In the north are Taraba, Kebbi, Kaduna Adamawa, Borno and others with whole Christian communities. As a matter of fact, it is estimated that in 2010, 49.3% of the north is Christian, while the figure could have dropped to 40% now. Also in the north are several tribes. Hausa and Fulani are just two of them. Hausa to the northerner is pidgin English to the southerner.
Admittedly, not every northerner voted for Buhari. The Kano INEC commissioner and his family perished in a fire for reasons enshrouded in mystery. In the 2019 elections, it is a known fact that Buhari got quite a trashing in the north.
Now, if you are cocooned in the South with little or no interest in traveling, all you will see in your myopic view are thousands of Almajiris and uneducated youths who form the bulk of cheap mercenaries used in fomenting trouble during crises.
What you may also see from your key hole radar are arrogant politicians who thrive on crises to remain relevant. You see, once upon a time, Goodluck Jonathan tried to change the unbalanced and save the country from an implosion of insecurity by building Almajiri schools.
It is a fact that when the All Progressives Congress (APC) snatched power, they dismantled those structures. Those Almajiris of yesterday have come of age. They are uneducated hungry and angry. Your politicians make sure they remain famished without jobs and hateful of the system. The clerics fill them with religious food which again is targeted wherever the politician, who feeds the cleric, wants the message to reach; the heart, the mind, the soul.
The average northerner, on the other hand, is a businessman, a farmer, a teacher, a civil servant, a trader, etc. All he wants is a better life and a daily bread.
Nevertheless, once a beautiful north where we studied at universities without hindrance, where our families lived without fear and the South where every northerner was welcomed, have become brothers divided and now in a convolution of hate against each other.
When we say let them go, we forget the diversity of religion, language and tribe. We forget there are people like us who are daily being crushed and oppressed. We really do not care. We say, God will take care of them. We forget that we are all in a contraption of evil; north, west, south east. None is safe. Divided or not, at this point, the darkness lurks over every one.
Therefore, to save the north is to save the rest. It is rather simplistic to think the carnage is unique to the north and will remain so. It is unintelligent, inhuman and wicked to say, let them die because they enabled it. Now is the time to support the north so we will all be safe.
Finally, I think we should learn to travel around our country and read more history.
Freelanews is the editorial byline of Freelanews.com, used for staff reports, news updates, press releases, and collaborative stories produced by the Freelanews Editorial Team.
