“There comes a time when silence is
betrayal.” - Martin Luther King Jr.
Nigeria has become like the wild west, with
guns blazing bandits, coming into town and
leaving dead people and damaged properties
in their wake. Where is the law and where is
the sheriff? This is so wrong, totally wrong.
It is shocking to witness the incessant
spate of attacks by the Fulani cattle herders
and the wanton loss of life and livelihood.
When something is wrong, it is important
that we stand up and say so. The silence
from some quarters is worrying and this is
not the time to take sides on religious and
tribal lines. Good people do not let bad
things happen.
The government have got to
take action, if
these bandit herders cum militias are
citizens of Nigeria then, they have to abide
by the law like everyone else and if they are
not Nigerians then, they have no business,
no right to be roaming Nigerian soil
unhindered without care and no fear of
repercussions. When will the government
safeguard the safety and uphold the rights
of Nigerians?
For as long as I can remember, there have
always been skirmishes and squabbles
between the Fulani herdsmen and local
people but this, is a whole new level. There
are strong allegations that some Fulani
herders are involved in armed robbery, rape
and communal violence especially in the
central and in the north, similar atrocities by
the herders have taken place in Ghana and
the Ivory Coast.
In the past, whenever there is
disagreements over the use of essential
resources such as farmland, grazing areas
and water between herders and local
farmers are said to be the major source of
the fighting it was settled so why now and
who up the ante?.
It is well established that Fulani herders are
semi nomadic and they often travel
hundreds of miles to seek fresh pasture for
their cattle. This development is new and
macabre; they are acting in an audacious
manner trespassing into people’s land and
the movement is more inland, arming
themselves to the teeth and like locusts,
destroying everything in their path. This is
very troubling and it should set alarm ringing
like an invasion. The herdsmen have said
that they need the rifles to defend their
cattle from cattle rustlers and to protect
themselves from being robbed of their
cattle.
They travel hundreds of miles in large
numbers with their cattle in search of
pasture. They are often armed with weapons
to protect their livestock, there seems to be
more than meets the eye. What exactly is
going on and the government should fortify
the borders or, at most, there has to be
consequences for errant herdsmen who
trespass on other people's land. At the
moment there does not seem to be an
enforceable law to deter them from
committing grave atrocities.
In my column last week: EACH ONE, TEACH
ONE, MAY 1, I mentioned the need to plant
more trees last week, but it seems that
those who are planting trees or crops are
targeted by these hoodlum herdsmen,
trampling on their land and crops to graze
their cattle.
If farmers and their crops are destroyed, it
has a knock on effect on everyone: lack of
crop means inadequate food or expensive
food out of the reach for most Nigerians.
This concerns us all and not just those who
are killed, maimed or displaced by the
herdsmen.
The death toll that the armed herdsmen left
behind should not and cannot be swept
under the carpet. No, it is not acceptable
nor should it be condoned by anyone, no
matter where they stand in the political/
religious or tribal spectrum. What is bad is
bad. In 2014, more than 1,200 people lost
their lives, according to the most recent,
Global Terrorism Index, this makes the
Fulani herdsmen militia, the world's fourth
deadliest militant group, the report said.
In February, they massacred over 300
people in central Benue State and in March
in Enugu State, more than 40 people were
killed, countless properties and thousands
flee their homes and are currently
displaced. Properties and businesses were
destroyed and thousands of people forced
to flee their homes. There is a huge human
and economic costs here; the conflict has
stalled trade, investment and normal life,
this will be felt adversely by the locals and
Nigeria in general. This conflict has cost
Nigeria more than $14bn in the last three
years, according to the UK based
Humanitarian organization, Mercy Corps.
Of course, there are some people who have
an ulterior agenda and they benefit from the
prolong conflict and they pit one group
against the other. We cannot afford the
problem for what it is; it affects us all.
Common sense is needed here and the
Nigerian authorities have got to improve the
integrity of our borders, protect people and
property. I understand that some are quick
to proclaim hail and brimstone, but it is all
rhetoric and no action. What is needed is a
plan that protects people and properties,
engineer a workable solution that includes
genuine herdsmen’s need to graze but an
understanding of consequences should the
agreement be ignored or flaunted. This is a
crisis that is not going to go away unless
we go to the heart of the problem. Time to
separate the wheat from the chaff; who are
these murderous herdsmen and what really
is their agenda and are they Nigerians, does
Nigeria have an agreement or special
dispensation for nomadic tribes who are
stateless and has it been followed to the
letter, if not, why not, what are the
neighbouring countries’ policies on Fulani
grazing right or right to roam? If one exists,
Nigeria does not have to reinvent the wheel.
Let us not forget: the real Fulani herdsmen
play an essential and crucial role in
Nigeria's economy, in particular, cattle,
leather and the meat business. The
arrangement may not have been formalised,
but they have co-existed in every state in
Nigeria and they have their own community
who have settled and are part of the bigger
community.
There is a lot of theories and the finger of
blame pointing at all Fulani and Hausa for
these atrocities and that itself, is
problematic. We run the risk of throwing the
baby out with the proverbial bath water.
People are quick to whip up violence and
retaliation are people who would stand back
when it all blows out of proportion. The lives
lost are very tragic and unacceptable.
betrayal.” - Martin Luther King Jr.
Nigeria has become like the wild west, with
guns blazing bandits, coming into town and
leaving dead people and damaged properties
in their wake. Where is the law and where is
the sheriff? This is so wrong, totally wrong.
It is shocking to witness the incessant
spate of attacks by the Fulani cattle herders
and the wanton loss of life and livelihood.
When something is wrong, it is important
that we stand up and say so. The silence
from some quarters is worrying and this is
not the time to take sides on religious and
tribal lines. Good people do not let bad
things happen.
The government have got to
take action, if
these bandit herders cum militias are
citizens of Nigeria then, they have to abide
by the law like everyone else and if they are
not Nigerians then, they have no business,
no right to be roaming Nigerian soil
unhindered without care and no fear of
repercussions. When will the government
safeguard the safety and uphold the rights
of Nigerians?
For as long as I can remember, there have
always been skirmishes and squabbles
between the Fulani herdsmen and local
people but this, is a whole new level. There
are strong allegations that some Fulani
herders are involved in armed robbery, rape
and communal violence especially in the
central and in the north, similar atrocities by
the herders have taken place in Ghana and
the Ivory Coast.
In the past, whenever there is
disagreements over the use of essential
resources such as farmland, grazing areas
and water between herders and local
farmers are said to be the major source of
the fighting it was settled so why now and
who up the ante?.
It is well established that Fulani herders are
semi nomadic and they often travel
hundreds of miles to seek fresh pasture for
their cattle. This development is new and
macabre; they are acting in an audacious
manner trespassing into people’s land and
the movement is more inland, arming
themselves to the teeth and like locusts,
destroying everything in their path. This is
very troubling and it should set alarm ringing
like an invasion. The herdsmen have said
that they need the rifles to defend their
cattle from cattle rustlers and to protect
themselves from being robbed of their
cattle.
They travel hundreds of miles in large
numbers with their cattle in search of
pasture. They are often armed with weapons
to protect their livestock, there seems to be
more than meets the eye. What exactly is
going on and the government should fortify
the borders or, at most, there has to be
consequences for errant herdsmen who
trespass on other people's land. At the
moment there does not seem to be an
enforceable law to deter them from
committing grave atrocities.
In my column last week: EACH ONE, TEACH
ONE, MAY 1, I mentioned the need to plant
more trees last week, but it seems that
those who are planting trees or crops are
targeted by these hoodlum herdsmen,
trampling on their land and crops to graze
their cattle.
If farmers and their crops are destroyed, it
has a knock on effect on everyone: lack of
crop means inadequate food or expensive
food out of the reach for most Nigerians.
This concerns us all and not just those who
are killed, maimed or displaced by the
herdsmen.
The death toll that the armed herdsmen left
behind should not and cannot be swept
under the carpet. No, it is not acceptable
nor should it be condoned by anyone, no
matter where they stand in the political/
religious or tribal spectrum. What is bad is
bad. In 2014, more than 1,200 people lost
their lives, according to the most recent,
Global Terrorism Index, this makes the
Fulani herdsmen militia, the world's fourth
deadliest militant group, the report said.
In February, they massacred over 300
people in central Benue State and in March
in Enugu State, more than 40 people were
killed, countless properties and thousands
flee their homes and are currently
displaced. Properties and businesses were
destroyed and thousands of people forced
to flee their homes. There is a huge human
and economic costs here; the conflict has
stalled trade, investment and normal life,
this will be felt adversely by the locals and
Nigeria in general. This conflict has cost
Nigeria more than $14bn in the last three
years, according to the UK based
Humanitarian organization, Mercy Corps.
Of course, there are some people who have
an ulterior agenda and they benefit from the
prolong conflict and they pit one group
against the other. We cannot afford the
problem for what it is; it affects us all.
Common sense is needed here and the
Nigerian authorities have got to improve the
integrity of our borders, protect people and
property. I understand that some are quick
to proclaim hail and brimstone, but it is all
rhetoric and no action. What is needed is a
plan that protects people and properties,
engineer a workable solution that includes
genuine herdsmen’s need to graze but an
understanding of consequences should the
agreement be ignored or flaunted. This is a
crisis that is not going to go away unless
we go to the heart of the problem. Time to
separate the wheat from the chaff; who are
these murderous herdsmen and what really
is their agenda and are they Nigerians, does
Nigeria have an agreement or special
dispensation for nomadic tribes who are
stateless and has it been followed to the
letter, if not, why not, what are the
neighbouring countries’ policies on Fulani
grazing right or right to roam? If one exists,
Nigeria does not have to reinvent the wheel.
Let us not forget: the real Fulani herdsmen
play an essential and crucial role in
Nigeria's economy, in particular, cattle,
leather and the meat business. The
arrangement may not have been formalised,
but they have co-existed in every state in
Nigeria and they have their own community
who have settled and are part of the bigger
community.
There is a lot of theories and the finger of
blame pointing at all Fulani and Hausa for
these atrocities and that itself, is
problematic. We run the risk of throwing the
baby out with the proverbial bath water.
People are quick to whip up violence and
retaliation are people who would stand back
when it all blows out of proportion. The lives
lost are very tragic and unacceptable.
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