Nigerian government soldiers have killed Yusuf Mohammed, the leader of this week’s uprising by the radical Boko Haram sect in the north of the country. It is not the first time major discontent in Nigeria has led to this kind of violence.

There is one key factor to the widespread violence that is hitting the country from time to time: the Nigerian government tends to hit back hard. This didn’t stop the rise of Boko Haram. The Islamist rebels were free to convene in Islamic schools and mosques. It wasn’t until  Sunday’s attacks, carried out by the sect, that security forces came into action. The revolt was inspired by the arrest of several sect members. 

Bloodshed
I once asked former President Olusegun Obasanjo – after military action against rebels in the southern Niger Delta – why this kind of action always ends in extensive bloodshed. He reacted angrily and told me: ‘If people shoot at my military and police forces, I have the right to shoot back immediately’. No excuses, no sign of empathy.

Eyewitnesses and human rights groups in Maiduguri, the uprising’s epicentre, recall the executions that took place. Supporters of Boko Haram and civilians were simply massacred by police. It was reported that the sect’s leader, 39-year old Yusuf Mohammed, was arrested, but only a few hours later, his body was found, riddled with bullets.
 

Ruthless
Hundreds of civilians were killed in this week’s uprising, a similar number to previous uprisings. Only a handful of police offers were killed. The ruthless suppression followed a presidential order by President Yar’Adua, giving security forces free reign to stop the revolt.

All  this could have an adverse effect. Though the Boko Harem sect is not widespread in the region, the recent crackdown could spur radical youngsters to rally against the government.
 

Growing problem
Religious extremism in northern Nigeria is a growing problem, rooted in social misery. It is not new – for thirty years there have been occasional explosions of extremist violence. In 1980, for instance, thousands of people were killed when supporters of a sect led by charismatic preacher Maitasine revolted in the northern state of Kano.

Politicians from the northern region have played a major role in national politics since Nigeria’s independence in 1960. Frustrated by the decadence of these politicians, young Muslims from the north turned their backs on their traditional leaders.
 

Taliban
The Boko Harem sect – whose name means ‘Illegal education’ – acknowledges Afghanistan’s Taliban as its biggest influence. The decadent political elite and what it sees as the West’s corrupting influence are to blame for Nigeria’s catastrophic situation, it says.

In certain respect the sect is quite similar to other like-minded groups in other parts of the world. Yusuf Mohammed used to be a university student. His loosely directed movement includes disappointed youth prepared to risk their lives in attacks on police stations, churches and government buildings.

Not surprisingly their war cry is: ‘All that is Western, is un-Islamic’.

Photo by ANP