Northern Anger Over Violence and Responsibility

Northern Nigeria is upset. This anger is not just because of the ongoing violence in the region. Instead, Northern Nigeria is angry because it has been called what it has long accepted as its identity.

Recently, the descendants of Shehu Usman dan Fodio, the Islamic scholar who established the Sokoto Caliphate, have been facing a tragic loss. Many Northern Nigerians are dying. Most of these deaths are caused by their own sons who have taken refuge in the thick forests. A recent heartbreaking incident involved General Rabe Abubakar, who was killed after being abducted with his wife near the Matazu area of Katsina State.

Coming from a lineage that has always valued truth, it is not surprising that this harsh reality is now being highlighted in the North. Dan Fodio believed in the importance of truth, stating that it is the moral compass and the only remedy for the human conscience. In my Yoruba culture, we also hold truth in high regard. Our elders often say that truth can be hard to accept but is necessary. As one proverb goes: "Òtítọ ọrọ korò, ṣùgbọn bí a bá gbé itọ́rẹ mì, a máa ṣe ara l’ore" (Truth is bitter, but if the recipient endeavors to swallow its acrid saliva, it will ultimately soothe the body). We cannot ignore the wisdom of our elders, no matter how much we may want to.

Yes, Northern Nigeria is like a snake. Its anger reflects the fate of the snake in Yoruba stories. We say that a snake is not harmed by outsiders but by its own offspring. The young ones, growing inside the mother, eventually break free and kill her. This leads to the saying: "Ọmọ inú ọká níí ṣe ikú pa ọká", it is the children in the viper’s belly that bring about the viper’s death.

Today, the North seems trapped in a similar situation. Much of the violence is not from outsiders but from its own children who have been nurtured and tolerated. Yet, what bothers the North more is that the rest of Nigeria is starting to notice. The North is less worried about its missing finger than about those counting them out loud.

This idea was evident at a press conference in Kaduna last week involving retired military officers and friends of the late Major General Abubakar. The officers, including Ambassador A. Mohammed Musawa and Air Commodore Yusuf Anas (rtd), had strong words for Southern commentators. Their anger seems especially directed at Nigerian Tribune columnist, Lasisi Olagunju, whose piece titled “Northern Nigeria will soon kill Nigeria” emphasized that even a child should recognize right from wrong. He said, “Crime may indeed have no ethnicity, but that does not relieve us of the duty to identify the environment that breeds and sustains it. A desert does not cease to be a desert because it contains a few oases.” It is undeniable that the violence and crime in Nigeria began in the North, and the leaders have contributed to this with their actions.

In his speech, Brig-Gen Abubakar criticized the “selective outrage” of commentators who blame the Northern region for Nigeria’s security issues, calling this divisive. “These incidents of insecurity have attracted not only condemnation but also taken ethnic colouration, with some commentators blaming the northern region for all the ills of the Nigerian state,” he said.

Abubakar's frustration brings to mind a Yoruba story about the giant pouched rat (Òkètè) that ignores early warning signs. The proverb goes: “Òkètè gbàgbé ìbosí, ó dé ìgbá alátẹ, ó ká’wọ lé’rí.” (The giant rat discounted the need to call for help, and upon its arrival at the market stall, holds its hands up in supplicatory regret).

The story of the Òkètè is this: Long ago, during a famine, hunters set traps throughout the land. The Òkètè, known for its stubbornness, fell into one. At first, the pain did not seem serious. He thought he could escape on his own. But after hours of struggling, he grew weak. When he finally cried out for help, it was too late. The hunter was there, and a swift blow ended his life. This tale teaches us that one must speak up early when danger is near, not wait until it's too late.

Recently, a letter from Dr. Zainab Suleiman Buhari, a fellow Northerner, has been circulating among Northern leaders. It was published in the Daily Trust and pointed out some painful truths that echo Dan Fodio’s wisdom.

Dr. Buhari, a public health physician, criticized Northern governors for spending billions on mass weddings. She also addressed the culture of neglecting street children, which former First Lady Patience Jonathan called the “born trowey” phenomenon. This culture is contributing to the crime and violence that Nigeria is facing today.

“Terrorism does not start with ideology. It starts with hopelessness,” Dr. Buhari stated. “Boko Haram, bandits, cults, they do not recruit PhDs. They recruit boys who were ‘produced’ but never raised.”

Dr. Buhari’s message is similar to a warning given by Chief Obafemi Awolowo over sixty years ago. He believed strongly in the power of education. Awolowo warned Northern leaders that failing to promote education would lead to poverty and unrest. He emphasized the need for educational opportunities in all parts of Nigeria.

Awolowo believed that an educated population was key to political awareness, economic progress, and social stability. He saw education as the most powerful tool for nation-building. By 1955, he had put this into action with his Free Primary Education program in the Western Region.

Awolowo famously said: “The children of the poor you fail to train will never let your children have peace.” Today, this warning has become a reality for all of us. The outdated feudal system that the founding fathers of Northern Nigeria accepted has come back to haunt them.

As Yoruba musician Yusuff Olatunji once sang, when the rain does not fall, crops do not grow, and everyone suffers, wives, concubines, and lovers alike.

Today, Northerners and Southerners share a common pain: the bite of the Salamo ant. For years, these fierce insects thrived in Northern Nigeria. Now they have spread and are harming the entire nation. The children called “born trowey” have grown into the terrorists and bandits of today.

If we thought the violence and kidnappings were only a Northern issue, they have now reached the South. Oriire Local Government in Oyo State is currently suffering as Northern terrorists have beheaded a Yoruba man and kidnapped Yoruba children, holding them hostage in the forests. We have all entered a dangerous situation, and the pain is being felt by everyone.

We have often tricked ourselves into thinking that we were safe from the ideological wars of Northern Nigeria, especially from Boko Haram. A recent poem by Professor Moyo Okediji, titled “Omoluwabi Omo Yoruba” (Children of Noble Yoruba Parentage), expresses the pain of Southern Nigeria today. It feels like medicine after death. The enemy is already here.

Okediji’s words say: “There are boundaries northern bandits cannot cross: you cannot steal Yoruba children… We gave you food to eat, water to drink, and a place to sleep. Who knew you had so little regard for children, a people who place the begging bowl in the hands of their offspring and drive them into the streets at the age of four to scavenge for survival? Now woe unto you, stealers of our children… May your upper teeth lock upon your lower teeth like the jaws of a vice, never to open again. You who touch our Yoruba child, the children of Ọṣun, are you not afraid of Our Mothers who fly at midnight?”

Okediji ends with strong curses on the terrorists: “Unless you return our children unhurt, Lùkúlùkú will devastate you and your loved ones…. Ọràmfẹ will consume you with eternal flames… Obalúayé will poke your skin with putrid pus… Lákáayé will sever your heads like that of a rabid dog…. Agẹmọ will suck dry your blood out of your veins…. Egúngún will turn your music to dirges…. Láaróyè will confuse you at every crossroad…. Obàtálá will cripple your limbs, blind your eyes, and render you leprous…”

I could hear a chorus of Asẹẹ (Amen) from Yoruba communities everywhere.

Except for Awolowo, we did not fully realize that the North's neglect of education was not just self-destructive; it posed a threat to the entire country. We should have understood that the rain would affect us all, not just the North. Epo Akara, the Ibadan bard, said in one of his songs that death would take both the one who called for it and the one it was called upon.

The statistics are alarming: In just six months, Boko Haram, ISWAP, and armed bandits, who are from the North, have killed at least 5,272 people in Nigeria. Our soldiers, both Northerners and Southerners, are dying at the hands of these criminals. Most of the deaths occurred in the North. The tragic fate of Gen. Rabe Abubakar and his wife shows that something worse is coming. Yet, instead of acknowledging their responsibility, Northern Nigeria is acting like an ostrich. Those Northern generals represent a sad example of this hypocrisy. The same goes for the Northern elite: instead of accepting that they have neglected their duties, they continue to ignore the problem. The recent complaints from Northern generals in Kaduna show this hypocrisy clearly.

Where were these voices when Muhammadu Buhari was reducing Nigeria's security issues to regional and religious politics? How many of them publicly challenged his leadership? Very few did.

Did you see the video where Northern leader Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed talked about his nephew being held for ransom for 36 days, with the family paying ₦175 million? This happened when he was a special adviser to President Bola Tinubu, and the Villa was helpless. This is frightening! Perhaps if they had all cried out when Buhari was coddling terrorism because it was linked to the North, today's crisis could have been less severe.

Yes, the Northern Generals are correct that the growing terrorism and kidnapping are now national issues. In the past, other regions may have ignored the North's problems with banditry and terrorism. Now, the consequences are affecting everyone.

While many Nigerians agree that the North and its leaders are responsible for the rise of terrorism, Prof Okediji’s complaint resonates with all. He noted that those tasked with ensuring security are acting like ineffective guards. While Tinubu has the power to combat terrorism and banditry, he seems focused on the upcoming 2027 elections.

As Tinubu remains indifferent to the nation's suffering, the North should stop blaming others for the monsters they have created. Blaming others may soothe their pride, but it will not make the North or Nigeria safer.