Here are a two reasons why 'Northern Nigeria' appears to not have had ENOUGH.

Thread. https://twitter.com/OoTheNigerian/status/1334766794431733761

1. Equanimity

The average northerner deals with tragedy (and this government has been tragic) with a relatively high level of equanimity. Some might even say fatalism.

This is deeply ingrained in how the average northerner is socialised.

For a region that is substantially steeped in Islamic thinking ("culture is downstream of religion"), the concept of "Allah ya isa" (loosely translated as leave am for God), generally allows people to 'move on' in the belief that fate ultimately decides everything.

So you see relatively little mourning of deceased loved ones for instance. Burials are almost perfunctory rites, and the stages/manifestation of grief are probably just two - subdued sobbing, then surrender.

The one exception to this rule appears to be when the injury/loss is done to the community's beliefs (and it's political implications), in which case resignation turns to indignation.

2. Social Cohesion

Because Islam does not really make a clear distinction between religion and state, constituted authorities are supposed to approximate divine authority.

The implication of this for that context is that opposing constituted authority might feel like opposing something divinely ordained.

This makes it difficult to break ranks. More so in Nigeria where the direct beneficiaries of such a break in ranks are considered 'outsiders'.

But we are seeing a growing frustration with the situation and these hitherto invincible cords are starting to fray very badly. one hopes it snaps sooner than later or...

the medicine might turn out worse than the disease.

There is a massive tectonic shift in power structures in northern Nigeria that has been going on for a while but is just now beginning to emerge as cracks on the surface of society.

Traditional institutions in the north are steadily being undermined by the twin evils of banditry and the Boko Haram Insurgency. In many places these two new centres of power have gone as far as levying taxes on communities.

Bandits have not only taken over the collection of taxes from local rulers, but routinely capture traditional rulers, and have state governments falling over themselves to secure some concession.

These fiendish hordes are gradually establishing a new 'order' over the region. The risk is that when the north has finally had enough, these hordes may be the new leaders.

There is need for urgent action as the window of opportunity continues to shrink.

The region needs to snap out of the anaesthetic effect of the concoction of equanimity and forces of social cohesion