BY AMBROSE EHIRIM
Life was certainly easing up a little bit with a hopeful upcoming prosperous better year in a matter of days as the war on terror seemed to be waning; though, the emergence of Taliban in Afghanistan had taken a new dimension for the United States and its allies in fighting the terrible war on terror. Nobody had thought al Quaeda was still functioning very well in maintaining its strongholds toward the development of fatal devices to attack United States' interest all around the world.
Christmas Day was another way to learn a lesson that al Quaeda was still out there, underground, recruiting and training would-be suicide bombers and terrorists in the name of radical Islam. And this time around, in an attempt to use another United States aircraft for another act of terrorism on United States, it came from what some couldn't have imagined since the focus of "fishing out" al Quaeda operatives had been on the Arab Peninsula, the Far East - India, Pakistan, Kashmir, Afghanistan - and countries surrounding the Black Sea, including the states in Limbo, the quasi countries teetering on the brink of statehood - Abkhazia, Puntland, South Ossetia - "nations" that particularly doesn't exist and where al Quaeda had been known to either have strongholds or gearing up to open up cells.
Yes, some couldn't have imagined that a Nigerian-born Umar Forouk Abdulmutallab would be trained to attack the United States, which has raised questions from many circles including my colleagues who had been wondering what had gone wrong regarding the Nigerian terror suspect, the least they had expected.
On the morning of December 26, 2009, my longtime friend, Ardis Hamilton, had called me, and I had looked forward to his gist relating to his trip to Costa Rica, one of his routine annual vacations.
"Hey, Ambrose, what's happening, man!? What's going on with Nigeria, man!? Come on, man, what's going on with your country and all that terrorism stuff, man!? That is not cool, and I will tell you that," shouted Ardis.
"Are you surprised it happened?" I replied in response.
"Of course, I am, man! This is crazy. Unbelievable. Nigeria?" Ardis said.
"Well, unfortunately, not too many of you guys know about that country called Nigeria and the goings on ever since it was fabricated by the colonists," I said.
That was part of our brief telephone conversations regarding what unfolded the previous day, the day a 23-year-old Nigerian, Abdulmutallab, attempted to blow up a Detroit-bound Northwest Airline Flight 253.
The news was all over the media - the print and electronic - with some astounded and many not even surprised, for it was only a matter of time for the secular Northern Nigeria murderous Islamic Jihadists to take their deadly casts to a whole new heights going overboard to blow up a United States aircaft. Even upon my arrival later in the day of December 26, at Black Township's Leimert Park, California, where the joyous festivities and merry-making to commemorate Kwaanza, being held and observed which was lukewarm as a result of Abdulmutallab's newest adventure that gave him a "15 minutes" of fame in a very bad way, "what's up with Nigeria?!" echoed all around the hood.
Leaving aside the thought of the alleged son of a "prominent Nigerian banker" who had been privileged to attend British run elite school in neigboring French-speaking Togoland, then to University College, London, what could have inspired this kid to go as far as he did, and the senior Abdulmutallab could not detect his boy's out of character early enough for attempt to destroy a Detroit-bound Northwest Airline Flight 253, not to have happened? How are we sure Abdulmutallab's father did not encourage him or prepared him through series of contacts by way of bankrolling the projects in the quest to kill we who they call "infidels" in their "satanic verses" of the Holy Koran? And since Abdulmutallab, the former minister and "prominent Nigerian banker" claimed and told us he reported his son's suspicious moves to the United States months before said attempt, why was he reluctant in notifying the Nigerian media? With the history of the northern caliphates and its groomed Islamic Jihadic nihilists and hoodlums who plundered and demolished properties, raped Igbo women, eviscerated the pregnant ones, beheaded Southern Christians, and burned down their churches to the ground, why should it take too much probing to elicit testimony that these dreaded mallams are cold-blooded murderers?
And of what background is Abdulmutallab? And what is the history of his clan in Nigeria and elsewhere on the northern deserts of West Africa? And throughout this process, and the damages radical Islam had caused all around the world with obvious horrific events in Nigeria before 9/11, why is it so difficult to comprehend the fact that terrorist cells had been in Nigeria even before the United States began its war on terror?
The tone I have drawn here: origin, religion, ethnicity and arguments in this form of public worship are not only the product of terrorists, suicide bombers, making of lethal devices. organizational funding, travel arrangements and logistics. They have been encouraged, sponsored and developed by Saudi Arabia, and the West vividly knew it and kept quiet. Saudi Arabia is the root of all terrorist activities, and in order to win the war on terror effectively, that root must be uprooted.
And Abdulmutallab's full name has nothing to identify with a typical traditional Nigerian, or a typical Hausa descent like Dogoyaro, Baba Yara, Sofo Bature, Funla Masa, Mutum Banza, Kudi Mangana, Metusa, Gujia, Ina Zaka and names and stuff of that nature typical of Hausa heritage in a fabricated Nigeria. He bears a full-fledged Arabic name whose clan "is" Arab influenced.
So now that Abdulmutallab's father has been cleared for his beforehand complaint to the United Staes about his son's out of character, what point does it make when a father who had taken the full task of raising a child, sending him to the best institutions of learning in these modern times, not to have known way before time that his son had gone out of character - in a dire case of terrorism years ago - while grooming his child as a mentoring parent to produce one of society's best on the basis of humble beginnings from a father's prominence and legacy?
But a deeper reason may be at work here, for instance, the extensive to near exhaustive debates, commentaries and analyses including reports that had been seen over the years at Igbonet, Igbo Forum, and BiafraNigeriaWorld and other related websites; and my articles that had been widely published on a wide range of issues regarding a fabricated national state called "Nigeria," and that "Nigeria" had never been a one country from the time of the constitutional conferences as asserted by Obafemi Awolowo; and in 1966, when the country lost its sense of purpose which resulted to the first military coup; in July 1966, the counter coup which propped up a whole lot of confusion, leading to a civil war on agitation for self-reliance based on the inexplicable events which erupted the pogrom; and ever since, too many complicated issues arriving from civil unrest, militancy and things like that for the quest of plebiscite; the Hausa-Fulanis and their murderous Islamic Jihadists chose all sorts of anarchy instead; which was evident that the country had nothing in common from its numerous cultures and ethnicities as in the Balkans, and shouldn't have been joined together by a British mandate.
Shouldn't we have known, then, from all the vagaries and uncertainties surrounding a Nigerian national state, that no such thing as Nigeria, and that it is impossible for its existence?
Well, Awolowo, the Yoruba tribalist, saw it firsthand and argued that this is indeed the case. He wrote:
"When imperial powers ratified the final share-out of colonial territories at the Berlin Conference in 1885, Nigeria existed as three separate political units. These corresponded roughly with the present three regions, and administered by three different authorities. Since the amalgamation all efforts of the British government have been devoted to developing the country into a unitary state. This is patently impossible; and it is astonishing that a nation wide political experience like Great Britain fell into such a palpable error. If rapid political progress is to be made in Nigeria, it is high time we were realistic in tackling its constitutional problems. Nigeria is not a nation. It is a mere geographical expression. There are no "Nigerians" in the same sense as there are "English," "Welsh," or "French." The word Nigeria is merely a distinctive appellation to distinguish those who live within the boundaries of Nigeria from those who do not."
But whether or not Awolowo was right - and I for one think that he was, at least about his analogy on the Welsh, the Scot, and the Brit to a multicultural and multiethnic enclave like Nigeria, even though his orchestrated "economic blockade" was designed to wipe out the Igbo nation from the face of this planet in Yakubu Gowon's-led genocidal campaign, despite all legitimate measures taken to avoid it, which brings to the fore that nothing could stop the bloodthirsty northern Islamic Jihadists from carrying out their wish list of horrific carnage; blood letting, wantom killing, demolishing and plundering of properties that continues apace.
Yet the West kept a sealed lip and watch all the atrocities unfold until terrorism surfaced on American soil, which begun a new chapter and a new way of fighting the war on terror, never mind the Islamic presence in the United States, not to be compared in any way the huge Islamic communities in France, Germany and Britain. And inspite of all this, and apparently, no serious attempt was made to have noticed the presence and threats of a potential deadly gangs of terrorists.
And with all that warning shots, we sat idled and watched as if it's a child's play which made sense recollecting the ongoing debate at BiafraNigeriaWorld Message Board; and reading carefully we learn a whole lot from the talking heads at this message board. One, Icheoku, by his handle, made it patently clear that Nigeria is a terrorist state and Abdulmutallab had been groomed to be a terrorist from childhood. He writes:
"Reading the views of the ruling class of BiafraNigeria, on the US action of including Nigeria in the list of terrorist states, shows we are yet to understand that the US is a country, which takes the security of the lives and investments of its citizens seriously. How can anyone fail to see that all the unprovoked and persistent killing of innocent Christians in the North particularly since the North commenced its agenda of islamizing Nigeria through the introduction and forceful implementaion of Sharia, did not influence the terrorist, Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab? The boy was right there, in the North till he was 13 years, his impressionable years. He saw those who worshiped with him in the same mosque routinely murder thousands of Christians, burn their churches and rape their women because their Imams openly dub them (Christians) infidels and promise them heavingly rewards of 12 virgins if they die while killing Christians. He saw fellow Muslims in the North celebrate Osama bin-Laden when WTC was bombed on 9/11, 2001.They even made and wore t-shirts with Osama bin-Laden's picture. It became a fashion statement for them in the North and no one challenged them. He knew they went on a killing spree of Christians because of a cartoon in far away European country. Besides, he heard Osama bin-Laden's admonition to Nigerian Muslims to overthrow the infidel government of Olusegun Obasanjo some years back. Yet we fail to acknowledge these facts. As far as I am concerned, Northern Nigeria is a hotbed for growing real and potential terrorists. Therefore, Nigeria is a terrorist State. It is clear now because the Muslims have gone beyond the borders of Nigeria."
Writing from experience and based on eyewitness accounts, Icheoku was a victim of the pogrom and had seen all kinds of terrorist activities unfold in his native land. And this one from Ikenga Iguedo:
"Nigeria is a terror sponsor state and should be branded a such, calling Nigeria a place of interest at this moment despite the fact the Nigerian oligarchy has not and will never condemn terrorism is absurd, an action the Western authorities will defiantly regret in the long run. These people live and thrive in terror, killing Christians for them is like watching a baseball match in America. The Obama administration has the duty to inform the American public of the truth about Nigeria. He must encourage Gordon Brown to loosen the conspiracy of the British government and the Nigeria northern oligarchy to hold on to power by means of terrorism and in turn, allow Britain unlimited access to oil in the Christian South. It's now down to oil money or American lives."
Nevertheless, recognizing the fact that Nigeria is a terrorist state which summarizes the agenda from this framework that terrorism had been well established in Nigeria even before the world knew it, the United States must not stop fighting the war on terror; the pounding of terrorist nations must continue in order to defeat this new war of terrorism, entirely. But again, for those who wish us well and wish the United States well, too, must keep something in mind, especially in France, Germany and Britain which has in all accounts the largest concentration of not particularly and radical Islamic community, that our protection based on expericience to defend ourselves against any existential threat begins at home, and avoiding it must be done preemptively.
Life was certainly easing up a little bit with a hopeful upcoming prosperous better year in a matter of days as the war on terror seemed to be waning; though, the emergence of Taliban in Afghanistan had taken a new dimension for the United States and its allies in fighting the terrible war on terror. Nobody had thought al Quaeda was still functioning very well in maintaining its strongholds toward the development of fatal devices to attack United States' interest all around the world.
Christmas Day was another way to learn a lesson that al Quaeda was still out there, underground, recruiting and training would-be suicide bombers and terrorists in the name of radical Islam. And this time around, in an attempt to use another United States aircraft for another act of terrorism on United States, it came from what some couldn't have imagined since the focus of "fishing out" al Quaeda operatives had been on the Arab Peninsula, the Far East - India, Pakistan, Kashmir, Afghanistan - and countries surrounding the Black Sea, including the states in Limbo, the quasi countries teetering on the brink of statehood - Abkhazia, Puntland, South Ossetia - "nations" that particularly doesn't exist and where al Quaeda had been known to either have strongholds or gearing up to open up cells.
Yes, some couldn't have imagined that a Nigerian-born Umar Forouk Abdulmutallab would be trained to attack the United States, which has raised questions from many circles including my colleagues who had been wondering what had gone wrong regarding the Nigerian terror suspect, the least they had expected.
On the morning of December 26, 2009, my longtime friend, Ardis Hamilton, had called me, and I had looked forward to his gist relating to his trip to Costa Rica, one of his routine annual vacations.
"Hey, Ambrose, what's happening, man!? What's going on with Nigeria, man!? Come on, man, what's going on with your country and all that terrorism stuff, man!? That is not cool, and I will tell you that," shouted Ardis.
"Are you surprised it happened?" I replied in response.
"Of course, I am, man! This is crazy. Unbelievable. Nigeria?" Ardis said.
"Well, unfortunately, not too many of you guys know about that country called Nigeria and the goings on ever since it was fabricated by the colonists," I said.
That was part of our brief telephone conversations regarding what unfolded the previous day, the day a 23-year-old Nigerian, Abdulmutallab, attempted to blow up a Detroit-bound Northwest Airline Flight 253.
The news was all over the media - the print and electronic - with some astounded and many not even surprised, for it was only a matter of time for the secular Northern Nigeria murderous Islamic Jihadists to take their deadly casts to a whole new heights going overboard to blow up a United States aircaft. Even upon my arrival later in the day of December 26, at Black Township's Leimert Park, California, where the joyous festivities and merry-making to commemorate Kwaanza, being held and observed which was lukewarm as a result of Abdulmutallab's newest adventure that gave him a "15 minutes" of fame in a very bad way, "what's up with Nigeria?!" echoed all around the hood.
Leaving aside the thought of the alleged son of a "prominent Nigerian banker" who had been privileged to attend British run elite school in neigboring French-speaking Togoland, then to University College, London, what could have inspired this kid to go as far as he did, and the senior Abdulmutallab could not detect his boy's out of character early enough for attempt to destroy a Detroit-bound Northwest Airline Flight 253, not to have happened? How are we sure Abdulmutallab's father did not encourage him or prepared him through series of contacts by way of bankrolling the projects in the quest to kill we who they call "infidels" in their "satanic verses" of the Holy Koran? And since Abdulmutallab, the former minister and "prominent Nigerian banker" claimed and told us he reported his son's suspicious moves to the United States months before said attempt, why was he reluctant in notifying the Nigerian media? With the history of the northern caliphates and its groomed Islamic Jihadic nihilists and hoodlums who plundered and demolished properties, raped Igbo women, eviscerated the pregnant ones, beheaded Southern Christians, and burned down their churches to the ground, why should it take too much probing to elicit testimony that these dreaded mallams are cold-blooded murderers?
And of what background is Abdulmutallab? And what is the history of his clan in Nigeria and elsewhere on the northern deserts of West Africa? And throughout this process, and the damages radical Islam had caused all around the world with obvious horrific events in Nigeria before 9/11, why is it so difficult to comprehend the fact that terrorist cells had been in Nigeria even before the United States began its war on terror?
The tone I have drawn here: origin, religion, ethnicity and arguments in this form of public worship are not only the product of terrorists, suicide bombers, making of lethal devices. organizational funding, travel arrangements and logistics. They have been encouraged, sponsored and developed by Saudi Arabia, and the West vividly knew it and kept quiet. Saudi Arabia is the root of all terrorist activities, and in order to win the war on terror effectively, that root must be uprooted.
And Abdulmutallab's full name has nothing to identify with a typical traditional Nigerian, or a typical Hausa descent like Dogoyaro, Baba Yara, Sofo Bature, Funla Masa, Mutum Banza, Kudi Mangana, Metusa, Gujia, Ina Zaka and names and stuff of that nature typical of Hausa heritage in a fabricated Nigeria. He bears a full-fledged Arabic name whose clan "is" Arab influenced.
So now that Abdulmutallab's father has been cleared for his beforehand complaint to the United Staes about his son's out of character, what point does it make when a father who had taken the full task of raising a child, sending him to the best institutions of learning in these modern times, not to have known way before time that his son had gone out of character - in a dire case of terrorism years ago - while grooming his child as a mentoring parent to produce one of society's best on the basis of humble beginnings from a father's prominence and legacy?
But a deeper reason may be at work here, for instance, the extensive to near exhaustive debates, commentaries and analyses including reports that had been seen over the years at Igbonet, Igbo Forum, and BiafraNigeriaWorld and other related websites; and my articles that had been widely published on a wide range of issues regarding a fabricated national state called "Nigeria," and that "Nigeria" had never been a one country from the time of the constitutional conferences as asserted by Obafemi Awolowo; and in 1966, when the country lost its sense of purpose which resulted to the first military coup; in July 1966, the counter coup which propped up a whole lot of confusion, leading to a civil war on agitation for self-reliance based on the inexplicable events which erupted the pogrom; and ever since, too many complicated issues arriving from civil unrest, militancy and things like that for the quest of plebiscite; the Hausa-Fulanis and their murderous Islamic Jihadists chose all sorts of anarchy instead; which was evident that the country had nothing in common from its numerous cultures and ethnicities as in the Balkans, and shouldn't have been joined together by a British mandate.
Shouldn't we have known, then, from all the vagaries and uncertainties surrounding a Nigerian national state, that no such thing as Nigeria, and that it is impossible for its existence?
Well, Awolowo, the Yoruba tribalist, saw it firsthand and argued that this is indeed the case. He wrote:
"When imperial powers ratified the final share-out of colonial territories at the Berlin Conference in 1885, Nigeria existed as three separate political units. These corresponded roughly with the present three regions, and administered by three different authorities. Since the amalgamation all efforts of the British government have been devoted to developing the country into a unitary state. This is patently impossible; and it is astonishing that a nation wide political experience like Great Britain fell into such a palpable error. If rapid political progress is to be made in Nigeria, it is high time we were realistic in tackling its constitutional problems. Nigeria is not a nation. It is a mere geographical expression. There are no "Nigerians" in the same sense as there are "English," "Welsh," or "French." The word Nigeria is merely a distinctive appellation to distinguish those who live within the boundaries of Nigeria from those who do not."
But whether or not Awolowo was right - and I for one think that he was, at least about his analogy on the Welsh, the Scot, and the Brit to a multicultural and multiethnic enclave like Nigeria, even though his orchestrated "economic blockade" was designed to wipe out the Igbo nation from the face of this planet in Yakubu Gowon's-led genocidal campaign, despite all legitimate measures taken to avoid it, which brings to the fore that nothing could stop the bloodthirsty northern Islamic Jihadists from carrying out their wish list of horrific carnage; blood letting, wantom killing, demolishing and plundering of properties that continues apace.
Yet the West kept a sealed lip and watch all the atrocities unfold until terrorism surfaced on American soil, which begun a new chapter and a new way of fighting the war on terror, never mind the Islamic presence in the United States, not to be compared in any way the huge Islamic communities in France, Germany and Britain. And inspite of all this, and apparently, no serious attempt was made to have noticed the presence and threats of a potential deadly gangs of terrorists.
And with all that warning shots, we sat idled and watched as if it's a child's play which made sense recollecting the ongoing debate at BiafraNigeriaWorld Message Board; and reading carefully we learn a whole lot from the talking heads at this message board. One, Icheoku, by his handle, made it patently clear that Nigeria is a terrorist state and Abdulmutallab had been groomed to be a terrorist from childhood. He writes:
"Reading the views of the ruling class of BiafraNigeria, on the US action of including Nigeria in the list of terrorist states, shows we are yet to understand that the US is a country, which takes the security of the lives and investments of its citizens seriously. How can anyone fail to see that all the unprovoked and persistent killing of innocent Christians in the North particularly since the North commenced its agenda of islamizing Nigeria through the introduction and forceful implementaion of Sharia, did not influence the terrorist, Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab? The boy was right there, in the North till he was 13 years, his impressionable years. He saw those who worshiped with him in the same mosque routinely murder thousands of Christians, burn their churches and rape their women because their Imams openly dub them (Christians) infidels and promise them heavingly rewards of 12 virgins if they die while killing Christians. He saw fellow Muslims in the North celebrate Osama bin-Laden when WTC was bombed on 9/11, 2001.They even made and wore t-shirts with Osama bin-Laden's picture. It became a fashion statement for them in the North and no one challenged them. He knew they went on a killing spree of Christians because of a cartoon in far away European country. Besides, he heard Osama bin-Laden's admonition to Nigerian Muslims to overthrow the infidel government of Olusegun Obasanjo some years back. Yet we fail to acknowledge these facts. As far as I am concerned, Northern Nigeria is a hotbed for growing real and potential terrorists. Therefore, Nigeria is a terrorist State. It is clear now because the Muslims have gone beyond the borders of Nigeria."
Writing from experience and based on eyewitness accounts, Icheoku was a victim of the pogrom and had seen all kinds of terrorist activities unfold in his native land. And this one from Ikenga Iguedo:
"Nigeria is a terror sponsor state and should be branded a such, calling Nigeria a place of interest at this moment despite the fact the Nigerian oligarchy has not and will never condemn terrorism is absurd, an action the Western authorities will defiantly regret in the long run. These people live and thrive in terror, killing Christians for them is like watching a baseball match in America. The Obama administration has the duty to inform the American public of the truth about Nigeria. He must encourage Gordon Brown to loosen the conspiracy of the British government and the Nigeria northern oligarchy to hold on to power by means of terrorism and in turn, allow Britain unlimited access to oil in the Christian South. It's now down to oil money or American lives."
Nevertheless, recognizing the fact that Nigeria is a terrorist state which summarizes the agenda from this framework that terrorism had been well established in Nigeria even before the world knew it, the United States must not stop fighting the war on terror; the pounding of terrorist nations must continue in order to defeat this new war of terrorism, entirely. But again, for those who wish us well and wish the United States well, too, must keep something in mind, especially in France, Germany and Britain which has in all accounts the largest concentration of not particularly and radical Islamic community, that our protection based on expericience to defend ourselves against any existential threat begins at home, and avoiding it must be done preemptively.
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