When Presidents of nations come out to condemn an act, it is almost immediately followed up by a total, intensive, and well-coordinated clampdown by security forces on all perpetrators and non-State actors who engage and are engaging in such acts.

In Nigeria though, over the years, the masses have come to accept that when political leaders make such comments, it is more often than not a disguised way of saying, 'I have talked about it, can you leave me alone now?" or, "Can we move on to other things more fun-inclined or money-related?", except of course, when it has to do with a particular section of the country - a section obviously MOST-LOVED.

"I strongly condemn", the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has made this exact comment more times than we can count. Most-recently infact, was his strong condemnation of the senseless and cowardly killing of the late pregnant Harira and her beloved children in Anambra State by Unknown Gunmen.

In his words:

'I strongly condemn the wild, barbarous and wanton killings of innocent people in the South-East, as well as in other parts of Nigeria. The perpetrators of these deeply distressing attacks should expect the toughest possible response from the security forces.''

However, Nigerians have heard this a zillion times before - a case in point would be the most-recent killings of innocent and defenceless citizens by the Boko Haram sect in the North. It would also be the lynching of Deborah in May 2022, still in the North.

If these words had not brought out our security forces to doing the needful then, why do we feel they will come out to safeguard Nigerians in the East now? We often expect these upheavals to die naturally - this, most times, is the way security issues are handled by our leaders, to help checkmate against any and all forms of negative press, thereby protecting their delusion of having integrity.

So, while it may be easier and maybe more rational to conclude that nothing would come off this as usual, we may do ourselves right to first put into consideration where the cowardly killings of the pregnant Harira and her beloved children took place - may their souls rest in peace. This happened in the EAST - I mean the land of the IBOS.

Anambra State is in the news for all the bad reasons once again. The State, arguably one of the richest States in the country, stemming from the business acuity of almost all there, and located in the East, far away from the North, may be lucky or unlucky to be having the President's attention this time.

The East, when threatened, is not new to swift responses by the Nigerian Army, courtesy the President. From the Operation Python Dance 1 and 2, to Operation Crocodile Smile, the eastern part of the country has always ENJOYED much attention.

It is obvious that the President, knowing that the East must always remain at peace if the nation must grow economically, has always considered it his personal duty to sustain the PEACE needed there. The President, by his body language and actions, has always taken it upon himself to protect the East from upheavals, even when other parts of the nation are going through similar or more-aggravated situations as witnessed in the North.

So, while the statement of the President on the senseless killing of the pregnant Harira and her children in the East may have included other regions going through same, similar, or more-aggravated issue of insecurity, especially in the North where the late Deborah was lynched not too long ago, a situation which has made the streets of Sokoto and other northern States highly toxic and potentially-implosive, the Easterners may need to start beating their WELCOMING DRUMS to usher in their GUARDIAN ANGELS of the Nigerian Army one more time.

The 'Butterfly Dance 1' may just be a good name this time for the Operation.



Written by:
Bello Omokhowa Precious
A Life Student of History & International Studies, and Writer of 'The Blacksmith', 'The Crook's Honour' and other books.