Date: Sun, 8 Jan 2012 10:07:16 -0600
Subject:
From: Okechukwu Ukaga <ukaga001@umn.edu>
To: toyin.falola@mail.utexas.edu
Dear Toyin Falola:
For some reason I am no longer able to post to the USAAfricaDialogue. So here is one more article about the continuing senseless killing of Christians/Igbos/southerners in Northern Nigeria that you may want to post on the listerve. It is pertinent to note that this is the kind of senseless killing of Igbos in the 60s that eventually led to the first civil war. So Ikhide and others are absolutely correct in suggesting that the Nigerian/Biafra should be part of formal and non-formal education in the country.
As the cliche goes, those who fail to learn from their history are bound to repeat their mistakes. I wonder why some who have been so insensitive and very vocal in denying the atrocities and blaming the victims of that civil war, have been noticeably missing in action when it comes to condemning the recurring series of senseless killings that -God forbid- may prove to be precursors to another wahala.
Happy New Year!
-Okey
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Again, gunmen kill 11 in Adamawa *Atiku, Marwa condemn act *Govt imposes 24-hour curfew
Written by Wale Akintunde, YolaSunday, 08 January 2012
It was rain of blood and carnage in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, as about six gunmen around 8pm shot eleven people and unleashed terror on innocent worshippers at the Christ Apostolic Church in Demsawo area of Yola metropolis.
Eyewitness account had it that about eleven people, including a pastor, were shot dead by the rampaging gunmen.
A relative of one of the victims, Mr. David Molomo confirmed to Sunday Tribune that he lost a brother, one Emmanuel Sunday who was a member of staff of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). The gunmen also went to a nearby barber's saloon where three others were shot dead.
The Friday massacre was the first of its kind in Yola after that of Mubi, the second largest town in Adamawa State where 20 persons were killed by unidentified gunmen.
While speaking to newsmen, Pastor Joshua of the Christ Apostolic Church Worldwide, in a reaction to the killing of twelve members of the church on Friday evening at Jimeta-Yola, during an evening worship, said that they were in Yola to see their chairman who was shortly leaving Yola for Jos before the incident took place.
"We had arrived barely 30 minutes and were having a meeting with our chairman when we heard gunshots and we thought it was the vigilante group. But unknown to us, it was in the church compound," he stated.
Pastor Joshua lamented that the church service ended in confusion as the presiding pastor was shot dead while on the pulpit.
"At the last count, eleven people laid dead and several others were injured", he moaned.
When Sunday Tribune visited the Yola Specialist Hospital, a member of staff at the emergency ward said that eleven dead bodies were brought while five others were battling to stay alive.
Sunday Tribune also spoke to the Reverend in charge of ECWA Bishara One Demsawo, Reverend Michael Hamman, who said there was need for the government to take immediate steps towards the security of the nation.
Contacted for comments, the Police Public Relations Officer in charge of Adamawa Police Command, ASP Altine Daniel confirmed the incident, adding that the police were investigating the matter.
It would be recalled that on the same day, many people were killed while organising the funeral of two of their relations who were killed on the previous day in Mubi.
Reports had it that the mourners were taken by surprise when three men on a motorcycle opened fire on them, killing and wounding many.
Already the state government has imposed a 24-hour curfew on the whole state to calm frayed nerves and also forestall further killings.
In a statewide broadcast, the governor of the state,Murtala Nyako, expressed regret over the killings in the state in the past few days. The governor said the state had placed a N25m reward for whoever provides any useful information about the killers.
He urged non-indigenes resident in the state not to contemplate leaving the state. He assured them that security agents were on top of the situation.
Meanwhile, the governorship candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), General Buba Marwa (rtd), while condemning the act, disclosed that the killings were politically motivated by the ruling government in the state so as to remain in power beyond 2012.
Addressing the media on the killings, Marwa who wondered why killings were occurring, with only a few days to the state elections, said "the aim of the ruling government is to further divide the state according to religious lines, between Muslims and Christians, and our great party CPC, and to claim that it is the handiwork of Boko Haram. Unfortunately for the ruling party, Boko Haram which always claims responsibility for its actions did not claim responsibility for this action. This is not a Boko Haram action."
Swiftly reacting, the Chief Press Secretary to the Adamawa State government, Alhaji Maija'ma Adamu condemned Marwa's statement, saying that he was only hiding away from being culpable over the crisis in the state.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned in the strongest terms the latest round of ethnic and religious terrorist attacks in Jigawa, Gombe and in Mubi and Jimeta, Adamawa State, by yet-to-be-identified gunmen.
Speaking to newsmen on Saturday evening, shortly on arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, the former Vice President said the killing of 30 innocent Nigerians by bandits was not only criminal and barbaric, but also a dangerous threat to the unity of this country, especially coming two weeks after the terrorist attack on Christian worshippers at the St. Theresa Catholic Church at Madalla on Christmas Day.
According to Atiku , the attack on defenceless citizens anywhere carries the risk of polarising the nation and weakening the efforts to take a united stand against terrorists and their evil agenda.
He said at a time leaders were making united efforts to find solutions to this mindless and cruel incidents of terrorist violence, some bandits with hideous motives appeared determined to set Nigerians against one another.
While Boko Haram had not claimed responsibility for the action, major markets in the state have remained closed follwoing the incidents.
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Toyin Falola
Department of History
The University of Texas at Austin
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USA
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http://www.toyinfalola.com/
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Department of History
The University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station
Austin, TX 78712-0220
USA
512 475 7224
512 475 7222 (fax)
http://www.toyinfalola.com/
www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa
http://groups.google.com/group/yorubaaffairs
http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
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