“I don’t agree with a word of what you say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.” – Voltaire
(1) Is the Nigerian government guilty of terrorizm, genocide, apartheid and suppression in relation to the Niger delta people?
(2) Is the Niger delta a colony of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?
(3) Is 46 years not more than enough for the Nigerian government to solve
the crisis, if it’s really sincere and serious?
Ladies and gentlemen, honourable jurors, judging from the details of this case, it is obvious that the Nigerian government is completely guilty of intentional terrorizm, genocide, suppression, oppression and apartheid in relation to the Niger deltans. What is taking place in the Niger delta is “Modified Black Apartheid” (M.B.A) in the sense that it is apartheid by blacks directed towards other blacks, but in a modified form. The same thing that is happening in the Niger delta happened during the apartheid regime in South Africa. The white supremacists forcefully took over the land and mineral resources – diamond, gold e.t.c. of the black South Africans. The revenues from the sale of these resources served mainly the white supremacists. Black South Africans were slaves in their own country. They lived in dilapidated houses without electricity and water. They did not have access to good education. There was a high rate of unemployment among them. The white supremacists never gave them white-collar jobs. They were given only very low paying jobs like cleaners, maids, couriers, janitors, e.t.c. There was a very high mortality rate among them due to lack of adequate and modern medical service. They lived in abject poverty.
The Niger Delta is a colony of Nigeria for the simple reason that they have absolutely no say in how their resources are explored. They did not participate in negotiating the terms of the oil exploration with foreign companies. Other people derive practically all the benefits from their oil. They are powerless in making foreign oil companies stop the pollution. Details of this very issue is presented in one of my articles titled “Nigeria’s 419 constitution (part 2): The more you work and produce, the less you get.”
By mere denying the Niger delta people, who are the bonafide owners, to have a control over their resources, and use the resources as they please, is itself colonialism, apartheid and terrorizm. The Federal Government has used different terrorist methods to subdue the people into surrender. Constant bombing, raiding and massacring of the indigenes by the Nigerian military is more than enough evidence. The murder of Ken Saro Wiwa and other Ogoni activists by Abacha was meant not only to frighten the people, but also to wipe out any desire whatsoever by the people to continue their protest and struggle. Unfortunately, with the present development, it is clear that this strategy has completely failed. We now know that the Niger deltans are very brave people, and will never allow themselves to be intimidated, humiliated, exploited, colonised, terrorized, suppressed, oppressed and massacred by the Federal Government anymore. They have thrown down the gauntlet!
If the Federal Government ruled almost for good 46 years by northerners – both military and civilians (undoubtedly, Obasanjo’s rule is an extension of the north’s rule since he was sponsored by the north, and he was never the Yoruba candidate) were really serious and sincere to solve this problem, 46 years are more than enough. Instead of finding an acceptable solution to the Niger delta crisis, the north and the military have decided to play a “hide and sick game” with these people, while they continue stealing their resources, and using it to develop the north all in the name of false and non-existing “One Nigeria” – that has never existed before, does not exist now, and will never exist. The Federal Government, all along has engaged in “divide and rule tactics” in order to wear out their resistance, and force the people into submission and accepting their destiny. Unfortunately, they have miscalculated.
Ladies and gentlemen, honourable jurors, to buttress my point further about the atrocities of the Nigerian government, I want to fast backward you to the events that took place more than 10 years ago.
A pressure group was formed by the Ogoni people, with the sole aim of making foreign oil companies and the Federal Government come into terms with the health and environmental hazards inflicted on their people and territory by the oil companies. It was a peaceful body, made up of intellectuals and renowned Nigerian citizens. Ken Saro Wiwa, a renowned Nigerian writer and former President of The Association of Nigerian Writers (ANA), led the group. Saro Wiwa, through his writings, interviews and peaceful demonstrations by his group tried to draw the attention of the government to the plight of his people. However, instead of giving him an audience, and looking into his people’s grievances, the Federal Government not only turned a deaf ear to their plight, but as well accused him of creating instability, organizing violent protests and inciting his people against the government.
As you all know, at that time, the country was under the iron rule of a military junta called sane abaca (may his soul roast in hell! Amen!) abaca became president Nigeria through a palace coup, and not through the ballot box. Abacha, like practically all other Nigeria’s Head of States hailed from the northern part of the country – a region that has always ruled Nigeria either through the barrel of the gun or mass rigging of elections.
When abaca got fed up with Saro Wiwa’s continuous demonstrations, he was eventually arrested with other key members of his group, and accused of murder. The fictitious murder case was plotted by the government in order to silence Saro Wiwa for good.
In actual fact, what happened was that some Ogoni youths out of anger attacked some of the elders who were known to be collaborators with the Federal Government. The federal Government penetrated into their ranks, and these perpetuators were used to carry out the murder. The murder was the golden opportunity that the government had longed for to settle scores with Saro Wiwa. Saro Wiwa and key members of his group were arraigned before a closed military kangaroo court set up by abaca. They were all sentenced to death by hanging. There were pressure and appeals both inside and outside the country by eminent Nigerians and international states men to abaca to spare the lives of Ken and others. But, all to no avail. Ken and other members of his group were eventually hanged at dawn.
Abacha did not stop at that. Instead of giving the bodies of the deceased to their relatives for a befitting burial, he ordered that acid be poured on their bodies!
Out of frustration and desperation the Niger deltans eventually summoned up the courage, and took up arms against their oppressors – the Federal Government of Nigeria. They started blowing up oil rigs and installations. They started taking foreign oil workers as hostages. Despite the fact that foreign oil companies and their workers are one of the major causes of the calamities the people are going through, nevertheless, hostages were treated humanly; not molested in anyway, and, were eventually released after spending some time in the militants’ camps.
Dokubo, a very brave man with commanding physical appearance, heads the Niger delta militants. The Federal Government led by Obasanjo – another thug in military uniform turned civilian over-night, who became president through mass rigging of the election persuaded him into handing over N137 million worth of weapons with the promise that the plight of his people will be addressed. In actual fact, it was a trick because Obj., did not only renege on his promise, but got him arrested for treason. He has been incarcerated for many years in the underground of SSS building. Due to the inhuman treatment in the hands of the SSS operatives, Dokubo has
lost a third of his weight. Till the time of writing, he is still in the custody of the evil SSS in Abuja.
During one of the militants raid on one of the oil installations, a Nigerian soldier was killed. The Federal Government responded by carpet-bombing the villages and buildings in the Niger delta. Villages and buildings were leveled to the ground. The Nigerian army went on a killing rampage. The operation was tagged “shoot anything that moves.”
Ladies and gentlemen, honourable jurors, thank you for your attention. We are taking a break till further notice.
