Insecurity: Rising disquiets over Pantami’s religion extremism

There has been rising disquiets across the country over the revelation of the stout extremism the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, has demonstrated in the part in support of certain Muslim fundamentalists who have been sources of violent uprising and intractable insecurity in several countries of the world.

Many stakeholders in the country have been demanding for the resignation of Nigeria’s Communication and Digital Economy Minister since the leakage of videos in social media where the minister was expressing support and encouragement for violent Jihadist impulse of al-Qaeda and the Taliban many years ago.

The revelation has deeply been sinking into national consciousness in Nigeria considering the continuous violent upsurge of various segments of fundamentalist movements and Islamic militias that have subverted Nigeria’s security system and are making the country becoming ungovernable. The league of groups involved in subversive violent uprising in Nigeria include Boko Haram in northeast Nigeria, which President Muhammadu Buhari inherited in 2015, bandits in northwest and north central, killer herdsmen in all parts of Nigeria and Fulani militia. Bandits, killer herdsmen and Fulani militia all emerged in the Buhari administration to increase the violent gangs in the country previously dominated by Boko Haram. Many of the violent gangs have been trading in kidnapping for ransom, invasion of rural communities, killings and looting, destruction of farmlands from Southern Kaduna to the Benue Plateau basin unto the southwest and southeast. The violent trade has become notorious to the point of damaging the nomenclature or ethnic identity of the Fulani nation which the leaders rose to protect, arguing that all Fulani trade in crimes.

The sensitivity of the Pantami episode relates to the inability of the Buhari administration to tame the surging bandits, killer herdsmen, kidnappers, Boko Haram and others, despite the efforts of the Nigerian military which personnel are also killed in the course of national duty.

The Nigerian presidency had also raised an alarm that wealthy people are behind the violent activities of the bandits and others. The presidency further said that it has intelligence on those sponsoring the violent gangs.

Without prejudice to the claims of the presidency, the video exposure may have provide clue or suspicion over perceived sympathy of the federal government in handling the killer herdsmen or bandits violent trade in Nigeria. no visible arrest is made, no prosecution of the perpetrators of the violent crimes, certain northern governors campaigning for amnesty, negotiation, compensation and rehabilitation of the non-state violence actors, rather than imposing deterrent or redistributive sanctions.

Most Nigerians at different times had reasons to suspect the government is shielding the perpetrators of violence in the north because ethnic or religious solidarity, a suspicion that was clearly relayed in the Pantami’s leaked videos of his past religion fundamentalist stance.

Pantami was said to have apologized, noting that the leaked videos relayed his past beliefs and religious instincts, adding that he has been a teacher of peace over the years before his appointment as minister in the Buhari administration.

While several stakeholders in the polity have been demanding for the resignation of Pantami, or otherwise, President Buhari should sack him, the Punch Editorial Board, on Tuesday declared inter alia: “A brewing storm over sensitive allegations unveiling Isa Pantami, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, as a fervent supporter of extremist Islamist sects, who preached their violent cause should not be overlooked.

“The minister is under fire for vociferously espousing the violent Jihadist narrative of al-Qaeda and the Taliban before he was appointed minister by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd). “These allegations are far too weighty and there is copious evidence that Pantami once held on to extremist ideology and expressed it openly. Therefore, the honourable step is for him to resign. Otherwise, Buhari should sack him for unfettered investigations to be undertaken.”