---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Adekunle Alao aalao35@yahoo.com [NaijaPolitics] <NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com>
Date: 1 April 2016 at 16:23
Subject: [NaijaPolitics] Herdsmen from the Hades
To: NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com
Fola Ojo
From: Adekunle Alao aalao35@yahoo.com [NaijaPolitics] <NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com>
Date: 1 April 2016 at 16:23
Subject: [NaijaPolitics] Herdsmen from the Hades
To: NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com
Fola OjoFola Ojo
Their peripatetic goat-herding voyages have shed litres of innocent blood. Their audacious and perilous prowls have skinned pounds of sinless flesh. They do business not with rickety guns; but with suave assault weapons you will find only in the enclaves of modern day lovers of terror. With sullen temerity and defying daredevilry, they rob. They rape. And they kidnap. And they kill. And they get away with it. They are the Fulani herdsmen.
These bandits are herdsmen from hell. Everywhere the soles of their shoeless feet touch, hell breaks loose. And everywhere in Nigeria has become their domain and kingdom where they unleash terror and horror at will. They have dethroned kings they did not crown, exiled queens they did not betroth; and tore down palaces they did not build. Children have become orphans from the edges of their rifles. And wives have become widows from piercing pellets of bullets from these herdsmen from hell. Nigerians are agonising over their unleashed agonies; and there seems to be no one ready and steady to hedge these herdsmen from hell. Maybe, nobody really cares that our heaven here on earth is being frazzled by these herdsmen from hell.
The Fulani herdsmen are individuals from the Fulani or Fula ethnic group, a tribe of over 20 million people. Seventy per cent of them are nomadic grazers and scattered over at least seven West African countries. A December 2013 Human Rights Report said that violence between Fulani herdsmen, farmers and local communities had killed 3,000 people since 2010. Since 2001, scuffles over land in the Middle Belt region of Nigeria have claimed over 60,000 lives while on the other hand, the dreaded Boko Haram insurgencies on the other hand have claimed 17,000 deaths and still mounting. According to the latest Global Terrorism Index, in 2014 alone, at least 1,229 people were killed by Fulani herdsmen. The index ranked Nigeria as the world's third-most terrorised country. The Middle Belt region is the main hotbed of heinous crime and violence from these herdsmen from hell. But the winds of their brutalities are also felt in other quiet communities around the country.
The Fulani herdsmen and farmers have been in constant violent conflicts over herdsmen's increased need for access to grazing lands. They have for years complained also of marginalisation by the Christian controlled state governments in Benue and Plateau states. But the farmers counter-accuse the Fulani herders of allowing their animals to destroy their farmlands. Does any of these silly snipings warrant the mayhem and the snuffing out of lives that have spun out of control? I don't think so.
I am not a subscriber to the theory claiming some back-door ethnic shenanigan as a major cause behind this scourge. With ignominy and impunity, these lowlifes and scums have killed Hausa, Fulani, Igbo, Yoruba, Cameroonians and everybody. Their daggers, bayonets and rifles are no respecter of persons. What Nigeria is dealing with today are organised criminals; and who is ready to call them by their true names?
One beautiful day, and with abnormal nomadic audacity, these herdsmen kidnapped His Royal Majesty, Akaeze Ofulue III of the Ubulu-Uku kingdom in Aniocha, Delta State. They besieged the palace and threw the community into untold pandemonium. They have also swung into the South-West; and a former Finance Minister and elder statesman, Chief Olu Falae, became their victim. The old man farmer was abducted and released days later after paying a hefty ransom. His abductors were later caught in Niger State.
Just last month, the herdsmen pillaged 10 Agatu communities and hundreds including women and children reportedly lost their lives. Two densely populated settlements of Suwa and Burukutu – in Lamurde Local Government Area of Adamawa State have also been torched by the Fulani herdsmen. A well-armed banditry struck the communities on a Sunday wee-hour for four hours unchecked. What later followed were wailings of unimaginable magnitude. The nomads brought about enough destruction in the South-West of Nigeria to cause leaders in the zone to convene an emergency meeting resulting in a call for government intervention.
Who has said anything so far about the recklessness of these Fulani herdsmen? In January and in very few words typical of him, President Muhammadu Buhari said that a plan to map out grazing areas for the herdsmen was underway, and will be presented to the Nigerian Governors' Forum as a temporary solution to the long standing conflicts between farmers and herdsmen until these herdsmen are persuaded to adopt other means of rearing their cattle. I will tell you that these fellas are probably hiding behind the shepherd's rods to perpetrate hellishness and perpetuate crime. This is nothing but organised crime.
Our government must clearly understand that no single community has the monopoly of violence. If assaulted communities counter-assault with ruthless reprisals, where will we be as a nation? If the pillaged ethnic communities decide to do what the herdsmen have been doing for years, what will become of the safety and security of Nigerians? I will tell you what this means.
It means that the Federal Government under Buhari will be distracted and detoured to facing another security challenge it can nip in the bud now. It means a possible ethnic backlash of an unimaginable mayhem. It means a grinding to a halt machineries of government. These are not what we all pray for in these trying times of our very fragile democracy.
Fighting corruption in Nigeria alone is like fighting a mean mob and Mafioso. No government can fight corruption, terrorism, militancy, and this Fulani foolishness with a thinned-out army whose morale is just trying to find its bearing.
Fighting all these fights at the same time means money will be spent to quell the entire hydra-headed quagmire from a lean purse. This issue has been dealt with in times past with kid gloves. Our government must cease to be reactive but proactive to all issues especially when it comes to do with security and safety of the citizenry.
Whoever needs to do something must do it now. There are too many guns in the hands of many goons spread all over Nigeria. A counter-attack from pillaged communities by the herders will not augur well for the peace and harmony this government may be trying to fashion out. In this case, a stitch in time will save more than nine.
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Forum members are reminded that NaijaPolitics is established to be a moderated forum for gavel-to-gavel discussion of political developments in Nigeria, Africa's largest democracy. Freedom of opinion/expression is inherent in NaijaPolitics. Views and opposing views expressed in NaijaPolitics forum are the rights of individual contributors. Mutual respect for people's views is the corner stone of our forum. Freedom of speech applied responsibly within the guiding parameters of Yahoo! Inc (our hosts) and NaijaPolitics Rules and Guidelines (broadcast monthly and accessible to all subscribers in our archives) is our guiding principle. Everyone posting to this Forum bears the sole responsibility for any legal consequences of his or her postings, and hence statements and facts must be presented responsibly. Your continued membership signifies that you agree to this disclaimer and pledge to abide by our Rules and Guidelines.
NaijaPolitics is division of Afrik Network Groups.
Latest Version of Disclaimer released (December 15, 2005)
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