Sunni inspired Boko Haram fizzling out, Shiites-inspired violence brewing.

Though Boko Haram is currently still alive and active in Nigeria, its capacity has clearly been severely degraded. Its activities are now more of terrorism than insurgency. CA! commends the courage and the many sacrifices of our military and other security personnel that God has used to bring us thus far.

However, that Nigeria continues to be  in dire need of prayers is evident considering that in the midst of our cautious rejoicing that the Sunni-Islam-inspired Boko Haram fire is being extinguished, it seems the enemy is desperately intent in fanning another conflagration into existence, to be inspired by the Shiites, whose leader in Nigeria, El ZakZaky is currently in detention by the military.  Smells like the story of Mohammed Yussuf all over?

Of course, the military must do its job, and it’s unimaginable (as seen in several videos posted on the Internet, e.g. here, and here) that a private group would block public road against the nation’s Army chief.  What then would they not do to private citizens!

The problem is what trouble makers can do with these “humble beginnings”. It’s an open secret that Boko Haram in its deadly form was the creation of a political class first to deter ex-president Jonathan from contesting the presidency, and subsequently to make the country “ungovernable” for him.  Like fire who shows little respect for even the person that kindled it, Boko Haram soon became a franchise that could not be easily controlled by one particular group.  At its most desperate moment, in the closing days of the Jonathan administration, Boko Haram sold itself to ISIS and globalize the conflict.

 A statement by the Nigerian Army in September confirmed that “Boko Haram” still had important sympathisers and supporters within the Nigerian state.  In the statement, the army said the activities of the top politicians and elders hailing from “Borno State in particular and North East generally” included engaging the services of “Marabouts and other unethical means to reverse the gains made so far in the war against insurgency” (http://www.cananusa.org/index.php/campaigns/news/931-insurgency-borno-elders-sabotaging-our-efforts-army.html)

Many are wondering if it indeed could be anything other than intense manipulations in the spiritual realm that would pitch a proud Shiite procession across the path of the convoy of Nigerian Army chief returning from military operations.  And this happening precisely at the peak of the cold war between the two topmost rival Islamic traditions: Saudi Arabia and Iran.

With the cold war between the two nations having degenerated to the execution of top Shiites clerics in Saudi Arabia, and the desecration of Saudi’s Embassy in Teheran as a preliminary response, analysts point out an impending merciless war that would be fought mostly using other nations as proxies. (e.g. see this ref).

And even when a desperate Saudi Arabia finally decided to enter the fray against its now rabid product, ISIS, the Shiites Iran and affiliates were conspicuously missing from the coalition of 34 Islamic countries put together to do the job.  That is to be expected.  But of concern to us is the inclusion of Nigeria on the list!  Doesn’t this look a clear indication on which side of the Proxy-war Nigeria, (like Sudan for instance,see here) is taking?

Even with loud protestations by the Christian Association of Nigeria (https://www.naij.com/669691-can-blasts-buhari-agenda-strong-islamic-undertones.html), the National Christian Elders Forum (https://www.naij.com/679887-isis-christian-elders-warn-pmb-dragging-nigeria-saudi-coalition.html ) and several other groups, all the assurance our President would give us is that he is still considering the situation and Nigeria is “not in or out” of the coalition. Full Stop!

Sounds more like the President’s belonging “to all and none” inaugural promise.  It’s certainly not comforting, especially given precedents by Moslem leaders in the past, for instance Babangida’s taking Nigeria into the OIC in 1986 (see http://www.nairaland.com/2072477/flashback-major-players-nigerias-o.i.c) .

As The Preacher showed in a recent teaching, it’s not just the presence of righteous people that makes the Almighty God to intervene in the affairs of  nations, rather  such righteous people must be unmuted: interceding and doing all it requires to prevent their land from degenerating into accursed, beyond-redemption state.