Southern Nigeria reacts over Muslims massacre of Christians

By Victor Ulasi and Eromo Egbejule, Nigeria

As the killings and violence continue in the Nigerian city of Jos, leaders of the Igbo extraction are divided over strategies to end the killing of their people in the Tin City, one of the economic nerve centres of Northern Nigeria. Most of the non-natives in the city had been evacuated by their respective state governments after the first major crisis earlier this year but some stayed behind, hoping against hope.

The Igbo are one of the three most populous ethnic groups in Nigeria and constitute majority of the victims in the attacks by Muslims on Christians in the country. The reactions of some leaders of the Igbo community in Enugu State, Nigeria which; is one of the most peaceful states east of the River Niger and predominantly home to more than two million Igbos.

First, Enugu-based traditional ruler and prominent lawyer, Igwe F.A. Ogbuagbo, said in a phone interview that the Jos crisis has in particular, become too frequent, virulent and expensive that it ought to attract serious national attention. To him, the case is obviously religious and political with its severe consequences such as adverse economic and ethnic effects. In his words, “security agencies and the ruling authorities must be alive, honest and true to their duties.” He also wants the recommendations of the several judicial inquiries and panels to be implemented impartially without fear or favour. The traditional ruler suggested that a meeting of key political and traditional rulers, Christian and Islamic clerics alike be convened immediately to help reduce and heal injured inter-ethnic feelings and promote better human relationship and national oneness/unity. He also pleaded with all those that have hidden agenda to drop their ambition and work together for the stability and progress of the nation.

A prominent chief and member of the Igbo national body, Ohaneze Ndigbo in the city of Owerri in the nearby Imo state, who desperately pleaded for anonymity, was so angry he wished he was in Jos with a battalion of soldiers to “personally mutilate those bastards!” He was of the opinion that this was a war between the North and East of Nigeria and “only a drastic cure applies to a drastic disease. If the government is so serious about curbing this malady, it should send more soldiers there to bring our people home and stop the butchering. I am tired of seeing roasted human beings on CNN or Al-Jazeera.” He likened the entire situation to a match between Northern and Eastern Nigeria and warned that no Northener should complain when the East would retaliate.

An elderly trader and member of the Igbo community in Nsukka, Enugu State, Mr. Samuel Ugwuanyi who claimed to have lived for fifteen years in the North, lambasted the new civilian government for being lily-livered. Hear him: “This Yar ‘adua government just likes giving Nigeria a bad image abroad. As bad as Abacha and the others were, there’s no way this would have happened when the military were still in power. Yar’ adua na Hausa man, so why e go do anything to im fellow Muslims as them dey slice us like bread?”

Eighty-seven year old Mr. Chukwuemeka Nwoke was crying as he spoke in his textile materials shop at the Ogige Market, Nsukka. Having lost his nephew in a similar riot some years ago, the death of others was not lost on him. All could say was that “make God do wetin he want do to those Islam people.”

Attempts to get any high-ranking member of the Nsukka Local Government Area Council who said they were futile as they were said to be in a meeting unconnected with the happenings in Jos. The secretary and bearer of the news was somehow indifferent and only seemed to believe that “God go punish those Mallams!”

Some students of the University of Nigeria in the state who have friends and relatives still trapped in the state. Chizitere Ojiaka, 300-level Economics student advocated more tolerance by the Muslims and self-defence as a weapon by the embattled Christians. According to her, “self-defence isn’t murder and I won’t mind killing anyone who tries to harm me or my family in the name of religious cleansing”. Christians standing up for themselves is what Arinze Emenike, 400-level Mechanical Engineering proposes. “No one stands by and watches another put his household in disarray. For how long will this continue while the victims watch on in silence?”

Uche Nwaozuzu, a 300-level undergraduate of the Department of Pure & Industrial Chemistry, was silent for the first few seconds before positing that Christians stay put and keep praying no matter what. “Violence is not an option for Christians. A Muslim is being a Muslim by being violent but all we can do is try and stay out of harm’s reach while praying for God’s protection. May God protect those of my friends still there!”

Meanwhile, non-natives (non-Igbos) in the neighbouring state of Anambra have begun to relocate to their respective home states for fear of reprisal attacks by the Igbo there who they believe to be the most violent among the entire ethnic stock.

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