Tribal Nationalism and Shadow Ethnic Militia Commanders

Nigeria is far more polarized and nationalized along ethnic lines than we can ever imagine.

The north or more specifically the Fulani and Hausa were unbelievably very well informed about the late Tiv militia commander Terwase Akwaza aka Gana through their shadow information dissemination systems like radio and vernacular communications than many people realize.

Infact Gana, was deified to the status of a Tiv national leader by the Hausa Fulani diasporas migreb feared and hated because he was thwarting the incursions of their influence and challenging Fulani herdsmen.

From their tribal nationalistic prism very few believe they do not have the right to graze anywhere unrestricted in Nigeria because land was provided by allah for use by all. and their vernacular information systems keep them well informed about vigilante and Militia fighters like Gana who are enemies of the sharia state thwarting their nationalistic agenda.

You only need to go to Facebook pages and see them celebrating his death and puzzlingly stating he was used to stage Fulani militia attacks.

Their nationalism makes them to really believe Fulani are not killing anybody unjustly or committing genocide outside the north and seizing land and water resources unfairly and any evidence is counterbalanced with the ideology that those are normal activities in furtherance of their expansionary agenda.

The south and the middle-belt on the other hands appears to be painfully uninformed about the names of militia Fulani commanders like the north of the south beyond pointing at the mayetti allah umbrella body.

To be honest a Tiv militant like Gana would not be only very well known to the Fulani, but to the Jukun who have engaged the Tiv in a civil war for years.

The tribes of southern Kaduna and their elite like Mai Lafia would also be familiar with a few Fulani and sahelian militia commanders who they have communicated with endlessly to try and placate them against waging attacks.

Even demonized Kaduna State Governor conflicted by his sharia outlook and the need to stem outright genocide would be familiar and have information about sahelien commanders overseas to contact to placate them from staging attacks as he claimed to have done. His affinity to those militia groups despite popular opinion may Be tenuous and accepted by them based on a religious sect but again tenuous connection.

These same unofficial shadow underground of militia commands plays out in every single enclave experiencing sustained violence in every part of Nigeria including down south.

Unfortunately, Nigeria news media focuses on politicians and the educated elite instead of unearthing the true power broking militia and tribal leaders who are mostly uneducated and not considered proper elite, but who command intensive tribal nationalistic support and who have the vernacular knowledge to rally their people into militia bands.

Elite Nigerians living in cities and reading newspapers have no idea of the shadow leaders and local personalities controlling and instigating insecurity in Nigeria.

The most visible Nigerians who have a Rolodex of the local non elite and non public leaders controlling Nigeria are politicians who you sometimes see being photographed with or visiting seemingly strange people or ensuring cash payments reach them. No one pays attention to them until there is a scandal because they are not fellow elite or celebrities.

They fastest way to end insecurity in Nigeria is for the DSS and security forces in partnership with politicians and ethnic nationalities to compile their various lists of criminal crime bosses, militia commanders and financiers and publish them in newspapers or a public website and database so Nigerians can train their search light and moral compass to shame them into tempering their activities.

By Terhemba Osuji

A Social Policy and National Security Analyst