The spate of killings, particularly in Northern Nigeria, has become so common, that it no longer makes headlines. This means we are gradually becoming accustomed to it,  in the same way corruption has been entrenched and commonplace into the moral fabric of our society. These days, news of gruesome murders do not send oscillatory ripples through our systems. We facetiously flip through pages of Newspapers and Magazines, or click on the next news item as we come across news of innocent unarmed people being killed by terrorists. The media itself prefers to duck down under a common and less offensive name for the terrorists, a name which I would love to hate, “unknown gunmen” or simply, “gunmen”; it makes them seem invincible.

The Boko Haram strike was in 2009 and since then, the Federal Government had repeatedly made proclamations to nib the menace in the bud. Ironically, it marked the series of killings, bombings and unwaning mayhem that was to follow. I suppose the “I-condemn-in–totality”, “enough-is-enough” reactive templates of President Goodluck Jonathan were stolen or exhausted along the line. He too, like us, is getting acclimatized to the rapid rate of killings unleashed on innocent people. So other radical terrorists Islamic groups have also emerged under the shelter of the seemingly unreachable Boko Haram. No wonder he has suddenly become mute. Inspite of all these killings, some people with amputated consciences (key women of a gullible party), are already booking a presidential spot for him come 2015. However, his aspiration – intended or not – is not my concern for today.

On Saturday the 23rd of February, a six month old baby and four adults were killed, ten other people were severely injured in Aduwan Gida, Zangon Kataf of Kaduna State by terrorists. The people were attacked while they were mourning a deceased. In the same night, the district head of Madagali, in Adamawa State, Dr. Sa’ad Danburam was shot dead by some other terrorists. Prior to Saturday’s night attacks, ten people were killed in Kogwon village of Vwang District in Jos South Local Government of Plateau state. Suffice to say, 16 people were killed in a span of less than a week and many Nigerians view it as ‘just another news item’. It is okay to die when the time is right (at an old age) but why must we get used to killings? It is here that I indict Nigerians within and in Diaspora.

The spate of killings, particularly in Northern Nigeria, has become so common, that it no longer makes headlines. This means we are gradually becoming accustomed to it,  in the same way corruption has been entrenched and commonplace into the moral fabric of our society. These days, news of gruesome murders do not send oscillatory ripples through our systems. We facetiously flip through pages of Newspapers and Magazines, or click on the next news item as we come across news of innocent unarmed people being killed by terrorists. The media itself prefers to duck down under a common and less offensive name for the terrorists, a name which I would love to hate, “unknown gunmen” or simply, “gunmen”; it makes them seem invincible.

The Boko Haram strike was in 2009 and since then, the Federal Government had repeatedly made proclamations to nib the menace in the bud. Ironically, it marked the series of killings, bombings and unwaning mayhem that was to follow. I suppose the “I-condemn-in–totality”, “enough-is-enough” reactive templates of President Goodluck Jonathan were stolen or exhausted along the line. He too, like us, is getting acclimatized to the rapid rate of killings unleashed on innocent people. So other radical terrorists Islamic groups have also emerged under the shelter of the seemingly unreachable Boko Haram. No wonder he has suddenly become mute. Inspite of all these killings, some people with amputated consciences (key women of a gullible party), are already booking a presidential spot for him come 2015. However, his aspiration – intended or not – is not my concern for today.

On Saturday the 23rd of February, a six month old baby and four adults were killed, ten other people were severely injured in Aduwan Gida, Zangon Kataf of Kaduna State by terrorists. The people were attacked while they were mourning a deceased. In the same night, the district head of Madagali, in Adamawa State, Dr. Sa’ad Danburam was shot dead by some other terrorists. Prior to Saturday’s night attacks, ten people were killed in Kogwon village of Vwang District in Jos South Local Government of Plateau state. Suffice to say, 16 people were killed in a span of less than a week and many Nigerians view it as ‘just another news item’. It is okay to die when the time is right (at an old age) but why must we get used to killings? It is here that I indict Nigerians within and in Diaspora.

More than 90% of Nigerians should plead guilty for conspiring in silence to normalize the killings of their brothers and sisters by terrorists. Our silence is an assent, if not a thumps up for the ‘gunmen’ to continue their heinous acts of evil. There has never been any occasion that a whole state, Religious bodies, organized labour and civil society groups of up to hundreds of thousands marched or demonstrated over the unabated killings of innocent citizens. Undoubtedly, the government has not done its best but the populace isn’t any much different. We do not want to call names or call names of people we know because we don’t want to die. Little do we know that in our collective silence more lives are lost.

Most candidly, Northern Christians are the most affected in the spate of killings even though most Christians in the South, West and East are indifferent about it, however, that shouldn’t be an excuse for one to speculate that all muslims are terrorists; I would never lend credence to that. The Christian Association of Nigeria, under Oritsejafor, has successfully undergone a metamorphosis of function; from a religious organization to a pressure group, and now a political organization (probably awaiting INEC registration), so we weren’t surprised when CAN was using identically inefficatious templates to react to gruesome killings. Ethnic, religious and regional sentiments have enshrouded our sense of values and the worth of this precious transient life. The life of a villager equals that of any other Public Servant including the President.

I have said it before, and will say it again, that since the violent deaths of top government functionaries, public servants and wealthy men attract more attention or immediate action from the government, then may more of such people die so that a permanent solution will arrive for the benefit of all citizens. But in a meantime, since only masses are being killed, we have a duty to break away from this conspiracy of silence and shout in unison, while using all legitimate means necessary to combat the spate of terrorists killings within the country. If we don’t, it would be ‘just another news’ when your head or that of your relative is chopped off.

by Bizum Yadok (Bizum is a political analyst and current affairs commentator who writes for ViewPointNigeria from Jos)

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The conspiracy of silence – By Bizum Yadok