If there is anything that endangers or stalls the progression of peace, concord, stability, development and growth of any nation it would not be very far from violence and terrorism. Often, the adage that “when two lions fight, it is the ground that suffers” comes to play. Even by definition, terrorism is violence against the innocent. I have come to discover that these terrorists influence the actions of the governments by paralyzing the populaces with panic and uncertainty. When these evil acts happen, the poor masses would become homeless or lost someone dear to them. They become victims of these violent actions.
The truth is that taking the lives of innocent people is always wrong, any time and any day. Feisal Abdul Rauf, a Kuwaiti American Sufi Imam, an author of numerous religious and inspirational books, and an activist who was greatly involved in the improvement of the relations between the Muslim world and the West explained in one of his books, Moving the Mountain, that “no religion on earth condones the killing of innocent people”. It is truly true, however, that no faith tradition tolerates the haphazard killing of our brothers and sisters on this earth. This is a reality everyone needs to put in mind, whether you are a Christian or a Muslim. There is indeed no ensign hefty enough to conceal the dishonour and humiliation of killing innocent people.
I saw a video clip of the innocent lives that were taken in one of the villages in the southern part of Kaduna and I was bathed in pity for those people. One could easily perceive the smell of terror surrounding the entire vicinity. I was pained and angry not because I wanted to embark on a mission of vengeance but that such a ruthless and merciless performance of violence was carried out against innocent people, created in the image of God and that very likeness of the Creator. The video clip was indeed barbaric and irksome to my sight, as I saw people butchered and massacred like animals. God rest their souls!
There is one important fact that we need to be clear about, and it is that terrorism is not the quest of genuine goals by some kind of unlawful, unauthorised and malevolent means. We do not have to take the lives of innocent people just because we want to get back at the government or something of that kind. Whatever we try to achieve, positively or negatively inclined, developing a peaceful and coexisting environment should be our focal point. Man should not be out to destroy another man, not to talk of murdering another.
Dismay as it looks, some of our leaders are progenitors of violence and terrorist attacks. We have the case of Moammar Gaddafi, commonly known as Colonel Gaddafi, who was a Libyan revolutionary, politician, and a political theorist. The former military leader was said to have denied his people freedom, exploited their wealth, murdered opponents at home and abroad, and terrorised innocent people around the world. We are aware that he sent Libyan agents to kill guiltless Americans. The world has also experienced some other cruel leaders who forced the people into poverty and destroyed their future. This was quite a sorry case!
Nelson Mandela, a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa, once expounded that “in countries where innocent people are dying, the leaders are following their blood rather than their brains”. This is a clear scenario of what is happening in the world. Our leaders are supposed to be our guide and guard through the problems we face in life as a nation. Instead of assisting us come out of the great problem, they are running after unnecessary things.
Now, who are the agents of terrorism and violence in countries? I am very sure that a man who is above 45 to 50 years would not go about destroying life and properties in the community. If there is any, it means that fellow does not know his onion. Take a cursory look at Nigeria as a nation, who would you ascribe terrorism and violence to? In my opinion, it is the youth. What is the reason behind it? It can be incessantly associated with the pitiable economy and the high level of youth unemployment. Over and over, the economy of Nigeria has been blemished with corruption and exhaustive maladministration of public funds. I know that the teeming youth can stop the violent and ferocious acts if and only if they are employed by the government. We all know that “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop”.
As a nation, Nigeria has a very large number of poor people everywhere. When you work along the streets, whether major or minor, there is a very unpleasing number of beggars asking for assistance. We now have cooperate beggars who dress nicely and work on the street looking for people to come to their aid. Poverty rate is increasing by the day. The Nigerian currency is depreciating by minutes. The political class are those who major the affairs of the country while the poor people croup the crumbles from their tables. Why will these political groups not push the poor into killing innocent souls for N10, 000? The poor would grab the offer. Have they had such an amount of money for 3 years?
I once read that every region in the country has its peculiar forms of terrorism and violence. In the northern Nigerian, religious violence and extremist attacks are the order of the day. The same report presented that the South-South are peculiar to militancy form of terrorism and violence, where innocent lives are taken by angry Militants whose dues were not adequately given to them. Also, it is said that cultism is a common phenomenon in south eastern states, which has increased armed robbery and criminality in the area. What about the south western states? Political terrorism and violence were attributed to this region. The point is, whether there are peculiar forms of violence in the varied regions of the country or not, every citizen of this country must stand for peace and stability.
The frequency at which Nigerians are crushingly fanatical and obsessive with religious and ethnic identities is nothing to write home about. These religious and ethnic sentimentalities have prompted a lot of grave violence in Nigeria. Take for instance, during the electioneering campaigns, we bring up candidates for the sole purpose that they are from our ethnic group and not because the persons we bring up are capable to steer the wheels of the country. Repeatedly, the candidates we have chosen, have failed us woefully. The problem is that we put our personal interest over and above the growth and development of the nation. This has always led to violence in the country. So, for Nigeria to move on for good, every ethnic sentiment should be thrown into the waste bins and burnt consequently.
I do not think the concept of evil is ambiguous to any Nigerian. I am also convinced that Nigerians know the consequences for violence and terrorism to nation building. Thus, invariably speaking, every man or woman, boy or girl knows and has a sense of what evil is all about. So, killing innocent people is evil at its peak. Since it is a given that we know what is evil, then our knowledge of evil should define all our actions. The government, on the other hand, should not just stand by and see innocent people battered and feasibly worse still, murdered in cold blood.
There should be a jurisdictional reorganisation that explains every good or evil act of man in the society. These reforms should be for every citizen of the country and not for a selected few as it has been in the past. We have read and heard of cases where the poor gets oppressed and ill-treated over an issue that they are not guilty for. We have had situations where the poor brings cases to the judiciary and those cases are turned against the fellow. This is not because the fellow is guilty, but that the fellow does not have the financial power to buy the case to his or her favour. This is a great show of inequality and injustice which can or has led to community violence. this judicial reforms would help a great deed to stopping the awful act and protect the rights of the poor and innocent in the community.
Violence upsurges tension and tautness in the society. Hence, Nigerians could be cultured and instructed on the woes of endorsing violence in the society. There are circumstances where an Edo man is killed or exterminated in the northern part of Nigeria possibly by a Hausa man, it generates prompt crisis and rift in the society. This stiffness is usually not only for Edos in the northern part of Nigeria but for Hausas who reside and trade in Edo State. This is owned to the fact that Nigerians are used to the Biblical Old Testament account on “an eye for an eye” syndrome. Nigerians want to retaliate and revenge every attack, we fail to realise that violence is never the way forward.
Human life is sacred and no man should be involved in the killing of another. This is because God alone is the Lord of life. Since God alone is the master and owner of life, no one should terminate the life of another. The murder of a human being is gravely contrary to the dignity of the person and the holiness of God the Creator. The killing of innocent non-combatants is forbidden. As Nigerians, we need to imbibe certain positive attitudes and discard the unnecessary ones, like terrorism and violence.
Terrorism and violence are very horrible incidences. These Terrorists kill innocent ones and for those who manage to escape death, are sent out of their homes into unknown places. With terrorism in any country, the future of the young ones is shortened. The case of the Chibok girls is a clear example. We know that, some of them returned married and others came back to Nigeria with children. Victims who left the shores of Nigeria as young girls came back as woman. This is the result of terrorist attacks and violence in a country. Terrorism and violence do not bring anything good to a nation, rather the people suffer great loss of life and properties.
Fr. Akowe John-Duke ‘Selime is a Catholic Priest of the Diocese of Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria.
