Illustrious Igbo sons were killed in cold blood for absolutely no reason; signaling the beginning of the tyranny of the masses under the guise
of freedom fighting.
The Unknown Gunmen phenomenon has now taken on an entirely new dimension, with the gunmen possessing and occupying territories openly. There are now roads that must not be plied at any time of the day, for any reason whatsoever if the road user does not want to encounter them; thus giving a hint that the region is now facing a serious insurgency. Although it started off as a fight against the government for years of missed opportunities and leadership failure, now, there is more. According to eyewitnesses who have encountered the gunmen, there is a high concentration on the type of car one drives or is driven in.
The assumption is that driving in an SUV, one is a government official, attached to the government, or just rich; even being rich doesn’t sit so well. Already, there is an age-long animosity between the haves and have-nots. In the Southeast, for instance, it is common to hear accusations of stealing ‘destiny’ through meta-physical means against rich uncles, brothers, or friends. Many families are still trapped in the controversy of this sort of wild accusation. In some other cases, the wealthy are plainly accused of wickedness for failing to help their relations become as rich.
According to eyewitnesses, anyone driving a Toyota Hilux or other fanciful pickups around the areas under the control of the gunmen is likely to be killed and the vehicle confiscated. In effect, the focus on cars speaks to the role of social rank in the crisis; as one’s car in Nigeria is easily a sign of social status and roughly gives away one’s social class in the society. Only a few days ago, Chief Gab Ofoma, a distinguished surveyor was killed in his SUV. This is related to the story of the death of Dr. Chike Akunyili. Also the same in the case of Dr. Lawrence Ezenwa, and Chief Philip Udala of Udala FC, among others.
Illustrious Igbo sons were killed in cold blood for absolutely no reason; signaling the beginning of the tyranny of the masses under the guise of freedom fighting. These gunmen have annexed territories across the Southeast, especially in Anambra and Imo. Mounted roadblocks and created their own government in which they, in that enclave, determine who may live and who must die. By implication, in the Southeast, the hallmark of state sovereignty is being challenged which puts a question on the legitimacy of government in the region.
At the beginning of the crisis, most government functionaries abandoned their assigned government vehicles or removed their government number plates. Many people now also use small cars that do not easily communicate their social status. However, even a change of car to conceal one’s status is not enough. About two weeks ago, a man who had an encounter with the gunmen around Uke in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, mentioned that he was already asked to go because he was in a saloon car, but then he was more carefully observed and was asked to stop but he had already zoomed off, only to notice bullet holes on his car when he reached his destination.
The people of Southeast and Nigerians, in general, must come to terms with the fact that these gunmen are not only interested in withering the state, but also in a class war. At this level, anybody is a potential victim. Under these circumstances, unfortunately, many lives depend upon the discretion of an armed gang christened unknown gunmen camping at different locations across the Southeast from where they move about to spread fear and cause pain.
It is a class war as the feeling of deprivation and disempowerment on the side of the populace is real. Most of the people have no stake in the current system; hence they support its destruction by any means. The truth however remains that this is a terrifying danger, given the enabling environment for a sustained insurgency in the Southeast, amidst weak government; which only serves to worsen the situation. The peril ahead is only better imagined, but the situation is best arrested yesterday. In other words, it is better to stop now than later.
