Nigeria needs to have clear and unbiased guidelines governing terrorism

By Ayo Akinfe 

(1) Over the last week, we have been overwhelmed with information on the Shiite Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN). There have been calls from many quarters for IMN to be branded a terrorist organisation but I ask on what basis 

(2) Terrorism is, in the broadest sense, the use of intentionally indiscriminate violence as a means to create terror among masses of people; or fear to achieve a religious or political aim. Do the IMN fit this description?

(3) In 2002, American political philosopher Michael Walzer wrote: "Terrorism is the deliberate killing of innocent people, at random, to spread fear through a whole population and force the hand of its political leaders"

(4) In November 2004, a United Nations secretary-general report described terrorism as any act intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to civilians or non-combatants with the purpose of intimidating a population or compelling a government or an international organization to do or abstain from doing any act. However, the international community has been unable to formulate a universally agreed, legally binding definition of this crime. These difficulties arise from the fact that the term "terrorism" is politically and emotionally charged

(5) We all agree in Nigeria that Boko Haram is a terrorist group but that is where the consensus ends 

(6) This year, nobody has killed as many Nigerians as the Fulani cattle herdsmen, yet the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (Macban) is not labelled a terrorist group 

(7) If I am right, the US has the OPC, Ipob and Mend down as terrorist organisations. The Nigerian government does not dialogue with any of these organisations yet it speaks to Macban 

(8) At a guess, I would say between them, Macban and Boko Haram and its offshoots account for at least 98% of all violent murders in Nigeria. As far as I am aware, the IMN has not planted one bomb anywhere in Nigeria or launched an assault with AK47s on any community in the country 

(9) If you ask me, it will be nigh impossible to agree on what a terrorist organisation is in Nigeria. There are simply too many vested interests and permutations at play. For now, I think the only two organisations that would meet the broad description would be Boko Haram and Macban. Any other categorisation would be regarded as political 

(10) Can we trust this government to deal with this matter fairly, honestly and professionally? I think we need a special Nigerian Security Commission made up of representatives of all faiths and ethnic groups that will look at each case on its merit and classify groups based on the reality on the ground, not on the basis of geo-religious sentiments