Boko Haram, the French connection or conspiracy theory

Nigerian intelligent services recently arrested a gang of three made up of Cameroonians operating from within Nigeria, specialized in the production of fake Cameroonian ID cards, passports and residence permit.

We say fake simply because they were not produced by a duly accredited authority in Cameroon, if not the report say it’s nearly impossible to distinguished the over 60 000 documents they produced from the genuine ones.

This is because these guys are ex-employees of the French security company – Thales Security System, which until recently was in charge of producing these documents for Cameroonians in collaboration with the General Delegation for National Security.

This relationship recently ruptured amidst some diplomatic row between Cameroon and France. That was when the gang led by Marc Mbollo seized the opportunity to set up their new headquarter in Kari, north east Nigeria, where they made millions out of desperate Nigerians, Cameroonians, and even Nigeriens and Chadians wishing to get Cameroonian nationality or documents.

They were only napped when they Nigerians went after the terrorist group Boko Haram, and in the course uncovered this network.

Today, several media organs in Cameroon are of the opinion that this simply indicates that France is the main force behind Boko Haram. They questioned why Cameroon will foolishly entrust such a task that deals with national security into a foreign company and French in that case.

But was this the case or was it simply the case of three corrupt and ill-intentioned Cameroonians armed with the tools to do this?

Whatever the case these conspiracy theories would ever prevail. I am one of those who think that France is the victim of circumstances here and this is partly due to the fact that French weapons were seen with these terrorists.

Well, Cameroon and Nigeria don’t produce these weapons and only purchase them. Boko Haram first started by invading and raiding military and police installations where they seized cache of arms to build their forces.

Mr Fomunyam Christopher, the African regional Director of the American National Democracy Institute (NDI) in a tour of Cameroon recently told pressmen in Bamenda that in his humble opinion, France which in many ways embodies and carry the image of the West could not be behind Boko Haram.

France itself he said has suffered from several terrorists attacks and would never like to see others go such attacks as well no matter how ill-intentioned they maybe. Recently it was the “Charlie Hebdo” attacks, and yet this country has had its fair share of attacks by Islamic extremist.

The Sahel belt of Sub Sahara Africa has been riddled with conflicts and unstable governments from Mali, through Burkina Fasa, Niger, Chad and Sudan stretching south to The Central African Republic, South Sudan and Northern Uganda. This has led to a steady flow of arms across the continent helping to fuel more conflicts and fanning the growth of extremist in Nigeria and Somalia.

The power vacuum in Libya left by the departure of Muammar Ghadaffi left several highly sophisticated weapons in the hands of rogue generals and rebel leaders. They needed money and the rising power and financial might of Boko Haram was ready to quench it. This was made far easier by the huge ransoms paid by some of the states like Cameroon to rescue expatriate abducted by this group.

Today if you go into any bar, in any place in the world, chances right now are that you will come across a group of people feverishly discussing a global conspiracy theory. Despite the high news coverage that follows every international event, “secret” information always seems to pop up days after a global disaster, revealing details of what really went down, or so it would have us believe.

Whilst most of us know that conspiracy theories are nothing but a huge hoax, we love hearing them regardless, turning over the information in our minds. Although these conspiracy theories might have little proof to their names, they will certainly get you thinking.

Let’s examine some major world conspiracy theories here to buttress this fact.

Shakespeare Didn’t Exist

If you ever studied any sort of literature in school, it’s almost certain that you came across the works of William Shakespeare at some point. What you might not know, however, is that scholars aren’t even sure that William Shakespeare as we know him even existed. Very little is known about the writer’s history and many believe that Christopher Marlowe was the voice behind the works.

Global Warming Is A Hoax

Apparently, the shrinking size of ice caps and rising sea levels aren’t sufficient proof to convince many of the reality of global warming and there is a huge population of people who simply believe that it is a myth. Top amongst them are senior Republican figures in the USA. Recently the Moslem council called for rich nations to stop the use of fossil fuel by 2050 because of impeding concerns over global warming.

Whilst most commonly attributed to primates, there is a subsection of people who believe that the AIDS virus was a CIA invention, created in laboratories in order to wipe out homosexuals and African Americans. Even though we are well past the virus’ epidemic phase, many refuse to believe that AIDS spreads naturally.

The 2004 Tsunami Was Caused By Nuclear Testing

The Indian Ocean tsunami was one of the most devastating disasters to have happened in recent history and whilst most people attribute it to nature, there are a group of people who think that something more sinister was at work. Muslim communities believe that the tsunami was a result of nuclear testing between Israeli and American experts, designed to wipe out their population.

Pearl Harbor Was Allowed To Happen

Pearl Harbor has gone down in history as the catalyst for America joining WWII. Many conspiracy theorists believe that the President at the time, Roosevelt, knew about the attacks before time and allowed them to ahead in order to join the war. Whilst no historical history supports this belief, many refuse to let it go.

Princess Diana Was Murdered

If you were born anywhere in the last twenty years or so, it’s pretty likely that you remember the day in which Princess Diana was announced dead. Whilst from photos, it was clear that the car accident in which she died was legitimate, there are many who believe that it was orchestrated by other people, some even blaming the Queen of the United Kingdom. Whilst rumors have been quashed, many still hold on to the conspiracy.

The Da Vinci Code Is True

Dan Brown’s hugely successful novel did more than just inspire an entire generation to read again; it sparked rumors of the relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalen. There are many people out there who believe that the pair really did marry and procreate and somewhere today, Jesus’ real descendants are living.

The Illuminati Run The World

There is a running conspiracy theory out there that a global elite society, the Illuminati, are out there plotting to take over the world, if they don’t already run things. Rumors have circulated to as strange parties as Kanye West and Jay Z and whilst the two do seem to have a weird obsession with triangle symbolism, it doesn’t seem likely that they’re involved in a covert world-domination plot.

9/11 Was Planned By The US Government

As with the 7/7 bombings, there are many rumors circulating the internet which claim that all of the events surrounding 9/11 were faked by the American government. Despite the extensive documentary footage from the day, many believe that it was merely faked, attributing the images of the plane to drone illusions and smoke.

There Is Life On Mars

Photos were released from NASA’s rover which seemed to reveal the outline of a man’s figure, operating machinery. Other images have been released which seem to show rats, or martian men. The conspiracies are endless. One thing’s for sure, though: If we manage to get to Mars anytime soon, we might be in line to find out, once and for all.

Governments Use TV To Spy On Us

More than ever, we live in surveillance states. With the number of security cameras in public places increasing by the day, people have started to believe that governments may be turning their attention to inside of our homes. Webcams on computers and smart TVs have come under recent scrutiny, with people believing them to be spyholes into our homes. Whilst we hope it’s not true, you might considering covering your camera, just in case.

World War II Was Staged

This might just be the craziest rumor of them all. Despite the global casualties, the losses of industry, commerce and international relations, there are a group of people who are convinced that WWII did not, in fact, happen. Tying in with the Illuminati, there is a group who believe the society was responsible for staging the war, to scare the rest of us into submission.

Hitler Died In South America

There’s most recently been a book released on the concept but in real life, some people actually exist that Hitler never died in the bunker and instead, escaped to South America in order to make a life for himself. Whilst the claims can never be backed up with solid proof, it’s scary to think about.

The Bermuda Triangle Is Responsible For Strange Disappearances

There are no end to the conspiracies surrounding the Bermuda Triangle, the triangle-shaped stretch of Ocean between Bermuda, Miami and Puerto Rico. Many people believe that the area is an underwater testing facility for the US, or home to a strange time warp. The amount of unexplained disappearances around the area seem to point to something fishy but the question is, which conspiracy is the truth?

The Cold War Was Staged

Some people believe that not only was the entire Cold War faked but also, that Communism was a construct of America. Theorists believe that the reasoning behind the war was so that the Vatican could overtake country after country and install dictators as the head of state. Whilst it’s impossible to disprove, it certainly didn’t work out for the Vatican.

Nazis Were Backed By The Vatican

Despite claims that the Nazis were the antithesis of the Vatican, there are many people who believe that the religious figures helped to backup and support the Germans during the Second World War. Whilst claims might seem a little silly, there have been reports of the Vatican creating false identities for Nazis in order to help them escape. The jury’s out on this one.