AFRICA/NIGERIA - “What is happening in the north of Nigeria is similar to what happened in Iraq” says a priest in Abuja

Abuja (Agenzia Fides) - “What is happening in north-east Nigeria is very similar to recent events in the north of Iraq” Fides was told by Fr. Patrick Tor Alumuku, Communications Director of the Archdiocese of Abuja, commenting recent territorial conquests by the Islamist sect Boko Haram in northern Nigeria (see Fides 3/9/2014). “Like the guerrillas of the Islamic state in Iraq, Boko Haram started to undermine the morale of the people and the army at least two years ago with a series of increasingly spectacular attacks, to then launch an attack to take territory”.
“They started by attacking schools, with the excuse that they are contrary to western education, then they attacked a police station and after that aimed even higher striking army barracks - says Fr. Patrick -. Boko Haram then targeted government offices, in various towns. In the meantime it sowed panic with bomb explosions in markets. Nothing was left to chance. We saw preparatory activity for a long period and then the conquest and control of the territory. I find it very similar to what happened in Iraq” the priest remarks.
“Assaults on churches and Christians are part of the broader plan to take territory, ‘freed’ from the presence of Christians, just as we saw in Iraq” Fr. Patrick affirms.
The communications director of Abuja recalls “recently it emerged that funds for Boko Haram come from the Arabian peninsula, through AQMI (Al Qaida Islamic Maghreb). Sometimes the money passes through money changing offices. Now the central Bank of Nigeria has tightened control on these activities”.
The priest says he disagrees with those who say “Boko Haram has no connections with other groups sharing the ideology of Al Qaida. Boko Haram, which emerged from the local Nigerian reality some years ago, grew thanks to help from AQMI , which supplies both arms stolen from Libyan arsenals and trained combatants. Jihadist groups driven out of Mali by the French last year, moved into northern Nigeria to boost the ranks of Boko Haram”.
Fr. Patrick recalls “for groups like Al Qaida, Nigeria is a fundamental target because being among the world countries with the highest number of Muslims. Almost half of a population of 170 million is Muslim. Extremists hope to build a firm base from which to attack other African countries. However I say they overlook the complexity of Nigeria, a Federal State comprising 36 States”.
Fr. Patrick closes with a warning : “We must not allow Christian extremists , a strong presence in Nigeria, to fight Boko Haram, because the situation would become explosive, beyond all control. We Catholics and other moderate Christians have so far succeeded in keeping extremist Christian at bay, because violence cannot be overcome with more violence”. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 4/9/2014)