It was a typical work day on Asabo Platform, it was lunch time. I was the last in the control room and made the usual 2hourly check around the oil production platform. Simple task: Listen to the huge centrifugal pumps sending our oil for onward theft by the Fulanis who control the NNPC, take production rates that would later be doctored by the criminals robbing your nation dry and look for anything out of place in the noisy and creaky old platform built in the late 70s. This was early 2000s.
I peeked into the lower switchgear room - through the reinforced pane - on the pump deck that housed the electrical controls for pumps and saw smoke swirling in the airtight room equipped with a fire door. My training immediately kicked in and kept control of the adrenaline that began pumping through my veins.
One of the most deadly catch22 situations you can find yourself in, is a fire outbreak on an offshore platform. There is practically nowhere for you to run to. You either contain the fire or die there because you are surrounded by seen and unseen fire accelerants in the form of crude oil and gas. Even if rescue choppers eventually come to your rescue, there is no guarantee they would be able to land on the helideck to carry out any rescue. The water below you - though not freezing because its the tropics - is filled with jelly fishes, barracudas and sometimes sharks. If those don't get you, death could come by drowning as the platform sits in 50feet of Atlantic ocean. Your last view would be the Cameroonian mountains if you died on a clear weather day.
So I picked up the pager - a telephone like public address system - near the switchgear room and bellowed in a calm measured voice into it. "Smoke in the Asabo PP lower switch gear room! Smoke in the Asabo PP lower switch gear room!! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!!!"
I would later be informed that pandemonium broke out in the mess hall (cafeteria) as my announcement came in. I remember the brave rush towards the danger, poised to meet a raging fire and fight for themselves and their colleagues so all could go back to see their families. Turned out providence wanted us to see many more years to come. It was a panel that was simply just smouldering and the fire had not yet broken out. We quickly resolved the issue and filled out an incident reports form.
Nice story but what does this have to do with Sunday Igboho?
Everything! It has everything to do with Sunday and every Southerner.
War is here, the preparations for war was begun in broad daylight by Muhammadu Buhari. The self styled 3rd Mahdi began giving military advantage to his Fulani kinsmen as soon as he stole power in 2015. All positions that controlled guns, had powers of arrest, powers to incarcerate and powers to control the nations borders were given to Fulani Muslims.
Not only that, the presidency became an open advocate for killer Fulani herdsmen and actively aided them in land grabs and evasion of punishment for mass murders. Buhari’s presidency defended genocide committed by killer fulani herdsmen and boldly said "...all they need is land.." whilst keeping a studied silence on the victims. Those victims varied in ages, sex and social class. What they had in common was they were Southerners and were kidnapped or murdered on their own personal or communal properties.
Children, toddlers, babies, mothers, pregnant women and aged men were hacked to death inside their own homes in the middle of the night, far away from farms. Yet Buhari, Femi Adesina, Garba Shehu and the other murderous spokesmen called the horrendous slaughters "farmers/herders clash." A one sided clash that managed not to leave Fulani casualties for more than 5 years now.
Some people say Sunday Igboho's action was forced by lack of leadership from Buhari. I say they are wrong. Buhari came to lead but just his killer Fulani herdsmen and those who signed up for his jihad. He didn't come to lead the expired artificial construct that was named Nigeria.
This is why it seems he is working to destroy Nigeria whilst many still preach unity and peace. Like a man looking into that switchgear room and seeing smoke, many are simply moving on rather than acknowledge the fact that something is really amiss.
Do you know why Igboho went to Igangan to confront the self appointed Seriki? Well let me lay it out.
A farmer in that axis by name Fatai Aborode - a diaspora returnee - went to the Seriki Fulani in Igangan to complain about Fulani herdsmen bringing in their cattle to eat up planted crops on his farm. He had been warned not to go there but he believed - as many who would soon be victims - that the head would be a reasonable person. Alas, he was tied to a tree and hacked to death where he went to seek for justice. The local government chairman was reportedly also kidnapped and had to pay these Fulanis N20m to regain his freedom.
Remember when Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue went to Buhari to seek justice for those murdered in Agatu? Buhari simply told him to go accommodate his "country men" which were the Fulanis that killed about 800 human beings!
These types of Fulani jihadist lack that human concept of what human life means. Buhari, Buratai, Hameed, and the rest of the Fulanis in charge of the aforementioned positions care more for cows than southern human beings. Miyetti Allah Bodejo said Fulanis see cows as their brothers. Whilst sounding comical, it points to my earlier point. Let's even agree the cows are their brothers, who then sells his brother to those who will kill them to eat for food?
If they can sell their brothers - from the cattle side - to certain death, why would they not kill you who is not their brother? This is how warped their logic is when their quest is to steal land and power.
The thief also said all lands in Nigeria are owned by the Fulanis He said they are the ones who go into the forest to graze their cows. That it is their cow dungs that make the land fertile and then Southerners later come into the forest to farm on "their" land.
It almost sounds like a logical argument until you note the fact that "forest" means there is vegetation. The vegetation their cows went to graze on. Which thus means the land was fertile before they went in there. Forget the fact that they knew people owned those lands and they have no title to even a plot of those lands.
Theft is part of their jihad. Making wild claims and using force to take over their enemies’ resources is an age long practice for them. That is why one of them could boldly say they own the oil in the south and offshore.
As far as they are concerned, theft is okay once it is for jihad. You say there is no leadership? So how have they been borrowing money? A leader has been signing those agreements haven't they?
This is not a drill, ladies and gentlemen. Are we not at war already If a Fulani can give himself traditional title in Oyo State, have his own militia, settle land disputes between Yoruba indigenes, collect ransom for onward transfer to killer Fulani herdsmen who kidnapped Southerners? A nobody Bodejo is telling the Ondo State government that nobody could eject their criminal behinds from any forest in the south!
This is not a drill! They used the opportunity of the Covid-19 lockdown and their border closure to move weapons and killer Fulanis deep into the South. We wrote about it then, I wrote about it.
There is no saviour coming to rescue you; Buhari is not a neutral actor. Your back is to the Atlantic ocean and you are surrounded by a sea of killer Fulani herdsmen who are armed and see you less important than cattle. Unfortunately, many southern governors are still playing nice with a ruthless conscienceless enemy. They call them "brothers."
Listen, there is a cost to war, there is also a cost to peace. When the cost of peace is however submission to slavery, then war becomes cheaper. The greatest gift one generation can give to the next is freedom. Don't hand your children into slavery because of stupidity and cowardice.
If you can't fight, speak in support of those ready to fight. If you can't speak in support then shut up. Those who rationalize cheating are as dangerous as the cheaters. This is not a drill, this is a fight for your children's children's future. You have been trained for this, defend yourselves!
Your enemy is a coward that fights by cheating and subtle invasion. Your first defence is calling a spade a spade! There is no smoke without a fire or an impending one. Stop making excuses for killers, speak up and stand with those fighting your cause!
The choice is yours though, the consequences however, are... THIS IS NOT A DRILL!
