghur and all the others know that when we are talking
about leadership in the north and in Nigeria, Allah has given it to us, the
Hausa-Fulani. They can grumble, moan and groan as much as they want but each
time they go into their bedrooms to meet their wives and each time they get on
their prayer mats to begin their prayers, it is we the Fulani that they think
of, that they fear, that they bow to and that they pray for. Some of them are even
ready to give us their wives and daughters for one nights sport and pleasure.
They owe us everything. This is because we gave them Islam through the great
Jihad waged by Sheik Usman Dan Fodio. We also captured Ilorin, killed their
local King and installed our Fulani Emir. We took that ancient town away from
the barbarian yoruba and their filthy pagan gods. We liberated all these places
and all these people by imposing islam on them by force. It was either the
Koran or the sword and most of them chose the Koran. In return for the good
works of our forefathers Allah, through the British, gave us Nigeria to rule
and to do with as we please. Since 1960 we have been doing that and we intend
to continue. No Goodluck or anyone else will stop us from taking back our power
next year. We will kill, maim, destroy and turn this country into Africa’s
biggest war zone and refugee camp if they try it. Many say we are behind Boko
Haram. My answer is what do you expect? We do not have economic power or
intellectual power. All we have is political power and they want to take even
that from us. We must fight and we will fight back in order to keep it. They
have brought in the infidels from America and the pigs from Israel to help them
but they will fail. The war has just begun, the Mujahadeen are more than ready
and by Allah we shall win. If they don’t want an ISIS in Nigeria then they must
give us back the Presidency and our political power. Their soldiers are killing our warriors and our people
every day but mark this: even if it takes one hundred years we will have our
revenge. Every Fulani man that they kill is a debt that will be repaid even if
it takes 100 years. The Fulani have very long memories”- Aliyu Gwarzo.
Mr. Aliyu Gwarzo, like Mr. Adamu Mohammed that came after him, has expressed a
point of view which, though utterly reprehensible and barbaric, reflects the
thinking of many in the core Muslim north. These sentiments are regrettable and
unacceptable yet no matter how much we complain about such views or pretend
that they are not representative of the thinking of the majority in the core
Muslim north, we must learn to live with them or deal with them. We must also
adopt all necessary measures to enlighten our people about the dangers and
challenges that such sentiments present and we must be ready to do all that is
in our power to defend and protect them. That is what leaders are meant to do.
Indeed that is the challenge and burden that every southern and middle belt
leader in our nation is faced with and carries today.
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