It has been surreal to watch the 50th Independence Ceremony of Nigeria bombed this morning. I was at a similar event
three years ago in Abuja, and the sights and locations where it took place are
all too familiar. At 5:15am EST -- or 10:15am in Abuja, Nigeria -- I also received
the same warning that Nigerians got, in a bomb threat went out by e-mail to the
international press warning that "Several
explosive devices have been successfully planted in and around the venue by our
operatives working inside the government security services."
About an hour later,
the rebel Movement for the Emancipation for the Niger Delta (MEND) made good of
their word. As many as 15
people are reported to have died, with more injured, from a series of car
bombs that went off in succession in the capital, mostly within about 10
minutes from the main site of the festivities.
The rebels' point,
which they made in their warning e-mail, is quite clear: "There is
nothing worth celebrating after 50 years of failure."
For the last half-decade, the rebels have used similar tactics, as well as
kidnapping and ransom, to protest the fact that Nigeria's oil wealth has not
trickled down to the region where it is produced. When I left Nigeria as a
reporter in 2008, I was pretty convinced that the political rhetoric was
increasingly a cover for criminality rather than politics. Now things have
taken a swing in a somewhat different direction -- terror as a cover for
politics. This isn't the first time that MEND has caused civilian casualties or
bombed government buildings. But it is the first time that the rebels have
orchestrated in Abuja, the capital. And it's the first one that seems truly
aimed at any Nigerians who were
patriotic enough to attend the independence events.
What is just as
striking things about this attack is that the celebrations simply went on. President
Goodluck Jonathan later issued a statement
condemning what happened, and vowing that "To those behind these vicious
acts, the president wants you to know that you will be found, and you will pay
dearly for this heinous crime." Yet in the immediate term, Jonathan continued
with the ceremonies uninterrupted. Of course, there's something to be said
about ‘not letting the terrorists win,' so to speak. But it also strikes me
that there is a certain acceptance and acknowledgement of insecurity -- whether
it's bombs or car-accidents or secular violence in the North -- that indicates
something very alarming lurking below the expectations for this country of 150
million. Nigerians deserve better.
Read More
(0)
HIDE COMMENTS LOGIN OR REGISTER REPORT ABUSE