AGONY OF A PEACEFUL SOKOTO STATE: RETURN OF POLITICAL CRISIS
By
Yusuf Dingyadi

The present political violence and reprisal attacks on the innocent
 citizens of Sokoto state in the past weeks are a clear sign of absence of
 purposeful leadership and biased behavior of security organizations
 operating in the state. Most unfortunate is the absence of determination
 by both leadership and the led to sincerely work towards solving the
 problem
Apparently, the violence has been destabilizing and ridiculing the good
 name of Sokoto state, making it now one of the most troubled spots
 Nigeria. What a shame! The violence which is assuming a frightening
 dimension on a daily basis, is not only a shame to the citizens of the state,
 but a phenomenon that contradicts the very history, values and
 religious tenets upon which the Sokoto Caliphate was established and known
 for.
Within a year now, the devastating political violence has rendered
 countless women widows, children as orphans and turned many more into
 handicaps. The violence has not only rendered Sokoto as unsafe place today,
 but as one of the violence prone states visitors are avoiding for
 security reasons.
Indeed, as far as Sokoto is concerned, ‘the fear of attacks and
 molestation from either political thugs or police is the beginning of
 wisdom’. The police command in Sokoto has now become an annex of Wadata
 Plaza, courtesy of the Commissioner of Police and his cohorts. More often
 than not, the police are accused of complicity of attacks against
 opposition party supporters and that the police are collaborators in the
 violence as they alleged to be moving around with PDP thugs any time the
 latter are unleashing terror.
Another issue of concern over this crisis is the way and manner the
 Caliphate handled the issue before. It was reported that the Sultanate is
 not doing anything towards finding a lasting solution to the problems,
 as not even the Sultan came out openly to condemn and denounce the
 continued crisis or provide an ideal forum for the parties involved to find
 a lasting solution to the problem.
It is with agony that one watches helplessly as PDP and DPP supporters
 are destroying Sokoto and those in the corridor of power are pretending
 ignorance of the issue. They also seem unconcerned with the
 deteriorating health conditions of the citizens. The inability to control the
 ravaging Meningitis and Measles, now depopulating the state, all shows how
 deceitful the leadership is. Regrettably all what our leaders care for
 is how to capture power, even if it is through violence. Afterall,
 that ensures their control of public funds.
Going by the reports of the last Monday’s violence in Sokoto, the two
 major political parties, PDP and DPP are but to blame. It has shown
 that our political leaders are taking advantage of the level of ignorance
 of the citizens to their advantage. If Sakkwata had matured
 politically, the clash between the two supporters on that day would have been
 avoided.
The fight according to reports, broke out as a result of barricading
 the road leading to the metropolis by PDP supporters, who were trying to
 barricade road for the returning former Governor Bafarawa to the state
 along Airport road.
Trouble started after the barricade, as the DPP supporters demanded the
 passage of their leaders who accompanied Bafarawa, during which PDP
 supporters reacted angrily by throwing stones and free use of knives and
 cutlasses at the entourage.
The DPP supporters who outnumbered the PDP thugs later engage them in a
 fight leading to loss of lives and destruction of properties. Many
 vehicles belonging to both parties were set ablaze by PDP and DPP thugs.
 While this was going on the Police watched helplessly, as they could not
 bring the situation under control.
The question is, why must PDP thugs be allowed by their masters and
 police to attack Bafarawa on entering Sokoto? Has Bafarawa no
 constitutional right to reside in Sokoto? Why should PDP and police allow PDP thugs
 to stage a rally to concide with Bafarawa’s entry to Sokoto, knowing
 fully that large crowds would welcome him?. How could PDP mobilise
 thugs and supporters to barricade the road leading to Airport which and
 his supporters were to take without prior knowledge of security
 personnel?
As for police unjustifiable defence on their inability to provide
 adequate security in Sokoto that Monday, one is tempted to ask: Must
 Bafarawa need to ask for permission when returning to his state? Why was
 ex-governor Wamakko given easy passage and protection by the same police
 while returning back to state after the Court verdict? Why didn’t DPP
 thugs blocked his entry to Sokoto that day?
Moreover, did Bafarawa staged a political rally, as police want to
 argue, or was he simply being welcome to Sokoto by his teeming supporters?
 Well, the police command should accept its unprofessional conduct, and
 the CP should think seriously over his duty and allegiance to the
 Nigeria police or a particular political party. By the time he worked this
 unto his mind, he should be bold enough to vow either to remain a
 professinal police or dump off the uniform and take up membership of a
 political party of his choice. The equotion is the simpliest in Nigerian
 mathematics.
The attack on Bafarawa was not personal. It was political, it also
 needs to be seen in that wise. Anybody that knew Bafarawa long before now,
 knew that he used to drive inside the city freely even when he was a
 Governor and after that.
But the situation drastically changed when the police started giving a
 listening ear to the PDP garrison commanders. Brutally, the police
 embarked on raiding the houses of opposition members, ridiculling their
 wives and children, portraying them as danger to the society. Any time
 there is misunderstanding between rival parties, the police would parade
 DPP supporters in command vehicles round Sokoto, to give unnecessary
 publicity to the issue. This is mainly to make the police score a point in
 their allegiance to the PDP.
Every time we cry about the police trespass, they will come out with a
 lie that the law permits them to enter our houses and frighten our
 families. Till today, nobody among the big men have ever been brought
 before the law for sponsoring thuggery or apprehended for financing
 political violence, because they wine and dine together, even though they move
 with the political thugs openly.
In Sokoto, police have successfully invaded our minds with fears and
 injustices. It has become a risk to openly challenge police or PDP for
 their atrocities against anybody, as if we are not Nigerians. They can
 brand you as anything, ranging from membership of shi’ite to the
 security problem or enemy of the state.
Most implicative is the trend that those police and security officers
 that want to handle the Sokoto problem professionally are usually
 frustrated by way of transfers and redeployment. Non-cooperating DPOs that
 failed to play to the gallery of random detention of opposition without
 due course of law have their positions reviewed or are sent away to the
 rural areas, as a way of putting round peg in the round hole.
The challenges before other law enforcement agencies in Sokoto State is
 to stand up and carry out their duties professionally. They must
 remain apolitical but only providing security of lives and properties of the
 citizens, regardless of political affiliations. While there are still
 good and respected officers in the rank and file of the Sokoto State
 police command who are ready to act professionally, but some of the high
 ranking officers have openly sold the police to government of PDP in
 Sokoto state and can never be improvement in Sokoto, provided it is the
 same officers that control the command.
On their part, the citizens need to embark on soul searching towards at
 attaining unity and understanding. Majority of those killed or injured
 in the fracas were the children of poor people who had no knowledge of
 this power tussle, and yet we are confronted with another calamity of
 poor leadership and blame.
No matter what happens, there is no amount of intimidation that can
 make us to be quite, watching politicians and police destroy the same good
 legacies that were bequeathed to us by our ancestors. It is not only a
 privilege but a right to all the good citizens of Sokoto state to pray
 and fast for the survival of state, as outside forces are now working
 to destroy us and make our state to be restless like Baquba, Sadr and
 Falluja.
The Inspector General of police Mr. Mike Okiro must use his good office
 and order investigation into the role of police in Sokoto violence.
 Let the National Security Advisor, General Abdullahi Sarki Mukhtar, know
 that the violence of Sokoto is not a national security problem in
 vacuum but a creation of one staged by politicians in collaboration with
 security agencies in the state.
The acting Governor only needs to worry himself with the situation if
 he has sincere measures to help halt the violence. If, however, he is
 more interested in proving his allegiance to one of the ex-governors, so
 be it. History will judge him according to his actions or inactions.
 For, it is being feared that the present caretaker government is so loose
 that it lacks the will to be proactive in the matter. 
Anyway, the acting governor promised to hand over back to Wamakko after
 re-run election. But how sure is it that Wamakko and PDP will take
 part in the fresh election? The continued abuse of power by the same
 people that were hiring thugs to attack their opponents, must not go un
 punished by the law enforcement agents.
We look forward to seeing peace and stability in Sokoto state, known as
 a seat of caliphate not a Seat of violence! Enough is enough please!

Yusuf Dingyadi,
Freelance journalist, No. 88, Emir Yahaya Road, Sokoto
dingyadimedia@yahoo.com. 08035877331