Northern Nigeria's Anger: A Viper's Brood
Northern Nigeria is angry, but not solely due to the relentless bloodshed on its soil. The anger arises because the region has been rightly called by the name it gave itself. The descendants of Shehu Usman dan Fodio, the 19th-century Islamic scholar and founder of the Sokoto Caliphate, are losing their finest. Northern Nigerians are dying in droves, mostly at the hands of their own sons who have made the thick forests their abode. The most poignant recent tragedy is the murder of General Rabe Abubakar, abducted alongside his wife near Matazu in Katsina State. Dan Fodio himself professed the sacredness of truth, noting it is the ultimate moral compass. In Yoruba culture, truth is equally revered: “Òtítọ ọrọ korò, ṣùgbọn bí a bá gbé itọ́rẹ mì, a máa ṣe ara l’ore” (Truth is bitter, but if swallowed, it soothes the body).
The Viper Thesis: Self-Destruction from Within
Northern Nigeria is like a viper in Yoruba folklore: “Ọmọ inú ọká níí ṣe ikú pa ọká” — the viper is killed by its own offspring. Today, much of the violence consuming the North comes from sons it nurtured, tolerated, or failed to restrain. Yet, its greater discomfort lies in the fact that the rest of Nigeria has begun to notice. The North is less troubled by its missing finger than by witnesses counting them aloud. This was evident at a press conference in Kaduna last week, where retired military officers and associates of the late Major General Abubakar — including Ambassador A. Mohammed Musawa, Air Commodore Yusuf Anas (rtd), Brig.-Gen. Maharazu Tsiga (rtd), Ambassador Ibrahim Usman Gafai, and Brig.-Gen. Abdulkadir Abubakar (rtd) — had unsparing words for Southern commentators. Their ire was likely directed at Nigerian Tribune columnist Lasisi Olagunju, who in a viral piece entitled “Northern Nigeria will soon kill Nigeria” argued that crime may have no ethnicity, but the environment that breeds it must be identified.
Brig-Gen Abubakar's Selective Outrage
In his speech, Brig-Gen Abubakar lamented the “selective outrage” of commentators attributing Nigeria’s security challenges to the Northern region, calling such narratives divisive. He argued, “These incidents of insecurity have attracted not only condemnation but also taken ethnic colouration, with some commentators blaming the northern region for all the ills of the Nigerian state.” His outrage recalls the Yoruba tale of the giant pouched rat (Òkètè), which ignored the need to call for help until it was too late. The moral is clear: one must speak up at the outset of danger, not at its denouement.
Dr. Zainab Suleiman Buhari's Bitter Truth
A viral letter by Dr. Zainab Suleiman Buhari, a public health physician, addressed to Northern elite — governors, commissioners, Hisbah boards, traditional rulers, and legislators — delivered a bitter truth. She pilloried Northern governors’ retrogressive policies of spending billions on mass marriages and condemned the “street kid factory” culture, which former First Lady Patience Jonathan called the “born trowey” phenomenon. Dr. Buhari wrote, “Terrorism does not start with ideology. It starts with hopelessness. Boko Haram, bandits, cults — they do not recruit PhDs. They recruit boys who were ‘produced’ but never raised.” This echoes a warning from Chief Obafemi Awolowo more than six decades ago, who stressed that failure to embrace Western education would breed mass poverty, insecurity, and social unrest. Awolowo famously declared, “The children of the poor you fail to train will never let your children have peace.”
The Fief System and National Pain
The fief system of medieval feudalism inherited by Northern Nigeria’s founding fathers has come home to roost. As Yoruba Sakara music sage Yusuff Olatunji sang, when the rain refuses to pour, everyone pays the price. Today, Northerners and Southerners are united by a common pain: the bite of the Salamo ant. These fierce insects were bred on Northern trees and have now multiplied beyond their grove, sinking teeth into the entire nation. Patience Jonathan’s “born trowey” children have matured into terrorists and bandits ruling today’s jungles. Killings and kidnappings that were once restricted to the North have now come full throttle to the South. In Oriire Local Government of Oyo State, Northern terrorists beheaded a Yoruba son and abducted Yoruba children, holding them hostage in unmanned forests.
Professor Okediji's Invocation
America-based Ifa priest and professor of Arts History, Professor Moyo Okediji, in his invocation “Omoluwabi Omo Yoruba,” captures the anguish of Southern Nigeria. He chants, “There are boundaries northern bandits cannot cross: you cannot steal Yoruba children… We gave you food to eat, water to drink, and a place to sleep. Who knew you had so little regard for children?” He ends with potent imprecations: “Unless you return our children unscathed, Lùkúlùkú will devastate you… Ọràmfẹ will consume you with eternal flames… Obalúayé will poke your skin with putrid pus…”
Statistics and Hypocrisy
The statistics are grim: In just six months, Boko Haram, ISWAP, and armed bandits — sons of the north — have killed at least 5,272 people in Nigeria. Soldiers, both Northerners and Southerners, are slaughtered like goats. The highest concentration of fatalities is in northern states. Yet, rather than admit they left their soup plate unwashed, inviting green flies, Northern Nigeria plays the ostrich. The recent lamentations of Northern generals in Kaduna represent a pathetic layer of hypocrisy. Where were these voices when Muhammadu Buhari, through weak, parochial, and indecisive leadership, reduced Nigeria’s insecurity to a game of regional and religious calculations? Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, a special adviser to President Bola Tinubu, recounted the harrowing 36-day capture of his nephew and two others, with the family paying ₦175 million for ransom — while the Villa was helpless.
Daniel Bwala's Failed Mission
On Friday last week, presidential media aide Daniel Bwala flew into Ibadan to deconstruct Governor Seyi Makinde, a key 2027 nightmare for Aso Rock. He moved from one radio station to another, delivering the same message. However, he met his match in Fresh FM’s Isaac Brown, who squared up to his scut-work. Bwala spoke on President Tinubu’s reforms and federal commitment to local governance, but his hypocrisy was exposed. The reforms have made the rich richer and pushed the poor six feet under. Fuel prices are rudderless, and in 37 months, staggering numbers of Nigerians have died from want and deprivation. More citizens are being wiped out by insurgents, bandits, and kidnappers today than during the 30-month Biafran Civil War. Isaac Brown asked Bwala if he had seen the road infrastructure in Oyo State, which impacts local administration. No previous governor has executed as much infrastructural renewal as Makinde. Bwala failed woefully, resorting to ad hominem attacks.
Minister Idris and National Security vs. Censorship
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, asked newspaper editors to strip terrorists and bandits from front pages in the name of patriotism. He said, “Yes, we have to report whatever happens, but the best editor knows what not to report in the interest of nation-building.” This revives the debate on national security, which is not the security of the president but the security of Nigerians. National security means actively securing peace and tranquility, not scrubbing stories that embarrass the presidency. Keeping grim stories on front pages pressures leaders into action and keeps the vulnerable alert. Acceding to Idris’s request invites insurgents into every Nigerian’s backyard.
