Nigeria’s Ruling Oligarchs and Extremist Islamist Jihadists

by Eze Eluchie,

Ibrahim Uwais, son of Justice Muhammadu Uwais, former Chief Justice of Nigeria, who had joined the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), was killed earlier today in a US airstrike on ISIS in Aleppo, Syria;

Umar Farrouk Abdulmutallab (“the underwear bomber”), son of Umaru Abdul Mutallab, a Nigeria Billionaire banker, is serving multiple life sentences for trying to blow up the Northwest Airlines Flight 253 enroute Detroit, Michigan from Amsterdam, The Netherlands on Christmas say, 2009;

Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, has severally posited his lifelong ambition and commitment to the implementation of Shari’a (Islamic jurisprudence and lifestyles) throughout Nigeria, and had warned the previous administration of President Jonathan that attacks against Boko Haram were attacks against northern interests;

Muslim Governors of Nigeria’s northern States have just okayed, in line with extremist Islamist philosophies, legislation effectively banning religious (Christian) preaching across northern Nigeria;

When one realizes the feudalistic nature of rulership in Nigeria's northern region and the reality that the scions of some of the rulers mentioned above, and their cohorts, have found themselves into the top echelon of administrative and political offices in Nigeria,, it is only natural to wonder how many of our 'top government' officials are sympathetic, or indeed closet members of extremist Islamist jihadist outfits.  

Routinely, hordes of Islamist extremists are encouraged and sponsored to stage public protests to express sympathy for extremist Islamist issues occurring in the Middle East or other areas far removed from Nigeria and the African continent;

Is the world missing any connections here between international extremist Islamist jihadists and the ruling oligarchs in Nigeria?

Yes! The international community appears to be playing the ostrich and at times unknowingly and surreptitiously supporting a hydra-headed monster that is bound to visit ill-will on all.

Is there anything that can be done to forestall repeating the carnage caused in the Middle East by extremist Islamist ideologies in the African continent generally, and West Africa in particular?

Certainly Yes! Containment and neutralization of oligarchs who feast on the pains and blood of their subjects has never been a problem to a determined international community.

Picture: Former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mohammed Uwais; and Billionaire banker, Umaru Mutallab.