Such was the chilling ultimatum delivered to Christian residents of Kirchinga and Garaha communities in Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State, shortly before armed jihadist militants descended upon the villages in a brutal nocturnal assault that left not fewer than twenty-seven Christians slaughtered.
It would appear that, in certain parts of our republic, terrorism has now acquired the bureaucratic elegance of a tax authority. One merely receives a notice: convert, pay, or vacate. Compliance is optional; survival, unfortunately, is not.
The attack, which occurred barely two nights ago, marks yet another grim chapter in the steadily unfolding tragedy across Nigeria’s North-East, where insurgent groups such as Boko Haram, ISWAP, jihadist bandits, and allied militant factions continue to expand their theatre of terror with alarming audacity.
Residents recount that the terrorists did not merely attack; they issued instructions.
The Christian inhabitants were warned that they must either convert to Islam, pay a religious levy imposed by the militants, or permanently abandon the communities their forefathers had inhabited for generations.
In other words, the victims were courteously offered three choices: apostasy, taxation, or exile.
The language may differ, but history recognises this script all too well.
As the traumatised survivors of Madagali fled their homes and counted their losses, both human and material, another disturbing report emerged almost simultaneously from Ngoshe community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.
There, armed fighters linked to Boko Haram and ISWAP reportedly stormed the settlement in large numbers, overwhelming a military position before sweeping into the town. The consequences were devastating.
Residents and soldiers were killed.
Homes were set ablaze.
And over one hundred civilians, mostly women and children, were abducted.
Thousands fled in terror, seeking refuge in neighbouring communities such as Pulka.
One must pause here to ask a question that has become painfully routine in Nigeria:
How does such a large force of insurgents mobilise, travel across territories, overwhelm a military position, abduct over one hundred civilians, and disappear into the night, apparently without prior detection?
This is not merely a tactical question.
It is a national one.
What makes these attacks particularly disturbing is not only their brutality but their scale, coordination, and confidence. Large columns of armed fighters move across vast terrains. Entire communities are invaded. Civilians are abducted in their hundreds. Yet the attacks often appear to occur with a curious degree of operational freedom.
It is a paradox Nigerians have grown accustomed to witnessing: the insurgents seem to possess remarkable mobility, while the state appears perpetually engaged in the post-event ritual of condemnation.
The question therefore persists:
How do these large armed formations assemble and move across vulnerable communities without early interception?
Until this question is confronted with sincerity and urgency, the nation may continue to witness tragedies that have become disturbingly predictable.
AN INTERNATIONAL WARNING
Adding another dimension to the unfolding crisis, the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria recently revealed that Iran plays a significant role in the proliferation of arms and the sponsorship of jihadist terrorist activities across parts of Africa.
If such intelligence carries even a fraction of truth, then Nigeria’s security establishment must treat the matter with the seriousness it deserves.
Because if external actors are indeed fuelling insurgent violence within our borders, then the challenge confronting Nigeria is not merely insurgency. It is proxy warfare by other means.
What was once described as sporadic insurgency now increasingly resembles territorial intimidation and ideological domination.
For the communities of the North-East, the crisis has moved far beyond a security problem. It has become a daily test of the fundamental purpose of the state: the protection of its citizens.
Until that duty is discharged with clarity, competence, and resolve, Nigerians will continue to ask a question that grows louder with each tragedy:
Who truly controls the night in these territories: the state, or the insurgents?
* Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, Esq. (KSC), Dunu-Ezeugosinachi
Discussion about this post