When The Defecator Forgets

It's easy to denounce the white man's violence against the African. It becomes tricky however, If the violence on the African is by another African.

Is there anything as 'No Man's Land'?

Few days before the Presidential election, thousands of non northerners, mostly Igbos, moved out of Kano for fear of violence. They went 'home'. But the northerners remained - to them, Kano was 'home'.

I noticed the same thing during the 2006 census. Large number of Igbos left Kano because they were "going home to be counted."

Who owns Kano? What about Lagos, Onisha, Abuja and Porthacourt?

When the Shekarau administration wanted to enforce the Shari'a law in Kano, the Igbos in Sabon Gari area of the state said the community should be exempted because it's a 'No Man's Land.' In effect, they were saying, since no Hausa lived in the community, it's technically not part of Kano, and so, Kano law can not take effect within this No Man's Land.

To exact its authority, the state government used the Shari'a police, Hisba, to crack down on hotels, brothels, beer parlors and relaxation spots owned by the Igbos in Sabon Gari. They brought the Igbos to their kneels within days just to prove a point: Sabon Gari is not a No Man's Land.

However, to show how accommodating Kano can be, an Igbo and a Yoruba were appointed into the cabinet as advisers and another Igbo went on to become a councillor in Sabon Gari. In fact, an Igbo man contested the last local government elections in Fagge, Kano. That's how welcoming Kano can be.

So, how can you call parts of Kano a No Man's Land and then call Onisha, Akure or Uyo, home? How can you call where Aminu calls his home a No Man's Land just because he allowed you stay?

Would it be fair to look the Original inhabitants of Abuja in the face and say, this is not your Land, it's a No Man's Land. I don't think so.

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