Peace and Quiet in Northern Nigeria over Jerusalem? Why? How?

by Eze Eluchie, 

When United States President, Donald Trump, announced a dramatic and expected change in US policy to now recognize the ancient biblical city of Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel, there had been expectation in several quarters in Nigeria that the unfolding spate of violent riots/demonstrations across the Middle East and Muslim-majority countries of Central Asia, against the US policy shift would be replicated in several cities in Nigeria’s Northern regions. 

The expectation of the replication of the mindless violence and hateful riots in Nigeria was rooted in the reality that on several occasions when similar pro-Islam riots had broken out in the Middle East, North Africa and parts of Asia had resulted in near-spontaneous outbreak of orgies of senseless violence in such Nigerian cities as Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Minna and at more subtle, though equally intimidating processions in areas such as Sokoto, Maidugri and Gusau.

Earlier instances when reaction by Islamists in foreign climes had been replicated in Nigeria include the riots against the publication by Thisday newspapers in Nigeria of a story deemed blasphemous of the Prophet and the issuance of a Fatwa (death sentence) on the author of the said piece in 2002; the publication of cartoons featuring Prophet Muhammed by a Dutch newspaper (Jyllands Posten) in September 2005, which led to widespread destruction, burning of churches and the death of over 100 persons in resulting riots across several cities of Northern Nigeria; the commencement of the various Intafada between the Israeli’s and their Palestine neighbours have also been replicated across Nigeria with violent protests in our northern fringes.

There had been palpable apprehension on the first Friday after President Trump’s groundbreaking policy change that after Friday prayers, people should generally steer clear from streets, particularly the areas around major mosques in such cities as Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi and Zaria. The streets had indeed been quiet. Oddly however, nothing - no violence, no skirmish, no burning of churches, no beheadings of innocent bystanders, absolutely no violence occurred. As the continuing violent riots and demonstrations against the recognition of the Israeli capital by the US continued on a daily basis, not a whimper whatsoever was heard from the often vociferous Nigeria-based Islamists and Ulama’s who in prior times had cried more than the bereaved, causing far more destructions, mayhem, killings and murders in Nigeria than would be occasioned to the territories where the initial harms/issues were domiciled.

What is the secret for the new found peace and quiet in Nigeria after US recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel? Had the umbilical cord which linked violent extremism with Islamists across the Sahara desert been cut? Were the youngsters used to perpetuate pro-Islamist violence in Nigeria over issues that happened so far away from our shores now suddenly wiser and less violent? Or do the characters who instigated and orchestrated earlier copy-cat Islamist-related violence feel that there was presently no need to disturb the polity since they were presently in control of the reins of power? Did someone in Nigeria’s seat of power not want to risk upsetting US interests by allowing urchins to go about burning churches, killing, looting and causing carnage (erstwhile useful tools to discredit earlier regimes) over the issue of Jerusalem?

Whatsoever is the reason for the peace and quiet being experienced in Northern Nigeria over the issue of Jerusalem whilst violence rages across Gaza, the West Bank and much of the Middle East, let the peace and quiet be maintained. Let it also be realized that previous acts of pro-Islamist mass mayhem which had earlier been thought to be spontaneous and ‘free-will’ were certainly centrally organized, premeditated, well planned and executed acts of intimidation and terror geared towards attaining political and socio-economic advantages.

The fact that no one, not any single person, has been tried and found guilty or in any way held accountable for previous acts of religion-based violent crimes in Nigeria, gives life to the theory that powerful interest blocks orchestrate and give cover to the use of religion as an instrument to perpetuate violence in Northern Nigeria. The fact that a man, Muhammadu Buhari, who had severally championed the cause of extremist Islamist philosophies currently occupies the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and would not ordinarily want to attract greater undue US attention, is certainly a factor in the non-replication of Islamist riots over the issue of Jerusalem in Northern Nigeria. Without doubt, at other times, perhaps when other persons mount the saddle of rulership over the Nigerian State, the spectre of pro-Islamist violence remain a ready tool to attain political goals.

Picture: Likely news that would have emanated from Nigeria over US recognition of Jerusalem – avoided by those who instigated previous fatalistic and violent riots