In the face of terrorism, distrust and disillusionment, a university teacher, Dr Yinka Olomojobi, has written a book entitled: Frontiers of Jihad, Radical Islam in Africa. The book’s presentation drew high-profile guests to the MUSON Centre, Lagos. EVELYN OSAGIE reports.
Why would anybody choose to write a book on terrorism,” Dr Folake Olomojobi had wondered, when her husband, Dr Yinka Olomojobi of Babcock University, first set out to write the book, Frontiers of Jihad, Radical Islam in Africa. Then, she was consumed in fear. Today, her thoughts have changed from fear to pride.
“Initially, it was weird. I was asking myself: ‘why would you want to do this; wouldn’t you turn out to be a terrorist yourself?’ But as the world news added more spotlight on terrorism, I saw the need for this; and started supporting and paying attention to the work he was doing.
“It was very time consuming and challenging. It was not easy for all of us. He put in a lot of work: he stayed away from home most of the time as his research took him far from home; he stayed up so many nights, when others things had to be done.
“But today, we are happy with how it turned out. Whether we like it or not, it is a present reality. And we need people who have been so trained to go into historical reviews, appraise present realities and project into the future. I not only understand the need for the book at such a time as this, I am proud that my husband dedicated his time and knowledge to write it,” she said.
Her words reflect the feeling at the formal presentation of the controversial book from the stable of Safari Book Ltd at the MUSON Centre in Lagos.
Dignitaries from within and outside Lagos thronged Agip Recital Hall of the centre for the event.
Olomojobi’s book focuses on how and why ‘radical Islam’ finds a breeding ground, especially in Africa. Structured into two parts, it consists of 10 chapters. The first part, Exploring the Frontiers of Jihad, has four chapters, the second, Radical Islam in Africa, consists of six chapters and an epilogue.
With terrorism on the rise globally, any book, such as Olomojobi’s that seeks to throw more light on ways of curbing it is commendable, guests said.
Like Dr Folake, many at the event praised the author for approaching the issue from an intellectual point of view. They observed that “guns alone will not defeat the insurgents, neither will nuclear armaments”. Success in the fight against terrorism, especially in Nigeria, “remains an illusion as long as sponsors and godfathers of terrorists occupies government positions, wine and dine with those who claimed to be fighting insurgency”, they said.
They called for the prosecution of all those allegedly linked to Boko Haram, urging Nigerians to stop promoting insurgency and the insurgents by calling them “Islamic radicals”.
On the line-up of eminent guests were Former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN); Founder of Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Babatunde Bakare; Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, represented by Dr Adeleke Ipaye; Executive Secretary, Muslim Ummah of Southwest Nigeria, Prof Dawud Noibi; veteran journalist, Aare ‘Lekan Alabi; Justice G. C. Okeke (rtd) and Executive Chairman, CEO of Safari Books Limited, Chief Joop Berkhout.
Also in attendance were the author’s parents, Prof Zach and Justice Rebecca Olomojobi.
Fashola, chairman of the event, noted that linking acts of terror with criminality gave rise to what is now known globally as “Radical Islam”. Fashola called for a collective fight against the insurgents.
“The biggest risk of succumbing to this propaganda is to put a religion on trial while expecting its adherents to join the fight against criminals. There is such a word as ‘Radical Islam’. The simple truth is we have allowed the voices of a few criminals to rise above that of billions of law abiding global citizens. I would say it is ‘Radical Dis-Islamisation’. What we are dealing with is a new wave of crime, by criminals who seem to have an edge because of the need for a new global legal order and the gaps created by globalisation.
“Guns alone will not defeat them, neither will nuclear armaments. It is our collective understanding and our collective agreements that this has nothing to do with religion, it is our development of the appropriate counter-messaging, it is our collective resolve to stop helping to promote their brand, by calling their names, that will expose them for what and who they are, and help us to defeat them,” he said.
Fashola described Olomojobi’s book as a “seminal work” that answers some burning questions in his heart. The questions, the former governor said, were inspired by a report on Cable News Network (CNN) that North Korea was threatening war on South Korea and an American professor was bought on set to proffer intelligence on North Koreans. And just as he was set to provoke a debate on Nigeria’s university dons/experts and the localisation of knowledge of other African states with the mind of providing intelligence that would form the basis of national security and economic decisions, he got the invitation to attend Olomojobi’s book presentation.
He said: “I hope it challenges others to respond; because if we take the power of knowledge seriously, we would be reorganising Nigerian universities, encouraging and sponsoring scholars to specialise and do seminal work diverse areas of national and global interests. I am not suggesting that these things do not exist but think if we have more information on terrorism and terrorist groups, it would assist the security services to deal with the terror problems we are currently facing.”
Bakare, the chief launcher, said the fight against insurgents should be a collective one. He called for the empowerment of more scholars to do such research.
He said: “I appreciate the contribution of Fashola in separating Islam from radicalism. I was born and raised a Muslim right in the heart of Sokoto; and we still have Muslims in my family. We don’t kill ourselves. Several years ago my uncle was Sarkin Yoruba right in the palace of the Sultan of Sokoto. We live in harmony. And those who are taking advantage of us, we must join hands together to push them out of our quarters.
“And I trust that we can genuinely do that when we have accurate information so that we do not begin to suspect ourselves. My job is to present the book to you.
“Thank God for the book has just been presented today. I believe that it would be a good instrument in the hand of those who are in charge of our security. It’d give them insight to look at the mind-set of the people behind the Boko Haram insurgency. “As soon as I held the book, I went straight to chapter eight, Opening the Pandora’s Box of Boko Haram, I browse through and said ‘whoa!’ what an insight. I pray our nation would begin to focus attention and give tools like Dr Olomojobi to do what they are trained to do so that we can collectively benefit from their genuine efforts.”
Prof Noibi said the insurgents did not represent Islam. The professor also called for cooperation of all Nigerians to fight insurgency.
He said: “This well-researched book focuses on the subject which is very important to every Nigerians. Coming from a Christian that is writing on an aspect of Islam, shows that we can live together peacefully with mutual understanding which has been lacking. The important thing to note is that those who carry out evil activities in the name of religion cannot be said to represent Islam which the author has well-explained.
“I think that this message should be spread across the country so that we learn to show respect one another for the benefit of Nigeria. I believe that if we all unite to fight insurgency and extremism, it is the totality of the Nigerian population that would benefit.
While blaming the past administration for popularity the terrorist groups have gained thus far, the reviewer of the book, Dr Laja Odukoya said, Olomojobi’s book provides an anatomical dissection of the mode of operations and networks of terrorist groups in Africa.
He observed further that the book calls attention to the mutation of terrorist and terrorism through exploiting the instrumentality of Internet possibility for training in weapons and self-radicalisation.
“I find his suggestions of a revised process of de-radicalisation through the same process by which an individual becomes radicalised and the application of African and International solutions to the terrorists challenge logical and illuminating.
“It is thus apposite to argue that leadership failure, maladministration, cluelessness and corruption of the Goodluck Jonathan administration contributed in no small measure to the monumental crisis and national embarrassment that the Boko Haram has become,” he said.
The event was steered by Mr Seyi Apampa, a lawyer and colleague of the author.
