Biafra

Imo: Nigerian military eliminate IPOB fighters, recover weapons

By Muhammad Sabiu

In a vicious fire battle along Orlu – Orsu Road on April 25, 2022, troops of the Nigerian Army’s 34 Artillery Brigade eliminated two gunmen and apprehended four other members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliate, Eastern Security Network (ESN).

This is contained in a Facebook statement signed by Onyema Nwachu (Brigadier General), the Director of Army Public Relations, via the verified handle of the Nigerian Army.

The statement read, “The troops, while on routine patrol, made contact with elements of IPOB/ESN around the general area of Aluminium Company and All Saints Church. On sighting the patrol team, the criminal elements opened fire and launched [a] grenade attack on the troops. The vigilant troops responded with superior firepower neutralizing two of the criminal elements, compelling others to flee in disarray. 

“In a hot pursuit that followed the encounter, troops arrested four of the fleeing gunmen and recovered one AK 47 rifle, two magazines, one Police grenade launcher, two Baofeng communication radios, five mobile phones, one IPOB Beret, two Motorcycles, four SIM cards, five wallets containing different ID cards, afrodisiac [sic], charms and the sum of Sixteen Thousand Four Hundred and Sixty Naira only.”

The southeastern part of the country, which houses the secessionist Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been experiencing the violent activities of the Biafran agitators over the years.

The death of Sule Matthew and the fall of Biafra

By Promise Eze

My heart was broken to smithereens when I read of how a 21-year-old Sule Mathew was horrendously despatched by unknown gunmen last week in Anambra state.

Sule Matthew graduated with a first-class from the Faculty of Communication, Bayero University, Kano, recently. The young man was on his way to participate in the forthcoming orientation programme of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) when he and other passengers were ambushed and butchered by unknown assailants.

It was reported that he lost his father a few months ago, but now his family has lost him. I think of the grief his mother would go through. I think of the agony and despair the bereaved family he left behind will suffer.

The young man had so much potential and could have done more for his country if allowed to live. I followed his Facebook page and it became glaringly clear that Igala land and Kogi state has lost a great individual, one who was ready to contribute positively to the development of his homeland. I saw that he was a fellow of a budding political movement, Gidan Yanci and also he was the cofounder of KogiYupp— a project that offers Kogi youth a chance to be involved in progressive political participation. But the young man was forced to wilt before he even bloomed.

He travelled to eastern Nigeria in a car, and he would return in a coffin. No thanks to the so-called unknown gunmen (UGM) who are responsible for his demise. UGM, a product of IPOB’s agitation for Biafra, came into the limelight in 2020. Their own way of demanding a new country is by attacking police stations, military checkpoints, and paramilitary officers.

UNG suddenly became worse than the ‘evil’ they were fighting. These mkpuru mmiri addicts now armed with guns colonized a once peaceful movement for a referendum and transformed it into an all-out war with the Nigerian government. Now, they’ve murdered a young man who has no business with whatever is going on in Eastern Nigeria. His only crime was going to serve his country.

It pains me that Sule was killed for nothing. It hasn’t been confirmed if ‘IPOB’s Unknown gunmen’ are responsible for the attack that led to his death, but we know that IPOB’s activities created a dark hole that armed robbers, hard drug users, kidnappers and cultists are fitting into. Now, anyone could carry out any attack and use the insignia of IPOB to cover his crime. This brings the question, ‘Is Biafra still worth fighting for?’ 

Ever since the resurgence of the call of Biafra, it’s been bloodshed after bloodshed. Chaos after chaos. Gunshots after gunshots. Igbo land which was known to be relatively peaceful is now a war zone. What kind of Biafra are IPOB and UGM clamouring for that demands so much blood? The blood of the innocent. The blood of Sule Matthew. The blood of the passengers who were killed too. If this is what Biafra entails then I do not want it to exist.

And I believe that the vast majority of Ndi Igbo would swear that they rather remain with Nigeria than involve themselves with this kind of Biafra—a Biafra where we all have to sleep with only one of our eyes closed.

Biafra died inside me the day I learnt about the death of Sule. May his soul rest in perfect peace.

Promise Eze is a journalist and writes via ezep645@gmail.com.

Is the Nigerian public still divided over 2023?

By Kabiru Danguguwa

January 15, 1966, was the beginning of ethnopolitical division in Nigeria, followed by a civil war a year later. One may argue that colonialists initiated this division when they amalgamated the two, perhaps unrelated, protectorates for easy administration and exploitation in 1914. This manifested in the political parties formed on ethnic lines as a prerequisite for self-rule. Whatever the genesis of our division might be, January 15 1966, has been instrumental.

Different regimes have made several attempts, perhaps in vain, to create unity in diversity to address the above issue. Unfortunately, our democracy has not been a solution either. In a book chapter published in 2018, I argued that Nigeria’s democracy had recorded only one achievement. That’s the sustenance of “democratic rule” since 1999 without the return of the military. This is an outstanding achievement indeed. Thus, I conceptualised Nigeria’s democracy as an electoral democracy.

One of the most critical steps in electoral democracy is the transfer of power from the military to civilians, which happened in Nigeria in 1999. The remaining significant features are conducting elections as provided by the constitution and governing citizens with at least some concern of the process of law. From 1999 to 2019, we witnessed six general elections every four years as the constitution demands. The government also, to some extent, care about the citizens. Political science students may agree that we are operating above a facade democracy and, of course, below the liberal democracy found in the West. Put simply, unlike some countries in Africa and Latin America; we keep our military in the barracks and other places they constitutionally belong.

On the other side of the coin, the 23-year old Nigeria’s democracy is full of conundrums. The democracy is so illiberal that some citizens think of going back to the colonial era or the least, returning to military dictatorship. We often celebrate former military heads of state, especially when comparing them with civilian leaders. We almost unanimously prefer the military personalities of the people that ruled as military heads of state to their characters as civilian leaders. What is wrong with our democracy?

As 2023 approaches, just like the previous general elections, Nigerians are being divided over the choices of political parties and candidates that will govern the county. Several divisions emerged; some have been with us since the 1960s, while others were recently created. The North-South division might have come to stay. Southwest-Southeast has also been there for decades. There’s also Igbo versus the rest of Nigeria, mainly connected to January 15, 1966, and the Civil War.

There are at least two recently created or popularised divisions: Yoruba versus the rest of Nigeria and Yoruba versus the North. The duo, especially the former, is connected to the alleged concentration of the present government’s efforts on the welfare and well-being of Lagos and Lagosians.

Other popular divisions are APC-PDP and intra-political party rivalry between camps and political groups. I don’t believe in the religious division, for there are many Christians in the North and numerous Muslims in the South. There is Nigerian youth versus old-timers rift.

Political trends show that Northern Nigeria is more united politically. The North showcased its unity in 2015 when Boko Haram was on the verge of crippling socio-economic activities in the region. Out of optimism, people hated the regime of the day in favour of a Northern candidate. Forgive my conceptualisation of the North to include those who see themselves as Northerners.

There is a need for another unity as the region faces another severe problem mightier than pre-2015 general elections. In 2023, we must gear our unity using our strengths to present candidates who can deliver irrespective of their backgrounds and political parties. The South has never, since 1999, been united, but Yorubas have been. Look at how Southwest (Lagos), with Vice President, has been benefiting from this administration at the expense of the entire country. I firmly believe that we should only be united, not too ambitious. They say “politics is a game of numbers”, and we have the “numbers”.

Kabiru Ibrahim Danguguwa lectures at the Department of History and International Studies, Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano. He can be reached via kabiru.ibrahim87@gmail.com.

On the (official) division of Nigeria

By Hammed Adam

Dividing Nigeria into Oduduwa Republic, Biafra Republic, Arewa Republic, and possibly the Niger Delta Republic has been done already with the current level of hatred and mistrust between the citizens. It is just that it has yet to be officially announced.

They’re not yet officially recognised as sovereign states because there might be a physical war before any country break out from another, which is yet to be witnessed. Moreover, everyone knows it’s constitutionally treasonous and felonious to rebel against any government.

Another reason is that most of the Yorubas and Igbos who want secession aren’t fully ready (militarily wise) to weigh a war against Nigeria, a recognised country, knowing they will be resisted firmly using the might of the Nigerian armed forces.

Igbos, in particular, delay their move to go into war against Nigeria because they have first-hand experience. They also know that with the unity between Hausa and Yorubas, they won’t succeed, and the result can be disastrous, just as it was back in 1967-1970.

Now that Yorubas are fed-up, they have risen against Nigeria to actualise the Oduduwa Republic. They do so by provoking the Northerners into war by evicting Hausa-Fulanis from their regions. The Igbos will back the Yorubas to become allies as they both pursue the same interests.

Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is on air with his compatriots, trying to see how they can galvanise the Yorubas, the Christians in the Middlebelt, and other Christians of the minority tribes in the North. These include the Atyabs of Kaduna, Jukuns and Mumuye of Taraba and Benue State, Berom of Jos Plateau, Tivs of Benue State, Bachamas of Adamawa State and others. He wants them to pay allegiance to Biafra and rise against the Hausa-Fulani-Muslims in the North.

The more Yorubas and the aforementioned ethnic groups heed the calls of Nnamdi Kanu, that would be the beginning of the fight between Nigerian soldiers of Northern extractions vs Nigerian soldiers of Southern extractions mixed up with Christians vs Muslims. That could be the end of one Nigeria unless those defending the unity of Nigeria becomes victorious.

If Yorubas still prefer Nigeria over Oduduwa and Biafra, the Igbos agitating for secession are like barking dogs in chains. Half of the Igbos and most people from the South are already against the creation of Biafra. But with Yorubas by their side and the disjointed Northerners, be it on the battleground or polling units, none in Nigeria can be successful against them and is nothing but toothless.

Who knows Nnamdi Kanu his first arrest in 2015/2016? But he cunningly crawled into the limelight with his verbosity. Today, with the help of the Nigerian Govt, he’s not only controlling Igbos but mightily influencing Ijaws, Igalas, Kallabaris, Tivs and the almighty Yorubas here and abroad. They all listen to him better than they do, even to their Churche’s Pastors, Monarch, Alfas, State Governors, etc. He’s much more as an Emperor than a just leader, which is perilous as he’s becoming more powerful by the day.

This is only possible when a country is ruled by someone like today Muhammadu Buhari, or a country ruled by cabals as the amiable wife of Buhari hinted as early as 2016. Still, even some patriotic Nigerians failed to listen to her and resort to calling her petty names and politicising it in defence of APC and Buhari.

For God sake, if not because of craziness and stubbornness, what makes any Nigerian think they can love or care for Buhari better than how his only wife, Āisha, can do?

If I tell you I’m not scared of the disasters the demarcation of Nigeria into four or at least two parts would bring upon innocent people, I’m lying to you. But, still, God knows, if Nigeria can be divided into many parts without bloodshed, I have no problem with that. So, likewise, if the creation of Biafra and Oduduwa would be resisted without wasting the lives of innocent people, I have no problem too.

May God, in His infinite mercy, look into this matter and choose for us which is the best. Āmin Thumma Āmin.

Hammed Adam sent this article via hammedadam2@gmail.com.

Viral video shows how IPOB insurgents decapitate 2 Muslims

By Muhammad Sabiu

A viral video clip shows how some suspected terrorists working for the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) beheaded two Northern Nigerian Muslims.

Daily Nigerian, an online newspaper, reports that the terrorists could be seen displaying the heads near an open fire, as they were jubilating “their feat and identifying the nose and forehead of one of the victims as “Hausa”.

As they were chanting different inciting words, juggling one of the two heads, one of the perpetrators said in the Igbo language, “This is a Hausa man now”, while another argued that the head was of a Fulani man.

Recall that IPOB terrorists maimed one driver of the Ɗangote trailer and some of his assistants in the past weeks.

IPOB has been notorious for killings and setting government and other detention facilities on fire.

The group leader, Nnamdi Kanu, was some months ago apprehended abroad and repatriated, and he is currently standing trial for treason, jumping bail and illegal possession of arms.

Unrest in Imo community as gunmen kill soldier

By Muhammad Sabiu

Suspected gunmen in Imo State have on Monday launched an attack on some soldiers in Awo Mmamma town in the Oru East Local Government Area.

The attack, according to reports, has led to the killing of one soldier, which prompted the soldiers to raid the town.

In the raid, the soldiers have allegedly torched houses, cars, shops and a hotel, forcing many residents to flee their community.

A source, whose identify wasn’t made public, said “some hoodlums attacked some soldiers at Ishieke junction in Awo Mmamma and killed one of them. They zoomed off towards Ihiala in Anambra State. Later soldiers invaded the area and caused havoc in the area by setting a hotel, cars, houses and stalls on fire.”

However, police in the state haven’t commented on the incident as of the time fo filing this report.

Southeastern Nigeria has in recent months been hit hard by attacks suspected to have been carried out by Biafran combatants.

Southeast: Nigerian soldiers repel attack, kill Biafran combatant

Muhammad Sabiu

Nigerian troops stationed in the southeast have on Thursday, October, 28, successfully eliminated a Biafran National Guard combatant in an encounter in Amaekpu, Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State.

The troops also recovered some vehicles and weapons which belonged to the combatants.

In a Facebook statement signed on Friday by the spokesperson of the Nigerian Army, Brigadier Onyema Nwachukwu, he stated that although the Biafran combatants were heavily armed, they were successfully overrun and had no option but to flee.

Read Brigadier Onyema’s full statement:

TROOPS NEUTRALISE BNG GUNMAN …Recover Arm, Vehicles

Troops conducting Exercise GOLDEN DAWN have neutralised one of the Biafran National Guard gunmen who attacked troops’ location at Amaekpu, Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State on Thursday 28 October 2021.

The assailants, who were heavily armed and conveyed in several vehicles opened fire on the troops’ location, but were met with stiff resistance by the troops. In the encounter, the troops neutralized one gunman, while others abandoned their vehicles and retreated in disarray with gunshot wounds. The troops also recovered a pump action gun, among others.

While the criminals withdrew, having been overwhelmed, they were promptly intercepted at Eda by troops of Forward Operating Base Ohaozara in Ebonyi State. The troops recovered additional three vehicles and apprehended one of the gunmen.

ONYEMA NWACHUKWU Brigadier General Director Army Public Relations 28 October 2021

The Southeast is no less a burden

Ahmadu Shehu, PhD.

As we continue the inconvenient conversation on Biafra and what it portends for the Southeast and our country, I find the need to clarify some insinuations raised in the troupes of comments and rejoinders that trailed my previous articles. But, before proceeding, I must commend many southeasterners for their dispassionate contributions and insightful perspectives.

However, although critical, some of the comments have missed salient truths that need further explanation. This will help our generation avoid past mistakes committed mostly by overzealous politicians, leading to avoidable wars and near-disintegration of our dear country.

There is this illusion that conflates southern Nigeria, particularly the Niger Delta, with the Southeast or “Biafra”. The truth is that the people of the Niger Delta region (let alone the southwest) do not align with the Southeast in politics and administration. For the information of our youth, the first secessionist war in Nigeria was fought between Niger Delta activists under the leadership of Isaac Adaka Boro and the Nigerian forces led by Chumeka Ojukwu, who later became a secessionist himself.

The three phases of Ojukwu’s career: from a defender of Nigeria’s unity at the battlefield to a rebel against his own country and later a senator and presidential candidate for the very country he fought to disintegrate should tell discerning minds that there are many faces to the idea of Biafra, none of which is the common interest of the Igbo people.

Please permit me to be blunter here. As far as our contemporary political and economic realities are concerned, the Southeast is only hiding behind the shadows of other regions in the south to claim prosperity. In other words, when our Igbo brothers call the northerners parasites, lazy or Abuja-dependent, they are actually borrowing the glory of the Niger Delta, and probably Lagos State, to abuse others. Because in reality, the contributions of the Southeast in the so-called feeding the nation is not as significant as they may like us to believe.

If you doubt this, let’s ask a few questions on the most critical sectors of the Nigerian economy. Since 90% of Nigeria’s foreign income depends on crude oil, what is the contribution of the Southeast in the two million barrels Nigeria makes per day? Very little is the answer. For, out of the nine oil-bearing states in Nigeria, Imo and Abia are the only southeastern states, accounting for an abysmal 1.6% and 0.68% of the total crude oil produced in the country. This is very negligible, as far as the numbers in this sector are concerned.

The Nigerian GDP, which is the bedrock of the economy and the source of non-oil revenue, primarily comes from agriculture. What is the contribution of the Southeast to agricultural production? The numbers are even more insignificant here. It is unfortunate that except for the oil-spilt Ogoni land, the Southeast is Nigeria’s least agriculturally viable region. Most states and local councils in the Southeast are not food sufficient.

By the nature of its geography, the Southeast sits on one of the country’s most infertile, erosion-prone lands. It is also the smallest and most overpopulated region leading to congestion and resource scarcity. It is no coincidence, therefore, that no one buys farm produce from there. Conversely, we see tons of raw food and livestock being transported daily to feed the region.

Some people may argue that the economic strength of the Southeast lies in its profoundly robust revenue base generated from industries and MSEs. They further postulate that the region contributes the most to the Nigerian revenue basket, albeit without evidence. Well, all the regions of the federation contribute their fair share to the federation tax revenue. However, the evidence available proves that the Southeast is neither the highest contributor nor is it self-reliant.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Southwest and South-South have the highest IGR per capita, and the Southeast is at par with North-Central, followed by Northwest and Northeast. None of the five southeastern states appears close to the top ten high revenue-generating states. Like any other northern state, none of the southeastern states – despite the 12% derivation funds – is wealthy enough to pay salaries without the federation account. Thus, one may ask: what kind of entrepreneurship and economic prosperity we are talking about here?

The fallacy behind the overestimated economic contribution of the Southeast is just one of the many problems. For instance, more than once, our country’s unity and cohesion are put on dangerous edges, thanks to the secessionist tendencies of the Southeast. Instead of forging ahead and pursuing alliances and friendships countrywide, the region and some of its people have continued on the path of division and segregation. The hatred propagated against anything and anyone perceived to be anti-Biafra has been phenomenal.

Furthermore, the Southeast is the main culprit in destroying Nigeria’s image and dignity in the international community. The Nigerian passport, which commanded respect a few decades ago, has become a suspect document worldwide. This unfortunate degradation of national identity and pride is the handwork of Nigerian drug pushers, physical and internet scammers, illegal migrants and human traffickers, most of whom are known to be southeasterners.

The same people are dealers and distributors of fake, contraband medications and drugs in all the nooks and crannies of this country, particularly in the North. This has always been an open secret and has been made even more vividly evident by the recent successes of the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The dangers these portend to our national development and global recognition is unquantifiable.

Therefore, if the above is true, claiming that the North is a mere burden on the Nigerian federation is absurd. For some, this might be based on ignorance, while for others, it is a deliberate attempt to malign and stereotype the region for reasons best known to the perpetrators of these dangerous narratives. But, whatever the motive is, we must recognize that all the federating units cause shared burdens to our national growth and development.

Since the North’s limitations and other regions have been overstretched in our national discourse, I believe it is equally important to remind our brothers in the Southeast that they are no less a burden than the other regions. As Nigerians, we should prepare to share both the positive and negative consequences of the actions and inactions of our fellow citizens. But, this is only possible when all parties acknowledge their limitations and are ready to embrace one another. Nigerians are siblings of a single family that are more alike than different. The earlier we accept this truth, the better.

Dr Ahmadu Shehu is a nomad cum herdsman, an Assistant Professor at the American University of Nigeria, Yola, and is passionate about the Nigerian project.

Rearing, consumption of cattle will be illegal in East, IPOB declares

By Muhammad Sabiu

The separatist group agitating for the breakaway of Nigeria’s southeastern region, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has imposed a ban on the consumption and rearing of cows in their region.

The group made the declaration in a statement signed by Mazi Chika, Head of Directorate of State, in Anambra on Saturday, adding that the ban would take effect in six months’ time.

“From that date, no more Fulani cows shall be allowed into Biafra land for any reason, not for burials, title taking, weddings, etc.,” the statement read.

However, Mr Chika stated that they would only be consuming cattle locally produced in “Biafraland.”

IPOB and the myth of the rising sun

By Tahir Ibrahim Tahir (Talban Bauchi)

We went on a trip a while ago to Jama’are local government in Bauchi state for the turbaning ceremony of my cousin as the Ubandoman Jama’are. Jama’are is a 2-hour journey from the Bauchi metropolis. On our way there, we ran into a pothole, and we got a twisted tyre. After our event, we proceeded to Azare, another local government in Bauchi, a 30 minutes drive from Jama’are, hoping that we would get a tyre to replace our damaged one. We were directed from one shop to the other, and each time we arrived at any of the shops, we met them all locked up. We got the puzzling explanation that one of the shop owners lost his father and that he and all his brothers had gone for the burial. They meant that Igbos owned all the shops, and they were the only ones that sold the size of tyres we were looking for. We had to manage the twisted tyre all the way back to Bauchi because Chinedu’s uncle had died, and nobody else sold proper tyres in Azare, a whole local government, deep in the North East!

At Emab plaza in Abuja, I dare not step in to buy even a memory card, and my ‘customer’ NG, who is Igbo, would jokingly hound me for not telling her that I was coming to buy a phone! She was a shop attendant to her brother, who is a friend of mine. He had opened new outlets, and she became the CEO of the Emab division. I dare not buy what she sells from elsewhere. I’m off the hook and free to spend my money at any other shop, only if she doesn’t have what I’m looking for. My relationship with my Igbo friend’s shop is not less than 15 years old!

There’s a car service place at Wuse 2, on the famous Adetokumbo Ademola Crescent in Abuja. They usually get your tyres checked, balanced and aligned, and all that car check routine. An Igbo guy, Pat, hangs around there; when you have to get a new tyre, Pat is there, ready to get you all the brands, from Korea to Japan, China, France — you name it, and he’s got it. So Pat is the go-to guy even when I’m far away in Bauchi, and I need to get the accurate market prices of tyres from different brands. This is a ‘customership’ that has spanned over 15 years as well!

So goes with the guy at the Barbing Salon. Chike is about the nicest hairdo guy I have ever known. Courteous, cheerful, hardworking and good at his job. For the entire corona lockdown year, I left my clipper with him. Finally, a good one year after, I hop into town, and there is my clipper, safe and sound. It was serviced and polished, looking even newer than I left it. Chike’s courtesy leaves you scraping through your pockets to get something for him, aside from the shop’s charges. From working in his Oga’s shop, he had moved to his own place, with a few of the other barbers he worked it.

Igbos own an estimated 60% of land, property and businesses in Abuja. There is no denying them being industrious, hardworking and very enterprising. They are all over the country, handling numerous firms and bossing most of the trade they engage in. That is why it is super difficult to understand the meaning, purpose and direction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Biafra is all over Nigeria, and it is just silly to try to corner it to a cranny as small as Niger State! If you alienate yourself from Nigeria and create your own country, do you expect to keep all the businesses all over Nigeria and get patronage from Nigerians? Isn’t this a money-wise, pound foolish idea? The whole concept of self-determination and the attendant superiority complex is eating up the UK now – albeit they may not accept it publicly. It is the same trap that awaits Biafra, should it see the light of day.

The Nigerian army recently rolled out Operation Still Water, an ember months programme, to maintain security during the festive period. It is a continuation of the previous operations such as Crocodile Smile, Python Dance, and so on. In the midst of it, popular actor Chiwetalu Agu was arrested at Upper Iweka Road, Onitsha, Anambra state, for inciting public members and soliciting support for IPOB. He was donning an IPOB attire when he was arrested. The army denied maltreating him, as was widely reported. A video surfaced later, which gave a snippet of what their interaction with him was like. He said that the Sun showing on his cloth was a rising Sun and that the colour combination was just coincidental and didn’t signify IPOB. He said he was educated enough to know where to go to and where not to go to. He squarely denied IPOB and said he had nothing to do with it. So many Igbos are coming out of their shells to deny IPOB and publicly give their activities a dressing down.

The Igbos we relate with every day are not the ones that IPOB represent, right? So the barbaric activities of the group need to be clamped down by the Igbos themselves. They must make it clear that the narrative of that movement is not theirs and is not in their own interest.

Joe Igbokwe’s house was razed in his hometown of Nnewi, Anambra state. Dr Chike Akunyili was killed in the Idemili North local government of Anambra state. A fire that seems to rage on from a distant neighbour’s residence clearly indicates that your own house is not insulated from the same kind of fire. A proverb in Hausa says, “If you see your neighbour’s beard in flames, you must hurry and rub your own with water.”

The tiny flame that started in Borno has spread like cancer to the entire North. South easterners should not allow this in their backyard. The earlier the Igbos rise against this so-called rising Sun, the better for us all. We have a risen Sun to be grateful for already. There is no need to go looking for more Sun. The heat would definitely be unbearable!

Tahir is Talban Bauchi can be contacted via talbanbauchi@yahoo.com.