Pantami, the Doomsday Herald

Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami made a passionate promise to be the “commander” of an army of Jihadists in a march on Plateau in 2006. Four years later, he backed that vow with action by chairing a meeting in Bauchi where they agreed to raid and subjugate Plateau, Southern Kaduna, and other Christain-dominated parts of Northern Nigeria.

A Yoruba adage loosely translates to a witch cried at night, and a child died in the morning, who wouldn’t know it was the witch who fed on the child? What better illustration can be painted for the Isa Pantami audio that was leaked to the public a few years ago, his exposed terrorism links and the modus operandi those terrorizing the ‘Christian community enclaves’ of the north and middle belt have adopted since he spoke at the meeting in which the audio was recorded.

In all honesty, the ethno-religious crisis of the north predates Pantami’s birth, but the nature of the conflict recorded then was neighbours within a community or neighbouring communities clashing. This new dimension has gone beyond the boundaries of a clash no matter how much propaganda is invested into presenting it that way, it has crossed into full-blown terrorism with marauders killing and displacing indigenous people off their land.

Excerpts from the audio “If our teachers will not go or they don’t have time, I swear to Allah, I will be the commander. Wallahi, they should give me the mandate, I will lead”.

“I promise I will lead the troops. I promise I will be in the front. Let me die for the religion of Allah. I agree. Yes, I agree to die for the religion of Allah. What is life for?

Although his supporters claim that all the above was said in the heat of the moment and that it was harmless, Pantami’s history heavily negates that.

Recall that it was WestAfricaWeekly Chief Editor, David Hundeyin who exposed Pantami’s history and terrorism leanings in an article with Sahara Reporters in 2021

Unmasking A Jihadi Masquerade: The Many Faces Of @DrIsaPantami | Sahara Reporters
It is no longer a conspiracy theory. There is now hard evidence.
READ MORE: https://t.co/ZWwEV4bnoE pic.twitter.com/Hhe1ETuSTL

— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) April 15, 2021

If Pantami has truly repented, however, and Nigerians are to believe that those utterances were a product of ignorance, Perhaps now that he is no longer encumbered with a Federal assignment, he can take up the cause of sharing his new enlightenment with the young radicals who are a representation of his youth for the good of all.

Read: Sheik Gumi: Nigeria Should Negotiate With Terrorists, Not Fight Them

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Sholape Irepodun

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