The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Chibok

  • Funding our military

    Funding our military

    At the height of the pro-democracy protests over the annulment of June 12, 1993 presidential election, the rumour mill was very active churning out one story after another, feasting on the mood of the populace.

    In the camp of those opposed to the cancellation of the poll, it was generally believed that the United States and other western allies were going to send troops and equipment to help topple the Abacha government and restore the winner of that election, Bashorun MKO Abiola. It never happened.

    Such was the belief among pro-democracy activists and their supporters that the Americans were going to put boots on the ground and chase away Abacha. They were utterly gutted and felt let down by the US when at the end of the day, Washington sent neither soldiers nor equipment and Abiola died in detention without actualising his mandate.

    You can imagine the skepticism when the rumour mill came alive again in the aftermath of the abduction of over 200 Nigerian school girls in Chibok, Borno State, over a month ago by Boko Haram insurgents that America was going to help Nigeria militarily to find the girls. Once beaten twice shy? But this time around the Yankees are living up to expectation.

    And you need to see how relieved many were last week when after several weeks of expectation, President Barack Obama finally approved the deployment of 80 US servicemen and equipment to join many international well wishers collaborating with the Nigerian military to find and bring back our girls.

    The relief was however dampened in some quarters when it emerged that the US Air Force personnel and equipment would be based in Chad, Nigeria’s northern neighbour and not on Nigerian soil. The arrival of the American surveillance aircraft and personnel came in the wake of a similar deployment by the United Kingdom of its state-of the-art surveillance aeroplane-The Sentinel- to Accra, Ghana to also help Nigeria in the search for the Chibok girls. Many view the stationing of these two aircraft and the accompanying personnel outside the shores of Nigeria as a sign of lack of confidence in the Nigerian military by America and Britain.

    In the fight against Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, the US military not only operated from neigbhouring Pakistan, but has substantial men and equipment on ground in Afghanistan to fight the terrorists. What are the Americans afraid of in Nigeria?  In order to be seen as patriotic, one could argue that only the Americans can say why they chose Chad over Nigeria in that troop deployment and that our military is up there among the very best in the league of medium powers. ‘We have the capacity to host and collaborate with the US military or any other superpower military in this rescue mission’, one could blindly argue, but regrettably this doesn’t seem to be the case.

    And in a tacit endorsement of the position of the skeptics on the operational readiness and competence of the Nigerian armed forces to fight the war on terror, the Nigerian Army last week cried out over the poor funding of our military, especially the army. The slightly over N4 billion annual budgetary allocations to the army, the service say is grossly inadequate to equip the troops, not to talk of training and other needs of the modern soldier. The army high command is calling on government to look at other sources of funding and equipping our military to meet with the changing times and security challenges.

    Before the Americans open snub of our military in their troop deployment, not a few have expressed serious doubt in the ability and capability of our armed forces to effectively fight, contain and defeat the Boko Haram insurgency. And their position is strengthened so to speak by the ease at which Boko Haram strikes and spreads terror in the land with little or no response from the Nigerian military and other security forces.

    If Boko Haram could strike at a military base in the north east, a supposedly secure location, and several months after the perpetrators have not been brought to book, why should the Americans or any other serious military for that matter trust our military base to secure their men and equipment? Why would any other military want to use our military base when our ‘boys’ in the theatre of the insurgency and heart of a military base, could rebel and fire at their commander in frustration and protest?

    I am not an expert in military or security matters and I don’t have to be one to know that common sense dictates that a man who is not safe or secure in his house cannot guarantee the safety of his visitor. The Nigerian military as it stands today cannot offer that guarantee to any other armed forces on our soil. It is as simple as that: let the truth be told.

    Why are we in this mess or how did we get into this mess that we cannot even provide safety for someone who wants to help us? Simple! Years of neglect and corruption. Self-centredness and wickedness on the part of our successive leaders, have almost reduced the Nigerian Armed Forces, once the pride of Africa, to a band of Boys Brigade. And the military has a hand in the systematic destruction of this once national institution and pride. The soldiers have spent more years at the helm in this country than the civilians and each left the military worse than it met it. Why? Greed!

    It is easier to blame President Goodluck Jonathan and the present leadership of the Nigerian armed forces for the sorry state of our military today and the failure of our soldiers to effectively defend the nation’s territorial integrity, but the rot did not start with them. It goes way back.

    The only blame Jonathan would have as commander-in-chief is if he leaves the military as it is by the time he is leaves office and thus expose our nation to more danger. He should heed the call of the army for improved funding of the military and galvanise the private sector to engage in the local production of what I would call ‘below the belt’ military equipment (uniform, beret, helmet, boots, small arms et al, for now) to conserve foreign exchange for the importation of real military hardware that can stand us in good stead in the 21st century warfare. After all the primary duty of a commander-in-chief is the protection of the territorial integrity of his nation.

    This is a call to arm, President Jonathan; before you go let’s have a robust and effective fighting machine called the Nigerian Armed Forces; the ones that can defend us and we’ll be proud of. As your administration winds down, I am afraid the time is short, but you can do a lot by setting the ball rolling. You can do it if you want to and if you fail to do it, Nigerians will never forgive you.

     

  • Church begins prayer for Nigeria

    Church begins prayer for Nigeria

    Members of the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC) world-wide have begun prayers to seek God’s intervention over the abduction of over 200 Chibok School girls. The girls have been in captivity in the last five weeks.

    The vigil which began yesterday at the Kano Provincial Headquarters of the CCC.

    At a news conference  held at the premises of the CCC in Kano yesterday, the Co-coordinator of the prayer session, Prophet Gilbert Fasesin said that myriad of problems  currently confronting the country needed God’s intervention, adding that with God, everything is possible, “at no distant time, we shall conquer the challenges.”

    However,  Evangelist Richard Anisere, who represented  the church

    leader worldwide, Pastor E.M.F Oshoffa expressed optimism that very soon God will positively respond to the country’s cry for redemption, adding that, “the church leader World-Wide,Pastor E.M.F. Oshoffa, cannot travel to Borno State to appeal to the insurgents.

    This is what informed our gathering at the church in Kano last night. Though our leader is not with us here in Kano, he is equally praying for the country elsewhere, as well as for the leaders of the Church, Evangelists, our Fathers from Lagos and the Superintendent of CCC in Kano.

    ‘’We believe that last night that we have commenced the prayers and by the time the prayer would be concluded, God will surely prove himself in the life of all citizens in the country in the mighty name of Jesus.’’ he stated.

    He further noted that, “as Kano is believed to be the commercial nerve centre of the North, it is our belief that if the church members assemble in Kano, with members from other parishes and pray together, as well as sensitize people on the need to co-exist in peace and harmony, so as not to be involved in evil deeds.”

    The CCC urged all political stakeholders, the President, the governors, Senators, lawmakers and everybody in the country to love one another and live in peace and harmony.

    “What is wrong with thecountry is that Satan has taken control and calls for relentless prayers for God to take absolute control,” he added.

    In his message to non-indigenes in Kano, Venerable Adekunle Falaye urged them not flee to anywhere but to remain in Kano as the Almighty God will be there to protect them, adding that the challenges the country is facing is a passing phase, which has come and must pass away.

     

    Ends..

     

     

  • Jonathan can be harmed in Chibok, says Jang

    Jonathan can be harmed in Chibok, says Jang

    President Goodluck Jonathan got yesterday the support of Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang for his decision not to visit Chibok – the Borno State village where over 200 schoolgirls were abducted from their dormitory on April 15.

    Anybody who insists Jonathan should visit Chibok wants Jonathan to be harmed, Jang, whose state capital, Jos, was bombed twice last week, said yesterday.

    He also questioned the intention of the free-Chibok-girls-campaigners.

    Jang said: “There has been crisis in the country before now but some politicians are making it look like it all started with the present administration. Meanwhile it is fellow Nigerians who are supporting and sponsoring terrorists and criminals coming from outside Nigeria to perpetrate crimes in the country.”

    On the peaceful protests over the abduction of the Chibok girls, he said: “All these protests here and there over Chibok girls are questionable. Because, before the Chibok incident, children have been killed both in schools and other places in past attacks. All those did not attract protest until now, so this to me amounts to politicising the abduction for cheap political gains.

    “I spoke with Mr President, and he confirmed to me that the government is  conquering and will conquer the current challenges. I feel sad when I hear people calling on President Jonathan to visit Chibok, such people are not interested in the life and safety of their president. Some people want the president to be exposed to danger and be harmed so that they will rejoice.

    “No nation’s security will want to expose its leader to unnecessary danger.”

    He urged Christians to pray regularly because “the purpose of terrorism is to make you so afraid that you give up on life and may even be tempted to give up on God”.

    Plateau House of Assembly Speaker Titus Alams said they “will not be distracted by distractors”.

  • ‘We are adding value to our country’

    ‘We are adding value to our country’

    Yinka Ogunde, Managing Director/CEO, Edumark, Ilupeju, Lagos, is a woman committed to grooming a generation of patriotic young Nigerians. She said the process is achieved by partnering with schools, organisations and the older generations towards making our country better and effect changes in the world as individuals are egged on to change. She explains the modus to Joke Kujenya.

    HOW would you measure Edumark’s impact? For us here, it’s all been a case of consistently seeking for ways to add value. That has been an importantly aspect of everything we have been doing. When we came into the sector, we were able to identify that there are some key stakeholders within the education community that are very important. I put the first as the parents. Second as the students. Others as teachers, school owners and government. And then, there is the society at large. And really, one of our driving force is the important place that education plays in any society that is going to develop. If this is ignored, such a society has not started and won’t get nowhere.

    This is basic because there is a way that education liberates the mind and allows individuals to choose to be the best he or she can be. It also allows the individual to live a meaningful life and determine where they are going. When you look at the faces of the Chibok mothers, it’s as if their hopes of living their lives to get somewhere had been shattered. It is a case of them living their lives through their daughters at times while in school. And that hope has been dashed. It is on seeing the faces of these women in newspapers and TVs that you realise that for privileged women who have been educated, it’s made all the difference. At any level, whether you just managed to acquire secondary school or tertiary or you go higher than that, it has made a world of difference. For us here, we believe that if we are going to make any difference to what is happening in this nation, this is the most important area to look at. You spoke about getting our children to read, that’s a major problem. They are no longer reading. So many things like the value system and everything has changed. When I was much younger, I always tell people that then, when the first exam leakage happened in this country around 1977 or thereabout, it was as if the whole nation was in mourning. It was like, how could we ever dream let this kind of a thing ever happen to us. But now, it’s a common place. They don’t even see it as something wrong or as if there is another way to life than exam malpractice. And you want to ask, what went wrong?

    When did we stop reading? When did we start taking our eyes off this sector? And what we are experiencing is that we have taken our eyes off the sector that is structured to change any nation because an educated mind ask questions and know that this is the way to go. People with this mind would seek to make improvement in the society where he or she lives. These values have somehow disappeared in our society. You know my background is in hard core education. I studied Mass Communications. And that means for us to come into the sector like this, we have to determine what our relevance would be. And what will be our key areas of strength. So in the area that we focused on has led us into several things. One of it is what we called “We Are The Future of Our Nation (WATFON)”. It is on the eight year running. We just finished the 5th Edition. It’s a project with three core objectives, ‘Inspiring patriotism, celebrating role models and promoting unity’. We started on a very modest note at the MUSON Centre with the focus to invite people that these children hardly would have never encountered but only read about in history books. We bring them to come and meet them face-to-face, talk to them about the Nigeria they had and how it was never like this before. We have been very fortunate to have some of these old men spare their time. For the five years of  WATFON editions, we have had great and prominent Nigerians chair our occasion to cheer our children. These are people they only read about in history books. And when chief Adebayo Adebanjo came to tell them how they matched on the streets of London for Nigeria’s Independence, that blew the minds of the children. Everything is geared towards ensuring that we make impacts especially as it relates to nation building. And our yearly certificate for best student is signed by General Yakubu Gowon. We’ve been getting lots of encouraging testimonies on how we’ve impact the children.

    How would you describe what you are doing?

    Well, let’s just say we are planting seed and we leave the rest, to see what we can do where there is so much going on in contrast. During one of our programs in Ibadan, one of the children told us that some of the things we were telling them were contrary to what his parents taught him. He said he had specific instructions that he should go and make money anyhow even while he was in secondary school. With that kind of admission, we knew the extent of his problem and sometimes you will throw up your hands wondering where to begin. But the little you can do is to ensure that on such a platform, they are able to relate with people who are not the wealthy-wealthy but those that can tell you this is the way we did it. For years, we have WATFON publication where the old folks write their stories, part way to success, career guide by themselves. And this is widely circulated among the graduating class of secondary school students. We target the time that they are becoming young adults. They had been under parental control but this time, they would be making career decisions and leaving homes to go into the real world. It’s the time they feel ‘oh, I’m finally free’.

    Do you focus on only Private Schools?

    We have a healthy mixture both private and public schools and even some of them in the Universities when they hear we have events, they come around to ask how they can be of help and we find that exciting. This is a Cooperate Social Responsibility (CSR) project for Edumark. We see that if we are to make any difference, we cannot afford to ignore this. No matter how small it is, we just believe in contributing our own little quarter and we have been consistent and steady since 2007.

    What success stories are you ‘selling’ to these Children?

    If you look at the profile of ‘We are the Future’, we conceptualise elderly people coming to meet those children. These are people who are in worlds apart. Apart from those old men in that generation, we have lots of others in the younger generation in various professions. We also do small sessions whereby we call role models to host the students as opportunities for them to give back.

    From your perspective, what is Success?

    For me, success is making sure you contribute and do your best. It is being comfortable with yourself. It is not about measuring yourself with the other person. Success constitute generally having peace all around you.

    How does your work affect your children?

    I’m privilege to have seen lots of write ups that my children had written about me towards my coming 50th birthday and it shows that I’m an inspiration to them. That, I find very encouraging. I’ve gone through a number of things in life and I believe one way or the other, one has impacted upon their lives positively. I believe one of the things you need to manage successfully as a woman, is that you must live a very balanced life. Being a woman, you fall into so many parts, and the expectation of the society for you is very high. You are a wife, a mother, aunty, sister, niece, an entrepreneur, worker in the Church and someone in charge of so many things all combined together. And you cannot afford to fail as you make everything gel together. This demands you keep your peace of mind. Another thing is that you have to open your heart to see so many opportunities in every sector. Once you do, you will be amazed what you can do around you. And yes you can apply your education to something else, that means you are operating at a level where your brain is required. You must be able to design something others would be willing to pay for.

    Do you have time for fashion?

    I believe that elegance is a key thing for the total woman. The riddle about that is that you must be able to combine all aspects. I am not a fashion freak. I only do things, including dressing, as it suits my occasion. And when I need to do the glamour, professional or if the concentration should be on what is inside my head, I dress as the situation demands. But I believe that for every woman, you must think of your appearance and ensure that you live healthy and well.

  • Jonathan’s failed Chibok trip

    Jonathan’s failed Chibok trip

    PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan’s aides insist the president never planned to visit Chibok, where more than 200 schoolgirls were abducted by Boko Haram militants on April 15. The president himself in Paris confirmed he did not plan the trip, and did not feel there was a compelling need for it because it was more rewarding to work for the abducted girls’ release than to visit the anguished parents of the girls. The president of course didn’t make sense, for there was no way his visit, if he had had the courage to undertake it, would have counteracted or attenuated the efforts to free the girls. Nor is anyone likely to believe that presidential aides who said the trip was not planned were telling the truth.

    It is likely the president hoped to make the visit unannounced, considering that his advance party was already in Maiduguri. It is also likely the security reports he got were dire and unfavourable for a presidential visit to an area his army has still not been able to pacify. But the governor also got dire security reports on Chibok area. And so too did the governor’s wife. But the governor and his wife still visited.

    But it is still possible for the president to visit Chibok under cover of heavy security to forestall attacks by Boko Haram elements, internal saboteurs and mutinous soldiers. President Jonathan should have made the visit long ago to show courage and firmness. However, had he visited two Fridays ago, as was speculated, he would have received no applause. But by failing altogether to visit, with no prospect of any visit soon, President Jonathan has proudly displayed the emblem of his presidency in very unflattering colours. The world is not astigmatic, and what they see hardly qualifies for President Jonathan to earn a modicum of respect from any corner of the globe.

  • Clark seeks prayers for abducted girls at 87

    Clark seeks prayers for abducted girls at 87

    Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has called on Nigerians to unite in prayers for the safe return of the over 200 abducted Chibok school girls.

    The elderstateman, who turns 87 today, urged Nigerians to save the country from terrorism.

    The former federal commissioner also appealed to members of the Boko Haram sect and all their sponsors  to drop their weapons and negotiate with the federal government to end the terror war.

    Clark, who made the appeal as his birthday wish, said  the spate of insecurity will not allow him to celebrate.

    In a statement in Abuja, Clark pleaded with Nigerians not to contemplate any form of activity, including published greetings and gifts to celebrate his birthday.

    He said they should instead join him to pray against all evil forces working against the peace of the country.

    He said:”I ask all Nigerians to pray to God to save our beloved country from destruction by the forces of darkness which Boko-Haram represents.

    “As a leader who witnessed the constitutional and pre-independence conferences that led to our independence in October 1st 1960 and as an active participant in Nigeria’s political evolution since independence, I have seen it all.

    “I witnessed the patriotic zeal of nationalism of our citizens and the quest by the founding fathers to build a nation that recognises our diversity and promote unity.

    “I witnessed the termination of the first republic and the political killings that followed, oil boom and the failure to use the proceeds to industrialise the nation, tribalism and religious discrimination amongst Nigerians.

    “Today the most terrible problem haunting the state is the heartless war of terrorism and insurgency being visited on us by the Boko Haram sect in the name of religion and “no to western education.”

    He went on: “Though I am grateful to God for giving me good health on this occasion of my 87th birthday, I am very sad because of the killings of innocent Nigerians by Boko Haram.

    “We have widows and widowers and children who have become orphans. This is wicked, barbaric and inhuman because no religion encourages killings or destruction in the name of God.”

     

  • Okonkwo, Otabil, others seek release of abducted girls

    A group of eminent church leaders in Africa, The Council of African Apostles, has called for the immediate release of more than 230 abducted female students of Government Secondary, Chibok in Borno State.

    It described the abduction as a deplorable act of terrorism affecting innocent lives with nothing whatever to do with the conflicts or grievances of Boko Haram, the radical Islamic sect.

    In a joint statement signed by the President of the Council of Africa Apostles Bishop Tudor Bismark of Zimbabwe, Bishop Mike Okonkwo of Nigeria and Dr. Mensa Otabil of Ghana, the Council said: “the abduction and other related callous acts of terror that have been undertaken by Boko Haram in the recent past should be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

    “The reports that they are being sold off into marriage for US$12.00 and that others have died of snake bites only serve to make the call for their urgent return, they should not have been touched by this conflict in the first place.”

    The Council called on “the Federal Government of Nigeria to exercise real leadership over this matter and use every disposable means it has to ensure that these girls are reunited with their families within the shortest possible time.

    “Beyond the safe return of the girls, we are also calling for the government to engage Boko Haram and find a peaceful solution to immediately end this violence that has claimed many innocent lives who otherwise have no stake whatever issues that are currently under contestation.”

    It added:  “We are also calling for leaders from different faith groups to have a dialogue and especially for leadership from the Muslim faith to strongly disassociate themselves from these cowardly acts of terror being carried out in the name of their religion.”

    The ministers stated that the recent attacks have placed a dark cloud over the peaceful co-existence of Christians and Muslims, deeply wounding the conscience of those who uphold human life and also leading to a deterioration of public trust and tolerance of different opinions.

  • Military did not deny us access to Chibok, says committee

    Military did not deny us access to Chibok, says committee

    The Presidential Fact-finding Committee on the Abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls has refuted the report that members of the committee were on Thursday denied access to Chibok by the military authorities.

    A national newspaper had reported on Friday that the committee members were stranded in Maiduguri, owing to the refusal of the military authorities to provide them military escort to the town.

    But a statement released by the committee’s spokesperson, Mr. Kingsley Osadolor, yesterday stated that contrary to the newspaper’s report, no restriction was placed on the visiting committee members.

    Osadolor said: “The story is false, misleading, and erroneous. The Presidential Fact-finding Committee on the Abduction of the Chibok Schoolgirls was not restrained from visiting Chibok on Thursday.

    “Rather, the Committee was engaged in another round of intensive interaction with military, police and state security commanders. The interaction began in the morning and lasted until early afternoon when the Committee had another interface with a group of stakeholders.

    “I should state that the meeting with the commanders was the second since the Committee arrived in Borno on Sunday evening. The first interaction took place on Monday.”

    Osadolor further stated that the committee had interfaced with members of Borno Elders Forum as well as representatives of the Chibok community, adding that the committee was briefed by the district head of Chibok, Mr. Zannah Mai Chibok on Wednesday.

    “On the findings of the Committee, I would like to inform you that the Committee has made substantial progress in its assignment. The Committee has received the cooperation of the various stakeholders the Committee has interacted with.

    “However, the work of the Committee is not finished. The Committee will visit Chibok, and you will be informed accordingly,” the statement added.

  • Lagos teachers protest Chibok abduction

    Public schools were shut in Lagos on Thursday as thousands of teachers stormed the office of the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) to protest the abduction of over 200 female students of Government Girls’ Secondary School Chibok, Borno State.

    Some students dressed in school uniforms were also spotted around Ilasmaja of the state area carrying placards with inscription “Bring back our girls,” and “Bring our girls back save and alive,” protesting on the streets.

    The teachers who dressed in a yellow uniformed t-shirt stormed the governor’s office, chanting solidarity songs.

    They said President Goodluck Jonathan’s government has offended them over the death of teachers in Tuesday’s explosions in Jos and the abduction of schoolgirls in Borno State.

    The Vice Chairman of NUT, Mr. Adedoyin Adeshina, who led the protesters, said they needed to consult and consolidate before ending it with confrontation.

    “The protest is not belated because the girls are still in the custody of the Boko Haram and we need to consult before we act, “he stated.

    The teachers also demanded that May 29 be declared as a day for sober reflection for schools in the country, saying that the present situation in the country leave them with nothing to celebrate.

    In a letter addressed to Governor Fashola, the teachers said, “For God sake, why should people fight to halt our forward march to Millennium Development Goal on Education? The abduction of Chibok girls is nothing but a stumbling block to the realization of making education available to all by the year 2015.

    “It is pertinent at this time to call on Nigerian government to bring our girls back safe and alive by demonstrating enough social responsibility and concern to guarantee security of lives and property in the land which is the primary responsibility of any government.”

    To this end, NUT charged the government to take insurance cover for both students and teachers in volatile regions of the country.

    Receiving the protesters, the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Comrade Kayode Opeifa, appealed to them to bear with the Federal Government and other concerned citizens of the world making frantic efforts to rescue the girls.

  • Borno earmarks N150m for escapee Chibok girls, parents

    The Borno State Government promised yesterday to set aside N150 million for the 53 schoolgirls who escaped from their Boko Haram abductors and the parents of those in the sect’s captivity.

    Governor Ibrahim Shettima spoke yesterday in Maiduguri, the state capital, when he hosted the presidential fact-finding committee on the abducted schoolgirls in Chibok.

    Agonising over the abduction saga and the trauma the parents, the government and other Nigerians had been facing since the incident over a month ago, Shettima asked rhetorically: “So, are we going to continue to ignore these suffering parents and the 53 girls just because we are afraid of political accusations and false interpretations? The answer is No! Governance is beyond the fear of accusations; governance entails making a decision with sincerity of purpose and for the good of the society.

    “The Borno State Government will set aside N150 million to fund a rehabilitation programme for the 53 girls and support the parents in Chibok, whose sources of livelihood have been truncated by their trauma, leaving them with little or nothing to feed while we continue to work immeasurably for the release of the girls being held.”

    The governor relived his experience in the last few years of his administration.

    He said: “In the last three years, we have witnessed the most turbulent of times as a people. I have seen very terrible incidents as a governor. I have come across innocent citizens of Borno being killed in thousands; some slaughtered by fellow human beings who think they earn rewards from God by their brutality.

    “I have witnessed high scale of destruction inflicted on us as a people in Borno by fellow human beings who again think they earn reward from God by their intentional and planned devastations. I have in the last 36 days, also come across a situation where men abducted young, innocent schoolgirls, separated them from their education, from their parents, from their relations and friends and from their environment and, more disturbing also, attempted to separate them from their own religion out of compulsion.

    “To every other Muslim, worldwide, these men who kill, destroy and abduct, insult Islam by calling themselves Muslims. They have contradicted every single tenet of the Islamic religion. They have, in some cases, tried to change the ordained translation of verses in the Holy Qur’an. To every Muslim, a verse of the Holy Qur’an clearly says there is no compulsion in religion. But to these men of violence, there is compulsion, not only in religion but even in Islamic ideology.

    “To these men, any human who doesn’t share their ideology deserves to be brutally killed. A Muslim who is of not of the Boko Haram sect is condemned to death, and so is any Christian. To them, the human race should go into extinction for their doctrine to thrive.”