Nigerian government ready for talks with Islamist group Boko Haram

Because of its system, the North may never come out of the cycle of poverty. The system not only impoverishes but also makes poverty a self-perpetuating tool to keep the privileged class in their idle opulence, fully assured by easy money rolling in from the oil wealth of the Niger Delta. The North may also never get out of its “rising violence”. These two twin evils have always been there in the North even before the oil. You never hear of them in nearby Sahelian countries where the oligarchy does not exist.

Whatever its real causes, the conflict is having a devastating effect on Nigerian civilians, both Christian and Muslim, across the Muslim dominated northern region.

Boko Haram, which initially attacked government and police targets has shifted to softer targets such as Christian churches and Western-curriculum schools. The most recent school attack occurred Tuesday night in the town of Gombe state, near the city of Maiduguri, where Boko Haram was founded. Human Rights Watch issued an appeal for the school attacks to stop. It was just the latest in a string of a dozen such attacks in the past two weeks.

"Boko Haram's attacks on schools represent a new and reprehensible development since the group began its campaign of violence in 2009," said Zama Coursen-Neff, deputy children's rights director at Human Rights Watch. “Children and educational institutions should be left alone, full stop.”

According to the Nation newspaper, Boko Haram’s spokesman, Abul Qaqa – who was arrested and remains in detention – explained to Nigeria’s State Security Services why the militant group attacks churches and schools. It is impossible to verify whether these quotes, obtained by the Nation from the State Security Services are the actual statements of Mr. Qaqa or whether they were given under duress.

“We had a grand plan to Islamise Nigeria, starting with the North. We felt that a lot of Muslims were not practising the religion faithfully as they should.”

“The plans to attack churches and schools were not a reaction to any provocation. The plans had been there. You know why the churches had to go. Those schools, for instance, were not teaching the children, according to ways of our faith.”

“These were part of our initial plans of allowing only Islamic schools and wiping away the so-called secular schools.”

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