By Gideon Njoku
The tension is so thick a knife could cut through it. And so is the anger. Both stemmed from one of the reckless statements made by a Leader of the Niger Delta Militants, Asari Dokubo.
Dokubo had, especially, recently, developed diarrhoea of the mouth with very offensive and obscene statements targeted against the Nigerian Military, and especially, the Igbo.
While he dismissed the Military – the Army and the Nigerian Navy – as Oil thieves, he also dismissed the whole of the Military as cowards, claiming responsibility for securing the Abuja-Kaduna express way and some States in the South. He claimed to be the person providing security in all of the areas he mentioned.
Inexplicably descending on the Igbo, he threatened he could kill all of them, and if he had his way, would be selling them into slavery as, according to him, his forefathers did.
In response, a couple of Igbo historians has put a lie to Dokubo’s claim, insisting that Dokubo, indeed, is Igbo as his forefathers were Igbo slaves.
Dokubo’s provocative statements, for the records, were made after he visited President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa for a closed door meeting.
Not a few Nigerians are, at once, shocked and taken aback by Dokubo’s brazen insults at the Military and the Igbos. But more shocking to them is the collective silence of Security Agencies to Dokubo’s atrocious utterances, and, more especially, as in the video, he was flaunting an AK47 Rifle and other high calibre weapons.
The silence of the Igbo Leadership, as represented by the Governors and Ohanaeze Ndigbo also has also surprised watchers of the dangerous situation and threat.
However, a Nigerian of Northern extraction, Alhaji Faruq Musa Muhammad, an Abuja based business man and Chief Executive Officer of Dattijo Multi-Purpose Business, outraged by Dokubo’s threat to kill the Igbo, has petitioned the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, against Dokubo.
The petition, dated 21st June, 2023, is entitled, “FORMAL COMPLAINT AGAINST ONE MR. ASARI DOKUBO FOR THREATENING OUR NATIONAL SECURITY AS HE WAS SEEN IN A 1 MINUTE 30 SECONDS VIDEO CLIP: ILLEGALLY SHOWING UP HIS AK 47 RIFLE WHILE PROMOTING VIOLENCE AND CIVIL WAR IN NIGERIA AS HE WAS ALSO SEEN CONDEMING AND THREATENING IGBO PEOPLE WITH THAT AK 47….”
Also, the Youth Wing of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, numbed in shock at Dokubo’s utterances, has given the Department of State Services, DSS, a 48-hour ultimatum to arrest Dokubo over his threats to kill the Igbo.
Alhaji Muhammad’s petition to the IGP reads:
“Sir, I am writing you this formal complaint as a concerned and patriotic Nigerian who always has a zeal and motivation of making our Dear Country, Nigeria a better place as I have soundly and reasonably learned that Mr Asari Dokubo is presently plotting to create the breakdown of law and order in our society.
“Please find the attached of a disk (marked as Exhibit: A) Containing the said 1 minute and 30 second video clip: where Mr Asari Dokubo was seen wearing a red T-shirt, speaking in pidgin English as he partly, says: “…..you (Igbo people) will do video to sell that Alhaji (Dokubo Asari) has run away, you dey see me: I don’t run….”
“Then at this point he picked up an AK 47 Rifle from his left side-indicating that he’s ready to face them (Igbo people) with that weapon.
“Presently, the video is trending on the social media platforms and it’s sending a wrong message against our National Security: because Mr Dokubo was trying to send a message to the general public that he is above the law.
“Here, I want the Inspector General of Police to send an “Open Invitation Letter” to Mr Dokubo Asari and ask him to report to the Nigeria Police Force so that he would clear himself on that video clip. And if the policemen have found him, breaking the law of the land in respect of that video, thus I want him to be charged to the court of law please. Thank you.”
The 48-hour ultimatum, given by the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council, signed by its National President, Comrade Igboayaka Igboayaka, reads as follows, in part:
“Recall that in a recent video clip that has gone viral on social media, the notorious ex- militant, Asari Dokubo was seen threatening to kill, exterminate and murder all Igbos wherever they are found just few days after being hosted, at Aso Rock villa, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“As we have waited patiently after 48 hours of Asari Dokubo’s threats to kill the Igbos with fierce ambition as displayed in the said viral video with AK-47 riffles, it is most unfortunate that the said Asari Dokubo is yet to be apprehended and/or prosecuted by the State Security Services (DSS).
“Without mincing words, Ndigbo are quite convinced that Asari Dokubo’s visit to Aso Rock villa is an orchestrated meeting to further the ugly marginalisation of the Igbos and subsequently stamp them out of existence as well as ensuring that every “perceived political opponent” is eliminated,” Igboayaka revealed.
“It’s obvious that the effrontery and/or the boldness of Asari Dokubo to have threatened the Igbos while brandishing hard military wares and/or weaponry like Ak-47 rifle is clearly smacked of a strong secret approval of Mr. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“The above is a vivid signpost to a secret agenda by Mr. President against the Igbo Christians through the clown called Asari Dokubo.
“In our experience and to our knowledge that Asari Dokubo is a muslim like Mr. President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the fears of muslim-muslim tickets by the Christians is, actually, for the avoidance of elimination of Igbo Christian which Mr. President, instead of assuaging such fears, has rather commissioned Asari Dokubo, with all the paraphernalia and/or requisite protection of the federal government, to intensify the fears and murder the Igbos, Comrade Igboayaka asserted
“If Ndigbo wait for another 48hrs without Asari Dokubo being arrested and/or prosecuted for acts of terrorism and be jailed, Ndigbo would be constrained to have no other options than to gather all forms of sophisticated weaponry for their self-defence to avoid being stamped out of existence in their prime by agent of darkness called Asari Dokubo at the support and/or behest of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
There has been no response either by the Presidency or Security Agencies.
