When tensions become high it only takes a little spark to ignite an uncontrollable conflict

By Ayo Akinfe 

(1) Today is June 28. It was on this day in 1914 that Franz Ferdinand, the Archduke of Austria and his wife Sophie were assassinated in Sarajevo by the young Serb nationalist Gavrilo Princip. It basically started World War One as the chain reactions tore Europe apart

(2) After the assassination, there were pogroms against the Serbs living in Sarajevo. This prompted Serbia to call on Russia, the great Slav nation to come to its rescue. Russia mobilised its army and Germany took this is a declaration of war

(3) Russia and France had a military pact, so Germany knew it would be fighting on two fronts, so mobilised its troops to attack France too. To enter into France, however, Germany had to march through Belgium. Breaching the Belgian Neutrality Agreement brought Britain into the war. For four years, Europe was involved in a brutal and bloody war 

(4) Having said that, World War One had its benefits as it led to the widespread use of trains. For the first time in the history of mankind, railways were used to ferry supplies and men to the front and since then, trains have never been the same again. Also, the war introduced the use of bombers. Prior to World War One, there was no such thing as an air force. World War One also made the battle tank the main component of army attacks. Prior to the war, infantry men were just thrown forward in large numbers, with high casualty rates 

(5) Anyway, whatever the benefits of World War One, conflict should always be avoided. Traditionally, wars have been times of great innovations and inventions. They have also served as a means of correcting population expansion by default. Despite all these advantages, I will never call for them as they hinder economic growth and create an untold hardship for the masses 

(6) I just hope that as a former soldier himself, President Buhari is conscious of the fact that this Fulani herdsmen saga has dangerous parallels with what happened in the run-up to World War One. All it takes is for these herdsmen to kill one prominent Tiv, Igbo, Yoruba, Ijaw, Efik, Ibibio, Edo, Idoma etc person and nobody can predict the outcome 

(7) Indeed, this is how the Nigerian Civil War started in 1967. After the northern leaders were killed and Aguiyi Ironsi became head of state, there were widespread pogroms against Igbos across Nigeria, resulting in a 30 month civil war that left between 1m and 2m dead

(8) Ironically, it was also on this day in 1776 that the final draft of the US Declaration of Independence was submitted to Continental Congress. Would you not just love it if President Buhari submitted a similar far-reaching document to the National Assembly today? Maybe call it Contract with Nigeria and also get 55 members of his party to sign it 

(9) When you turn a blind eye to acts of aggression hoping the matter will go away, you may end up with more on your hands than you bargained for. I am surprised President Buhari does not realise this. For starters, about two thirds of the troops in the Nigerian Army are Christian. Does he know how they will react if there are widespread pogroms against Fulanis in Nigeria? On this day in 1967 Israel annexed East Jerusalem. Look at how that crisis has spiralled out of control. We have not heard the last of that yet with Donald Trump senselessly stoking the flames further 

(10) Today, June 28, was also the Night of the Long Knives when in 1934, Adolf Hitler purged his own Nazi party of some of his best friends and loyalists in a bid to consolidate his grip on power. Will President Buhari do the same today and purge his administration of the narrow minded, primordial and blinkered cabal who are misleading him, especially over this herdsmen matter. It would be great if he did!