Jos Violence and Nigerian Security

An Al Jazeera piece by Andrew Simmons explaining the violence between Christian Birom people and Muslim Hausa in Plateau state. The Nigerian police and military may not be entirely blameless or effective in subduing the violence.

Jos violence quelled by Nigerian army

Troops sent by Nigerian vice president Goodluck Jonathan are keeping the peace for now in the northern city of Jos, according to reports prepared by Al Jazeera. A twenty four hour curfew is in force, according to a report prepared by Voice of America (VOA).

Professor Kabiru Mato of the University of Abuja, interviewed by the VOA, traces the current spate of violence to a number of factors, including social apathy, economic deprivation, and political frustration. The necessity of action to quell the violence in Jos does appear to have forced President Yar'Adua to delegate at least some token powers to his vice president, Goodluck Jonathan.

Chimamanda Adichie on Nigerian "terror"
An excellent interview with prize-winning Nigerian author Chimamanda Adichie was aired yesterday on the National Public Radio program "Tell Me More." Like other Nigerians living in the diaspora, Ms. Adichie expresses shock and surprise that an action such as this would have been carried out by one of her countrymen. She highlights many of the topics which have dominated discussion among Nigerians since the event, including most of those which have been discussed and debated in the blogosphere.

My favorite comment from Ms. Adichie would have to be her challenge to Nigerians to admit that Farouk Abdul Mutallab is indeed one of them. She notes that were he to have achieved some great success such as a scientific discovery or sports victory, there would have been no issue of the time which he spent abroad detracting from his true nationality. I also agree with Ms. Adichie, however, when she faults the media for overemphasizing Nigeria as a center or source for the anit-western ideology which the underwear bomber espoused.

Readers of this blog who are not otherwise familiar with Chinamamba Adichie should certainly check out an earlier interview from December 21st on the BBC program "The Interview" with Carrie Gracie. Her books are wonderful reading experiences whether you have ever been to Nigeria or have any interest in doing so or not. Although she writes about universal themes, there have never been questions raised about her being Nigerian.

Nigerian tries to blow up Delta Flight 253 in Detroit

Abdul Farouk Umar Abdulmutallab, a 23-year-old son Nigerian national, attempted to ignite an explosive device aboard Delta Airlines Flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit, Michigan. Abdulmutallab is the son of the former chairman of the First Bank of Nigeria, Abdul Farouk Umar Abdulmutallab. According to stories in both the Detroit News and This Day, the father had repeatedly warned authorities about his son's radical leanings going back more than two years. The younger Abdulmutallab claims to have received both his incendiary device and training on how to use it from Al Qaeda forces in Yemen. Why was he allowed to board a flight bound for the United States?

The Dark Sahara


"The Dark Sahara: America's War on Terror in Africa" is a new book by British anthropologist Jeremy Keenan. Keenan was interviewed on "Democracy Now" this past Thursday, August 6th. In that interview, Keenan suggests that the United States has been hoodwinked into supplying arms and military training by intelligence personnel of the government of Algeria. The planned AFRICOM base has yet to be accepted by any African nation, and the United States military may actually be more a part of the problem as opposed to the solution to political and economic troubles on the dark continent.

Mohammed Yusuf dies in custody

The body of Mohammed Yusuf, leader of Nigeria's radical islamic sect "Boko Haram," was shown to journalists on Thursday just hours after police said they had captured him in the northern city of Maiduguri. Here are some representative links from foreign press as well as Nigerian blogs:

Boko Haram leader killed. Juliana Taiwo in Abuja and Michael Olugbode in Maiduguria writing on Friday, July 31st for the Nigerian daily This Day.

Boko Haram: Matters Arising by Reuben Abati in Nigerian Village Square.

Is Boko Haram Nigeria's Taliban? by Cameron Duodu of the Guardian in Great Britain.

Nigerian row over militant killing, a BBC story with a first-hand account Bilkisu Babangida.

Killings by security forces in Northern Nigeria, a Sahara Reporters story reporting complaints by Amnesty International.