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               Nigerians Welcome and Fear Emergency Rule in North

   by Heather Murdock

   The day after Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan declared emergency
   rule in some of the country's most volatile regions, some locals have
   high hopes the move will end the nearly four-year-old Boko Haram
   insurgency that has claimed lives. Others are wary, however, saying
   brute force could potentially escalate the violence.

   The Nigerian capital, Abuja, is located in the center of the country,
   and the people who live there are from every corner of Nigeria. They
   are from the mostly-Christian south, and from the mostly-Muslim north -
   the heart of the Boko Haram insurgency.
   At one fruit stand, the seller chops pineapples while other men stand
   around chatting. When asked what they think about President Jonathan's
   announcement that emergency rule is to be imposed on three northern
   states, men that support the idea are eager to speak out.

   Lionel Osuagwu, a real estate broker, said he is proud of his president
   for taking a stand against Boko Haram.

   "I think it's a welcome development because we cannot sit down and
   watch people being wasted like animals. It's not fair," said Osuagwu.
   Clamping down
   Timothy Pam, a businessman who deals with farming equipment, is from
   Plateau State, in Nigeria's "Middle Belt" where sectarian violence has
   killed an estimated 14,000 people since 1999. He said in 2008 the
   government declared emergency rule in his home city of Jos, ending a
   wave of violence that left more than 700 people dead.

   "The movement was very restricted. Like from 6 [a.m] to 6 [p.m], that's
   when you were allowed to move. After that time if you are caught
   outside they will deal with seriously. So emergency is a welcoming
   development to everything that is a problem of that nature. Emergency
   should be implemented immediately so that lives will not be wasted as
   such," he said.
   Others around the fruit stand are less forthcoming, saying they are
   skeptical that emergency rule will improve the situation, but they
   don't want to speak publicly for security reasons.

   One man suggested that military rule could help, if soldiers stick to
   arresting suspects rather than shooting them.
   Violence concerns
   Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch both have accused Nigerian
   government security forces of escalating violence through
   extra-judicial killings and unlawful detentions. The Nigerian
   government denies these charges.

   Under a nearby awning, where religious books are sold, another man said
   he is disappointed that the government is beefing up security measures
   before even finishing their investigation into the possibility of peace
   talks.

   In his speech Tuesday, Jonathan said efforts to negotiate with Boko
   Haram will continue, but followed the statement by promising to "hunt
   them down."

   On the other side of town, in a quiet compound outside the business
   district, Kabir Mato, the director of the University of Abuja Institute
   for Anti-Corruption Studies, said that neither beefed up military nor
   negotiations will create a lasting peace in northern Nigeria, the heart
   of the insurgency.

   Addressing overty, joblessness
   He said the real cause of unrest is not Islamist extremism, as often is
   said, with Boko Haram being compared to the Taliban. He said the
   problem there is extreme poverty, unemployment and many young people
   with no opportunities and very little to do.

   "You cannot wipe out these insurgencies, especially in the extreme
   northern part of Nigeria in the next two, three or four years," said
   Mato. "They can only be wiped out through long-term investment on
   social service. You must educate young people. In Borno State and Yobe
   State as I speak to you today, more than 70 percent of young people
   that are supposed to go to school are out of school, primary school and
   secondary school. Seventy percent!"
   Jonathan's announcement comes after Boko Haram-related violence has
   claimed more than 250 lives in the past month. Analysts say the group's
   attacks and equipment have grown increasingly sophisticated.

   Mato said without economic and social development in the north,
   however, that if one group of discontented youth is crushed, another
   will just take its place. He added that when security forces use
   heavy-handed tactics - like burning the homes of suspected criminals -
   groups like Boko Haram have more unhappy young people to recruit.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/nigerians-welcome-and-fear-emergency-
   rule-in-north-to-fight-boko-haram/1661564.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/nigerians-welcome-and-fear-emergency-rule-in-north-to-fight-boko-haram/1661564.html