'Nigeria: the context for violence' (2006-2013)

[KingJaja]

Some feel unhappy that the Nigerian government seems to value foreign lives much more than Nigerian lives. This is a very sore point.

There isn't much sympathy for the deaths of the two hostages because according to some "the British government and Shell weren't in the least bit bothered when they colluded with the Nigerian government to murder hundreds of Nigerians in the Niger Delta".

There is also a little bit of "serves them right". That "Cameron thinks he still is the colonial master of Nigeria and even though he can snap his fingers and get the Nigerian government to do his bidding. Great, even your much vaunted special forces couldn't do this right".

How does this impact on the average Nigerian? Does it make the Nigerian government more likely to intervene to save Nigerian lives? No. Does it cement the already widespread suspicion of Western control over our government? Yes. Does this play well in Nigeria's restive North? I doubt it.

This event in itself has little impact on the security situation in Northern Nigeria. It was a given that the British and Americans would want to do some special ops, but even if those special ops were successful, the impact on the security and safety of Nigerians would be zero. So why should we (Nigerians) be bothered?

There is also a vocal element in the South that rub their hands in glee at the latest misfortune in the North. The Nigerian society is rapidly unraveling and Nigeria is less of united nation than it was ten years ago.

[KingJaja]

A peek into how Nigerians see the botched raid.

Not good for our National image.

Just heard that bast.ard 'Cameron' say he authorised an operation on Nigerian soil - Fc.uk him

How dare he?

He must think Nigeria is Ireland or Scotland.

Boko - Well done on this occassion.

Boko Haram (1) - SAS/SSS - (Nil)

@faithin9ja

Who are you and where are you from to refer to Nigeria as "your"?

If you're not Nigeria, why can't take your silly story to poundland.com or dailymail.co.uk?!? The honest truth is that, no one in Nigeria cares about this non-story. R.I.P to the dead - but Nigerians could give two fu.cks about this news. If the same British didn't make the North as powerful as it is today - maybe this would never have happened.

Now, crawl back to your hole and change your name to "fathinUKaAaClownB4BnpGetsMe."

I hope the Boko Haram also killed the members of British Special Forces involved in the rescue operation.

Listen mate, R.I.P to the dead - but you don't expect Nigerians to leave what they're doing because a "white" guy was held hostage in the middle of nowhere - just as no British guy would gives a phuck when Shell was destroying Niger/Delta and the innocent people were dying of hunger.

So who are they building the so-called central bank for and how's that going to benefit the people of Birni Kebbi?? I guess the Rothschild - so let them go sort themselves out.

If David Cameron has publicly said "the British government do not pay ransom" - that's his cup of tea, and I'll send him some crumpets via royalmail for a good lunch. This isn't the 19th century and the era of the British Empire where you go about invading other country's sovereignty - you've to play "ball" if you're caught off guard. Play "ball" doesn't mean you're weak (which the UK is right now) - but it will save the lives of innocent people.

Whether they are Nigerians or Chinese the point is - How dare Cameron sanction such an operation on Nigerian Soil?

And why would he be the one who can authorise such an operation - Is GEJ taking orders from him?

The West seem to think they can go where they want, when they want and do what they want.

You can see clearly there that they didn't inform the Italians before they went ahead with the rescue operation. That shows the arrogance of David Cameron - and silly Nigerians are quick to blame Nigeria for the botched rescue stupidity. I doubt even clueless Goodluck Jonathan knew about it - he probably gave the dumb press conference to make his masters happy.

I'm neither a conspiracy theorist nor a Northerner - I'm a proud Yoruba Christian (if growing up in the church applies) - and I abhor every form of terrorism. Y'all can take this lightly and think it's a Northern agenda - but it's far from it. Everything looks like it's scripted, and the scramble for Africa and oil is on. We suddenly realized some KONY guy in Uganda yesterday after 20years of terror - because oil has been discovered in Uganda. Last month was all about Somalia - which they never cared about since 2001, because oil was found in Somalia - and today some hostages that have been in captivity since 2011 were suddenly shot dead.

Stop being naive - once they come into Nigeria - they won't leave till they plunder everything. And once the drones and the hellfire missiles start dropping - it won't just be Northern Nigeria - Niger Delta would also feel it. They don't really care about the North - their eyes are on Niger Delta, the North would just be their operational base. Ask questions!!

Anyway, the so called 'War on Terrors' epicentre is now Nigeria.

The west now have a plausible reason to establish a military base (aka consulate) in Nigeria, a 'Drone Program', flood Nigeria with 'Arms' paid for from future budgets, put 'Boots on the Ground' etc etc.

Some would call it a 'Psychological Operation' - Problem - Reaction - Solution.

Expect 'Defence Spending' to radically increase.

Boko Haram/Al Qaida are now used to refer to the same people = predominantly muslim extremists.

They've used the same 'Modus of Operation' for centuries. It wouldn't suprise me if our 'Dullard President' signs a 'Protection Treaty' with them tomorrow in exchange for the resources of the land.

This ones even more pathetic than the so called 'Bin Laden' capture and murder.

Cameron is not Obama, neither is the Britain anything near America. Trying to spring an Obama surprise failed woefully. this has only bought him fury from the Italians and recriminations will come even from his own parliament.

http://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-889613.0.html

[KingJaja]

If you recall, a raid by BH led to about 200 deaths last January. They've attacked again. This merely puts in focus the irrelevance of British hostage relief operations to the security situation in Northern Nigeria.

Why (Nigerians ask) should we be bothered about two British hostages, when no one (our government inclusive) is bothered about our own lives and security?

Suspected Boko Haram militants attacked a police station in Kano suburb earlier today according to residents.

Armed militants stormed the Rijiyar Zaki Police station in Ungogo local government area in an audacious attack that led some policemen to flee the station.

The Joint Task Force was immediately called to halt the attack. Saharareporters could not confirm the number of casualty as at the time of filing this report. The area is entirely cordoned by soldiers from the JTF.

http://saharareporters.com/news-page...e-station-kano

[Chowing]

Seems now the rhetoric will change. The Brits lost a lot of cred. for the failed rescue. They will try to ease the damage, at home and internationally, by now saying what some have said for some time that BH does have links to AQIM and other jihadist groups.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...8280RV20120309

Security officials say Boko Haram has received training, weapons and bomb-making technology from al Qaeda in the Islamic Magreb, which operates in neighboring Niger and Chad. The Nigerian militant group wants to impose Islamic Sharia law in a country split between Christians and Muslims.

The hostages were shown in a short video that emerged in August saying they were being held by al Qaeda.

It seems that the Brits delayed a couple of days after they had information as to where the hostages were being held. They should have known, it seems to me, that the news that they had captured two BH's top people that the word would spread to the compound.

The SSS source said Nigerian forces arrested two of the conspirators on Tuesday, including Abu Mohammed, near Sokoto, on the basis of a Nigerian intelligence tipoff. After interrogation the two led them to the compound.

The Nigerian and British forces mounted a joint raid two days later. The source said three kidnappers were taken alive from inside the house and the others were killed.

With the story you just reported Kingjaja, it seems that BH is not slowing down with the Bristish forces showing up.

[Chowing]

And it is not just Boko Haram which benefits from the global fear of terrorism. My friend went on to point out that a quarter of Nigeria's budget of almost $30 billion this year will be spent on the military and security services. The service chiefs will now have to find - or create something - to justify that and keep it flowing.

Many of the northern highways are studded with police road blocks which have an excuse and official blessing to engage in a bit of highway robbery. It is very difficult to get through any Nigerian roadblock without 'dashing' - paying - the police. But the police are small beer compared to the army. This is the biggest chance the generals have had to 'chop' since military rule ended in 1999. Unless they have changed completely, the senior officers will not allow the justification for this level of spending to diminish or die. They now have a major stake in Nigeria's 'war on terror'.

This is also the case for northern Nigerian politicians who have been funding and possibly even directing Boko Haram. They saw how the politicians of the Niger Delta manipulated the gangs which were attacking oil installations and demanding that oil companies did more for the local communities. The end result was that political power shifted to the Delta with a Delta man as president. If the Delta could do that, so could the north, which has finally lost political power in Nigeria after almost 50 years.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201203091186.html

The article is an "Analysis" piece written by Richard Dowden, the Directory of the Royal African Society.

[Stan]

http://allafrica.com/stories/201203091186.html

The article is an "Analysis" piece written by Richard Dowden, the Directory of the Royal African Society.

I think his opening para says it all. The rest is a bit of repetitive journalism from wire feeds.

Nothing in Nigeria is what it seems. Beneath a confusing, disorderly surface lie networks of association and obligation of which outsiders, and sometimes insiders, are unaware. Money is chopped (stolen), people paid off, budgets looted and shared. Power, political and financial, is never transparent. In other nation states a citizen's obligations to the state or employer, trump friendship or family connections. In Nigeria the state and institutions often rank far lower than personal affiliations. Outsiders are often shocked at the way public institutions are looted and distributed to buy personal loyalty or simply given to family and friends. The state is not a revered institution serving all citizens. It is a treasure house of power and money to be captured and looted.

[KingJaja]

I pointed out everything he (Richard Dowden) wrote over the past few months. I don't, however have any high sounding titles and I am not considered "an expert" on Nigeria (a topic I have intimate knowledge of and interest in).

Why do people quote Westerners with only a passing knowledge of the subject matter? There are several million university graduates from Nigeria and most of them can present a clearer picture of what is going on down there.

[Stan]

Seems now the rhetoric will change. The Brits lost a lot of cred. for the failed rescue. They will try to ease the damage, at home and internationally, by now saying what some have said for some time that BH does have links to AQIM and other jihadist groups.

The failed op will probably be blamed on the Nigerian team (incapable, lack of intel, etc.) and swept under the rug.

I was unaware of BH claiming they kidnapped the engineers nearly a year ago. I believe the credit simply goes to "a militant group". Kidnapping has been going on for years in that region. Considering how Jaja feels about the competence of the Nigerian police and security services, I am unlikely to believe something an "SSS source" unanimously decides to leak to the press . I doubt the rhetoric will change, but the kidnapper's strategy will indeed change for the worst.

With the story you just reported Kingjaja, it seems that BH is not slowing down with the Bristish forces showing up.

That's a good point, Chowing ! Why would BH slow down just because the Brits came in to rescue two engineers from "a militant group or splinter"? The renewed attack on a police station just tells me the Nigerian police have gone laxed thinking they are invincible following a slow period of activity. This is so typical that even they should have known not to let their guard down. A minor victory, but they have yet to win the war.

[Dayuhan]

Seems now the rhetoric will change. The Brits lost a lot of cred. for the failed rescue. They will try to ease the damage, at home and internationally, by now saying what some have said for some time that BH does have links to AQIM and other jihadist groups.

I don't think anyone's denied that there are "links". The question is the nature and the extent. Possibly due to local experience, I'm suspicious of the word "link" in the AQ context, and I wouldn't like to see BH reflexively referred to as "AQ-linked", just as I wouldn't like to see the US put BH on the terrorist list. Either would push a fundamentally domestic conflict toward internationalization, and either would be perceived as - and could actually become - a prelude to foreign intervention.

With the story you just reported Kingjaja, it seems that BH is not slowing down with the Bristish forces showing up.

Why would BH slow down? The Brits weren't there to fight BH in general, they were there for one mission. They're probably out of the country already. I wouldn't expect any impact at all on BH operations.

[Stan]

Some feel unhappy that the Nigerian government seems to value foreign lives much more than Nigerian lives. This is a very sore point.

It's been decades since most of the West evacuated Zaire, but the scene that day is burned into my memory. Not the mass of whites going for anything that would float or fly, but the look on the Zairians faces watching many of us leave (them behind).

There may have been 70 or so Westerners killed and raped during the first week of pillaging and social upheavals, but those were considered acts of revenge for years of abuse and probably also rape in one form or another.

Not so easy to explain to most, that even the Zairians cared but had little control nor hope. One of the ground handlers at the airport noticed I had no bags and asked, "Mr. Stan, you're not leaving?" When I told him he was stuck with me and the Colonel, he grabbed me and gave both of us a huge hug. (It was hot outside that day - and we were both sweating)... Yuk !

More than 2,500 locals has lost their lives during that week and all we focused on was condemning Zaire for those 70 or so whites being killed.

It's not hard for me to believe that the common Nigerian has a whole lot more to be concerned about than those two murdered engineers.

Pumping oil and playing with ordnance are risky occupations. They knew that when they went North, but, still decided to go. I don't see where their governments became responsible for their actions. Kidnapping obviously still pays well, but maybe this little soirée has sent a message.

[Chowing]

More than 2,500 locals has lost their lives during that week and all we focused on was condemning Zaire for those 70 or so whites being killed.

It's not hard for me to believe that the common Nigerian has a whole lot more to be concerned about than those two murdered engineers.

Pumping oil and playing with ordnance are risky occupations. They knew that when they went North, but, still decided to go. I don't see where their governments became responsible for their actions. Kidnapping obviously still pays well, but maybe this little soire has sent a message.

For those of us who have worked alongside and been helped and broadened by Africans it is always a sad affair to see the press go to town reporting the deaths of expat visitors in a context where hundreds, even thousands of Africans have died. It would be sad enough it was merely nationalism that causes the Western press and governments to churn up the rhetoric, but I am of the opinion that racism trumps nationalism in many cases.