CONFRONTING THE MONSTER: THE MENACE OF FULANI HERDSMEN

By Aminat Omobolanle Akindele

The recent creation of the Ministry of Livestock and the subsequent allocation of lands to . herdsmen have laid credence to the age long rhetoric that the Fulanis own Nigeria and everything in including human beings.

 The audacity of these herdsmen in committing atrocious acts against peasant farmers in Benue State and some parts of Enugu State attest to these facts.  Rather than confront these ugly menace, the lame duck Tibubu administration chose the path of appeasement and pacifism.

It is a historical fact that Neville Chamberlain’s diplomacy of appeasement never worked. Chamberlain chose to pacify the devil rather than confronting the then axis of evil spearheaded by Benito Mussolini of Italy and Adolf Hitler of Germany. The resultant effect of his pacific approach was the conquest of Ethiopia by Italy’s Mussolini and the emboldening of Adolf Hitler who interpreted pacifism to be weakness. Winston Churchill confronted the devil, defeated the devil and restored the glory of Great Britain.  America under Franklin Delano Roosevelt chose to sit choose on the fence and waited till the Pearl Habour attack of 7th December, 1941 before the joining the war against Nazi Germany and her allies. The same thing happened during the World War 1, when America waited for her ships to be attacked on the high seas on the 7th of December, 1917 before joining the likes of USSR to confront the monster.  The question is “Will the entire southern Nigeria wait to be overrun by the marauding Fulani herdsmen before rising up to confront the monster.

Recent reports of the activities of the Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria are very disturbing.  More so, the recent utterance of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar, where he called social media critics terrorists is a vivido testamento that the Fulani elites are the real sponsors of these terrorists and are every ready to suppress any dissenting view.  Unfortunately, the puppets of Sokoto caliphate planted in the entire 17 states of southern Nigeria are yet to speak out to condemn their ignoble actions.  It is no longer news that cows are generally regarded as first class citizens of Nigeria.  How do we arrest the situation? There are security reports that the entire southern Nigeria have been encircled by these herdsmen armed with dangerous weapons waiting to get signal to strike, which may likely any moment from now.

Last month, the community of Ehamufu in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State woke up to see their entire houses burnt and scores killed. They also had their farmlands destroyed.  Presently, they have become refugees in their neighbouring communities as Fulani herdsmen have literally taken over their entire space. Even as I write the governor of Enugu is yet to make a public statement condemning their actions talk more of visit the scene of this dastardly act to commiserate with the victims.

Recently, a farmer in Benue State was arrested for allegedly poisoning the cows of a Fulani herdsman who entered his farmland for grazing, yet authorities are yet to arrest a single herdsman for destruction of people’s farmlands in the entire southern Nigeria.  This one-sided application of justice has undoubtedly justified the agitation for the creation of the State of Biafra and that of Oduduwa.   The solution to this ugly menace is for southerners to arm themselves in self-defence. They must not until they are completely exterminated from the face of the earth before they can act.  It is an obvious fact that the government of the day is not interested in the struggles of the people of southern Nigeria.  The onus lies on the people to take up arms in defense of their motherland.   This ugly trend cannot continue.

*Aminat is an Odua Political activist and a freedom fighter.