Every week, there are more massacres, but nobody seems to mind — not even their own government
By Douglas Murray


More than 2 million people have been displaced by violence in Nigeria

Another day in northern Nigeria, another Christian village reeling from an attack by the Muslim Fulani herdsmen who used to be their neighbours — and who are now cleansing them from the area. The locals daren’t collect the freshest bodies. Some who tried earlier have already been killed, spotted by the waiting militia and hacked down or shot. The Fulani are watching everything closely from the surrounding mountains. Every week, their progress across the northern states of Plateau and Kaduna continues. Every week, more massacres — another village burned, its church razed, its inhabitants slaughtered, raped or chased away. A young woman, whose husband and two children have just been killed in front of her, tells me blankly, ‘Our parents told us about these people. But we lived in relative peace and we forgot what they said.’

For the outside world, what is happening to the Christians of northern Nigeria is both beyond our imagination and beneath our interest. These tribal-led villages, each with their own ‘paramount ruler’, were converted by missionaries in the 19th and 20th centuries. But now these Christians — from the bishop down — sense that they have become unsympathetic figures, perhaps even an embarrassment, to the West. The international community pretends that this situation is a tit-for-tat problem, rather than a one-sided slaughter. Meanwhile, in Nigeria, the press fails to report or actively obscures the situation. Christians in the south of the country feel little solidarity with their co-religionists suffering from this Islamic revivalism and territorial conquest in the north. And worst of all, the plight of these people is of no interest to their own government. In fact, this ethnic and religious cleansing appears to be taking place with that government’s complicity or connivance.

Every village has a similar story. A few days before any attack, a military helicopter is spotted dropping arms and other supplies into the areas inhabited by the Fulani tribes. Then the attack comes. For reasons of Islamic doctrine, the militia often deliver a letter of warning. Then they come, at any time of night or day, not down the dirt tracks, but silently through the foliage. The Christian villagers, who are forbidden to carry arms (everyone is, in theory), have no way to defend themselves. With some exceptions, they also tend to believe what they were taught about turning the other cheek.

The village of Goska was attacked on Christmas Eve. In a temporary shelter nearby, a young man describes how he ran towards his home when he heard the attack start. There he found his mother lying dead on the floor. Uniformed Fulani militia were everywhere. He fled across the fields: ‘I ran and ran until I realised my feet could not carry me any longer.’ The first bullet that hit him passed through the sole of one foot; the second through the back of the other leg with that clean felt-tip mark Kalashnikov bullets make on entry. The exit wounds are less neat —the second exploded out through his right kneecap. On the ground, he realised why he could no longer run, but also that he was still alive. ‘My day was not over,’ he says, brushing his hand across his better leg.

Across the surviving Christian villages of the north, thousands have been killed and hundreds of thousands have been displaced. In those villages and the IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camps to which many have fled, you can see the same wounds from the same bullets. In the remote village of Sho, where the attacks have been going on since 2001, a girl of 12 — in her Sunday best — embarrassedly shows me the scars of the bullet which entered and exited her elbow recently while she played behind her house.

An eight-year-old girl balances on one foot to point out the bullet wound on the other, a hallmark of the snipers sitting in the hills around us. Villages have been persuaded to keep records of the attacks to show anyone who cares. One of the very few from outside who does — Britain’s own Baroness Cox — came here recently. Her vehicle was spotted by the Fulani, who came out hunting for her and only just missed their target. Because of attacks like this, almost nobody comes. Just one more reason why these atrocities do not attract the West’s attentions.

The task of chronicling the outrages continues nonetheless. Village leaders keep ring-binders of their dead. Some have photo-graph albums of what their villages have been through: old women set alight; young women raped and shot; babies hacked to death.

The Nigerian government, led by a Fulani president — Muhammadu Buhari — clearly does not wish to protect these people. Even more than under Buhari’s incompetent Christian predecessor, the army fails to perform its most basic duties. As you get into the more dangerous and remote areas, sullen young soldiers at army road blocks hustle you for cash at gunpoint.

A villager takes me to the bridge where the village leader and 13 others were recently gunned down in a Fulani ambush. Nigerian army troops watched the whole thing from their base a couple of hundred yards away — just as they did the destruction of another Christian village, the remains of which sit, burned out and silent, right opposite them. The army seems to have no interest in protecting the Christians, while the government in Abuja appears to care more about passing new laws on cattle-rustling than on protecting human lives. When challenged after a massacre, soldiers often claim that they didn’t receive any orders — or had been commanded not to intervene.

In a line that’s parroted by some NGOs, the government says that this is a land or agricultural dispute. Yet it is the Christian communities who are being systematically forced off it. If anybody wanted to find the culprits, they could find them living and farming on the land they have stolen. But such arrests never happen. The complicity between the army and the Fulani is obvious. Between Barakin-Ladi and Riyom — in sight of another army post — is a sacked Christian village which locals say now acts as a Fulani arms dump. The world’s indifference gives the Nigerian government the advantage in what looks like a quiet effort to rid northern Nigeria of its Christians.

The moment three years ago when Boko Haram abducted 300 Christian schoolgirls from the north-east and ‘Bring Back Our Girls’ briefly trended on Twitter was the closest this situation has come to catching the world’s attention. But the moment passed. Those girls are still missing and the story of Boko Haram has receded from the headlines. But similar atrocities go on all the time. At an IDP camp Deborah, 31, describes the 18 months she spent held captive by the group. When they burst into her village, the Islamists killed her husband and the rest of her family, forcibly converted her and ‘married’ her off to one of their 20-year-old fighters. He complained about her bad temper and argumentativeness, but he still raped her, producing the nine-month-old boy now suckling at her breast. A Christian pastor has urged her to love and cherish the boy as though he was her murdered husband.

The first time she escaped from Boko Haram, she was recaptured and lashed 80 times as punishment. At least she is now unafraid of death. ‘What sort of death would I be running from?’ she asks. ‘I have already died once.’ At night, she says, a military plane would sometimes appear over Boko Haram’s camp and drop off supplies. ‘Look what powerful friends we have,’ her husband would boast as he pointed to the lights in the sky above. Even if the Nigerian army does not support Boko Haram, elements of it certainly do. Whenever an actual operation against the group is planned, they are always tipped off by forces within the country’s security apparatus.

Nigerians have their own view as to what is really going on: a suspicion fuelled again as I leave one IDP camp at sunset and news comes in that another camp to the east has just been bombed by the Nigerian military, killing and maiming scores of people.

The army later apologises for this ‘error’.But the bigger picture is not about error. If the international community meant anything by its promises such as the UN’s ‘responsibility to protect’ doctrine, then what is happening could not go on. But the international community is uninterested. Governments like ours are uninterested. The world’s media is uninterested.

At morning service in the city of Jos, the congregation sing and pray using the 19th-century hymnals and prayer books by which their faith was delivered. When we reach the plea to ‘Deliver us from the hands of our enemies’, the closely packed room hums with the literalness of the words. The Christians of Nigeria are alone. Even if we do not care about this, we ought to know.

https://www.spectator.co.uk/2017/02/who-will-protect-nigerias-northern-christians/

cc: Lalasticlala, Ishilove, Mynd44

The US is very specific about the killings and have correctly labelled it for what it is ....its clearly ethnic cleansing that is being backed by a very powerful govt figure seemingly

If you wonders why all our security chiefs are from one region of the country and ethnic cleansing is on the increase, your guess might be good as mine.

One thing I know for sure is that this government ( police or soldiers ) can not PROTECT them at all.

Wow, if anybody thinks these killings are not religious and politically orientated then I can't help u. Nigeria is dieing #fcckBuhari

Only God can save us now...

And who will protect the northern Muslims?
Before all these terrorist will kill,
Did they ask if they are Christians or Muslim, or if they are PDP or APC,
Or if they commit sin or pious.

My only problem is the way and manner the jobless aggressive lazy idiotic pigs of Biafra will cry to high heaven when we will arrest the jobless aggressive lazy idiotic bandit and their sponsor.
Because I know the sponsor will be caught before election.

ogedengbeakogun:
This is clearly a front page material.... Seun.. Seun... Ti o ba je baba e lo bi e.... Ma gbe lo si front page... Sho gbó... Eyin adojutini wonyi

He (the bolded) will never do the needful since the evil and murderous regime, which has a big stake in his establishment and which he, himself in turn, supports wholeheartedly, is being exposed.

Remember that, in one of his sections, he has declared to each and everyone of us that; There's no god but Allah, hence anything that favours Christians and Christianity in general, is never accorded due attention, consideration and publicity here.

It's also on this note that the Islamic moderator, Mynd44, doles out bans to anyone who dares to match the apologists of this gestapo govt word for word, insult for insult and foul language for foul language.

For your information, Karma will be here for her duties some day and recompense will be required.

PS... again, your ban came too late, since my post has been seen, read, assimilated and even liked before your hate action, which is what your ban is.

youngeagle:
If you wonders why all our security chiefs are from one region of the country and ethnic cleansing is on the increase, your guess might be good as mine.

Spot on

Paperwhite:
Nigerian Christians will surely be delivered but we must stand up & fight.
"Get-Up Stand-Up, Stand up for your right,
Get-Up Stand-Up, don't give the fight."

Correeeeect!!!!?

protect from wot?
abeg, go sidon jare!
baba is wokin.

This is clearly a front page material.... Seun.. Seun... Ti o ba je baba e lo bi e.... Ma gbe lo si front page... Sho gbó... Eyin adojutini wonyi

youngeagle:
If you wonders why all our security chiefs are from one region of the country and ethnic cleansing is on the increase, your guess might be good as mine.

buhari planned it from the beginning and supported by the traitors from the west of Nigeria

buhari should protect them.

just tell bunari is enemy that hus doing the killings he will keep quiet
the same way they advice abacha

I see this fight more political than religious ..because ,is like a set of people want to use the avenue to distract people's attention from what this government is doing .....killing the innocent people can not be solution...

ok

youngeagle:
If you wonders why all our security chiefs are from one region of the country and ethnic cleansing is on the increase, your guess might be good as mine.

When people complain, they say we are calling a case where there's none. Nigerians should enjoy what they encouraged even when facts were pointing otherwise.

BTW, when will media houses in Nigeria give detailed reports like this concerning the security situation of the country? Must we always get full information from foreign press/journalists?

These are perilous times,the world is a stage and majority of the events going on are staged,and for every staged events there's is a script.

For every script there's a writer,and for every writer of a script there's a motive.

Nigeria has been set as a stage for the a religious war,utterances from MURIC and CAN will continue the fuel the predictions of a certain Albert Pike when he predicted a very long time ago.

Nigeria needs someone that will represents all parties and religion and sort everything out amicably,if we continue like this Syria will be child's play compared to what will happen in Nigeria.

Syria started while the World watched and the so called super powers,it was deliberate.

Nigeria is also towing that line and the entire West Africa won't be able to survive the carnage that will follow.

The end is at hand,and World will continue to witness worse carnage,let everyman hold on to his faith.

brace up!!!

LRNZH, welcome back and I am glad you are calling out this government for the numerous vices happening under its watch even though I recall the numerous arguments we all have had here.

For those who cannot read, let me itemize it for you:

1. They called it what it is, an ethnic cleansing. Hear them: "The locals daren’t collect the freshest bodies. Some who tried earlier have already been killed, spotted by the waiting militia and hacked down or shot. The Fulani are watching everything closely from the surrounding mountains."

2. History repeats itself - "Our parents told us about these people. But we lived in relative peace and we forgot what they said". The same people the president wants us to live in peace with.

3. The international community could care less - "The international community pretends that this situation is a tit-for-tat problem, rather than a one-sided slaughter."

4. Media houses in Nigeria are under reporting what is actually happening there, maybe because they are being threatened or that they have been bought over - "the press fails to report or actively obscures the situation."

5. The government happens to have a hand in the killings - "the plight of these people is of no interest to their own government. In fact, this ethnic and religious cleansing appears to be taking place with that government’s complicity or connivance"

6. The military seems to be aiding them - "Every village has a similar story. A few days before any attack, a military helicopter is spotted dropping arms and other supplies into the areas inhabited by the Fulani tribes.". I recall when NK said something about the ethnic domination of the Fulanis, he was labelled all sorts even here on NL. Alas, TY Danjuma (not like I care about him) has confirmed the same thing he said as at 2014. This is also similar to the cry by a certain HoR member who was/is representing Delta state.

7. Whoever tries defending himself is arrested and labelled a criminal, remember the Nimbo, Enugu case where about 80 youths were arrested by the NA for wanting to avenge the killings in Nimbo - "The Christian villagers, who are forbidden to carry arms (everyone is, in theory), have no way to defend themselves. With some exceptions, they also tend to believe what they were taught about turning the other cheek".

8. Your president does not care nor give two fvcks - "The Nigerian government, led by a Fulani president — Muhammadu Buhari — clearly does not wish to protect these people."

9. Extortion by the NA - "As you get into the more dangerous and remote areas, sullen young soldiers at army roadblocks hustle you for cash at gunpoint." Eastern Nigeria is used to this rubbish and when you complain, they call you all sorts and say we are playing the victim. I laughed when I saw a thread by a certain Alariwo on that of SARS. Injustice would continue to meet us all until we learn to condemn it irrespective of where we come from.

10. NA does not care, heck, they are aware when a village is being attacked and can see it but are not concerned and theyy are also commanded not to intervene - "Nigerian army troops watched the whole thing from their base a couple of hundred yards away — just as they did the destruction of another Christian village, the remains of which sit, burned out and silent, right opposite them. The army seems to have no interest in protecting the Christians while the government in Abuja appears to care more about passing new laws on cattle-rustling than on protecting human lives. When challenged after a massacre, soldiers often claim that they didn’t receive any orders — or had been commanded not to intervene."

11. The NA is in cahoot with the herdsmen - "The complicity between the army and the Fulani is obvious. Between Barakin-Ladi and Riyom — in sight of another army post — is a sacked Christian village which locals say now acts as a Fulani arms dump."

12. The bombing of the Rann IDP camp too.

Thanks to the Brits, we are together if not, I do not think anyone would want to share a country with these guys who do not respect lives.

buhariguy:
And who will protect the northern Muslims?
Before all these terrorist will kill,
Did they ask if they are Christians or Muslim, or if they are PDP or APC,
Or if they commit sin or pious.

My only problem is the way and manner the jobless aggressive lazy idiotic pigs of Biafra will cry to high heaven when we will arrest the jobless aggressive lazy idiotic bandit and their sponsor.
Because I know the sponsor will be caught before election.

You are a goat, a premium-classed idiot and an anathema to sane humans walking the geographical space of Nigeria. You and that bonobo called Sarrki would get what is coming to you. Continue playing politics with human lives.

Bunch of retards.

CC: Doctokwus, LordAdam16, freeze001, see what many Nigerians opined but were termed wailers.

I believe that the solution to the regular massacre of people in the North be it Christians or Muslims is to vote out buhari the grand life patron of the killers. He has refused to arrest the killers and prosecute them. So vote buhari out and the killing will stop. Very simple

They colluded with the FAR NORTH to decimate the Igbo Race.
Their GENERALS were ruthless, Thank GOd they are still alive.
They should rise up and FIGHT.
Once a General, Always a General.

GOWON and L.TY DANJUMA never fail to reply the IGBOS.
He should replicate such now.
His territory is being eroded.

Lalasticlala, ishilove, Mynd44 food don finish o

While this ethnic cleansing is on going Mr Bola Tinubu and his supporters are on SEE NO EVIL HEAR NO EVIL mode.