Outrage over activities of Fulani herdsmen

[SunNews]

From FRED ITUA, Abuja

If you are a resident of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), you must have observed one disturbing trend: Fulani herdsmen's latest audacity of blocking major highways in the metropolis and in the suburbs with their flock. Although no one has openly come out to criticise the trend, many residents are worried that any form of confrontation with these herdsmen might cause a mini war.

More disturbing is the silent posture of the minister of the FCT administration, Senator Bala Mohammed, who appears to be less bothered by the new trend. In some instances, these Fulani herdsmen block busy routes, such as Ahmadu Bello Way for several minutes, thereby causing a stampede and traffic congestion. Utako, Central Business District, Apo, Kubwa, Lugbe, among other highly populated areas, have become safe havens where Fulani herdsmen keep their flocks.

Late last year, a clash in the Gwawalada Area Council of FCT, Abuja, between some Fulanis and natives (Gwaris) led to the death of two Fulani herdsmen. The incident led to the displacement of over 200 Fulani men and women. Daily Sun had gathered that an age-long disagreement over the proprietorship of some farmlands between the Fulanis and the Gwaris led to the fracas.

Although the Fulanis are known to be peace-loving people and very accommodating too, recent atrocities linked to Fulani herdsmen across the country leave room for doubts. Rural dwellers and farmers in Benue and Plateau States, for instance, are regular victims of the wicked activities of Fulani herdsmen.

Some of these Fulani herdsmen are believed to have come from neighbouring West African countries. Nigeria's porous borders give them the free pass to come into the country through the bush parts.

According to Wikipedia, there are over 26 countries within the African continent where Fulanis can be found. These include Nigeria: 15.3 million, Guinea: 4.6 million, Senegal: 3.2 million, Mali:2.5 million, Cameroon: 2.5 million, Sudan:1.9 million, Burkina Faso: 1.7 million, Niger:1.7 million, Mauritania: 700,000, Benin: 450,000, Guinea Bissau: 333,000, Gambia:320,000, Sierra Leone: 310,000, Chad: 285,000 and Central African Republic: 265,000.

Other African countries where there are millions of Fulanis include Eritrea, Gabon, Togo, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Liberia, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Libya, E. t. c.

Farmers and rural dwellers in many southern states are not exempted from what many have termed the devilish and unprovoked attacks by Fulani herdsmen. Farmlands have been reportedly destroyed, while women, young girls and children have allegedly been raped by some of the herdsmen.

Benue State, of late, appears to be the new killing fields of Fulani herdsmen. Residents in the rural parts of the state have witnessed onslaughts from Fulani herdsmen. A rough estimate by some keen observers who have been following the clashes in the state has put the total number of people killed in Benue in 2013 by Fulani herdsmen at over 300. The clashes, which many have described as unwarranted, have also rendered farmers and other rural dwellers in Benue State homeless.

Jos, the Plateau state capital is yet to fully recover from the decade-old crises, which many observers in the state believe are orchestrated by Fulani herdsmen. Many villagers and farmers have been reportedly killed in large numbers and their houses, as well as farmlands, have been destroyed.

In 2011, Human Rights Watch published a report on a decade of the killings in Jos. The report noted: "In the past decade, more than 3,800 people have been killed in inter-communal violence in Plateau State, including as many as 1,000 in 2001 in Jos and more than 75 Christians and at least 700 Muslims in 2004 in Yelwa, Southern Plateau State. In November 2008, two days of inter-communal clashes following local government elections in Jos left at least 700 dead."

In January 2010, hundreds of people were killed in sectarian clashes in and around Jos, including a massacre on January 19, 2011 of more than 150 Muslims in the nearby town of Kuru Karama. On March 7, at least 200 Christians were massacred in Dogo Nahawa and several nearby villages.

In September 2001, a simmering tension in Jos erupted into violence leading to the deaths of 1,000 Christians and Muslims after what seemed to be a relatively minor incident.

In February 2004, allegations of cattle theft led to the murder of around 700 Muslims and Christians in the city of Yelwa. Again in November 2008, several hundred more people of both religions were killed after disputed local elections in Jos.

In nine months, that is between March and December 2010, more than 120 people died in smaller-scale attacks and reprisal killings leading up to the Christmas Eve bombings and renewed sectarian clashes in Plateau State.

In Edo and Delta states, Fulani herdsmen have been accused of staging highway robbery attacks. Some of them have been caught along the popular Benin-Auchi road in Edo State with deadly weapons. Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba in a recent interview, gave a deep expose into how Fulani herdsmen carry out armed robbery attacks and inflict pains on innocent natives within Edo and Delta states.

The police commissioner narrated: "I must say that these Fulani nomads are a problem. Since my arrival in March last year, we have been having problems with them. But, it has been contained. I have to say that we cannot count the number of them that we have arrested for armed robbery. Some of them, particularly along the Ogwashi-Uku axis have been hit fatally in crossfire with the police. Along the Kwale-Nsukwa axis too, especially where we have Obasanjo Farm, there have been problems too with these nomads.

"The problem is, how do we contain them, especially with their peculiar mode of operations. The way this people operate is amazing; they will strike within five and six minutes and disappear. We have what we call visible security patrol. If you travel from Asaba to Agbor, up to the point where we have boundary with Edo State, we have no less than six patrol vehicles. But the way these herdsmen operate is baffling. There is no way the police can be everywhere at the same time.

"That is why we have been telling communities along these axis that they have to co-operate and collaborate with the police to tackle the menace of these Fulani nomads. The idea of the vigilante security is borne out of the realisation that we cannot rely on government to do everything for us.

Some of these communities are supposed to have vigilante groups, but sometimes we wonder what these vigilante groups are doing? They are supposed to be part of the grassroots security network."

Some clergymen and other eminent Nigerians believe that the unwarranted killings and atrocities committed by Fulani herdsmen are part of a grand plan to Islamise the country. President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor said unless the activities of these herdsmen are tamed, the country might soon run into troubled waters.

Oritsejafor expressed concerns that these herdsmen are part of an agenda to Islamise the nation, noting that essentially, cattle rearers are illiterates, who have been schooled in the art of using sophisticated weapons, including AK 47 and others. He blamed greedy traditional rulers in parts of the South, who collect cattle gifts and huge sums of money in exchange for farmlands in their domains, which the herdsmen use as bases for their nefarious activities while the traditional rulers look the other way.

Oritsejafor urged Christians to be extra vigilant about the activities of Fulani herdsmen. He said Christians are not against cattle rearing but Nigerians can no longer continue to accept crude methods of grazing cattle. According to him, European and American citizens eat beef just as other nations of the world do, "but where in those nations do you find cattle on the highway?" He maintained that respective state governments should provide modern grazing grounds for cattle-rearers where they would stay and give their children proper education.

"They should take the cows back to where they came from while grazing their cattle in modern grazing grounds in their homesteads. If they want to be carrying assault weapons, they are at liberty to use same on themselves," Oritsejafor stated.

Immediate-past Prelate of Methodist Church in Nigeria, Dr. Sunday Makinde, has also condemned what he called the unholy activities of Fulani herdsmen in most parts of the country. In a recent visit to Benue State governor, Gabriel Suswan, Makinde expressed dismay at the criminal activities of herdsmen in Benue and other states across the country. He lamented that their activities had led to loss of innocent lives and property.

The former prelate called on governments at all levels to adopt the policy of the late Premier of the defunct Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, by creating ranches and grazing reserves for herdsmen.

He said: "It is very unfortunate that the unabated crisis between native farmers and Fulani herdsmen across the country is leading to loss of lives, maiming and most times, defiling of women.

"The dangerous aspect of it is the sophisticated weapons that some of these Fulanis carry about. The question is, what is their motive of arming themselves against the innocent farmers whose crops are destroyed by their cows? I think government at all levels should create grazing fields and ranches so that their cows would not be allowed to stray. Late Awolowo did this when he was Premier of Western Region."

There are calls from some concerned Nigerians on the need to create a grazing commission for Fulani herdsmen. A bill is currently before the National Assembly that seeks to establish a National Grazing Reserves Commission, which will have power to acquire land in any part of the country for Fulani herdsmen to graze their cattle. But it has generated ripples in the Senate.

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