Emeka Ibemere
When a
despicable and abominable act took place recently in Delta State, the people of
Ubulu-Uku Kingdom in Aniocha South Local Government Area of the State never
believed that such things could take place in their area, but it happened.
Their
monarch, HRM Akaeze Edward Ofulue III, was abducted on January 5, 2016, at
about 4.00 pm, and for 19 days, the highly reverend traditional ruler was missing.
When he was eventually seen, it was his dead decomposing body that was
discovered. Who did it? Fingers point to the suspected Fulani herdsmen.
If Ofulue
111 was very unfortunate, Chief Olu Falea, the former Secretary to the Federal
Government, SFG, was. He was abducted by the alleged herdsmen, who later
demanded ransom, before setting him free.
Before now,
the same suspected Fulani herdsmen- gang had kidnapped two Catholic priests and
after ransom as usual, they were sent free. Fulani herdsmen have become an
emerging security threats in Nigeria.
Herdsmen and Boko Haram in Nigeria have killed
many lives and destroyed property. The
influence of foreign
Fulani groups in
search of pasture in Nigeria accounts
for the irreconcilable conflicts
being witnessed between the
Fulani and their host communities.
Some reports
said Boko Haram insurgency can be linked to the Fulani herdsmen threats.
According to recent reports, there are Boko Haram elements in the various
skirmishes involving Fulani herdsmen and their hosts in Jos,
Plateau State and other parts
of the North central
Nigeria.
But the
consistent denial by the umbrella Fulani Breeders Association
that the members
of the group
are not responsible
for the wanton
killings and destruction
going on in
various areas of conflicts is
a further evidence
to suggest that
trans-human Fulani from
neighbouring countries, their connection
and exposure to
terrorists’ ideas and
organisations are interested
in opening new
front of operation.
Our
investigation revealed that the
proliferation of small
arms and light
weapons showed that Fulani herdsmen
have been involved
in transporting small
arms to Nigeria
through their alleged organised routes.
The Newswatch Times gathered from the Nigerian
military magazine, quoting military sources and claiming that most of
the small arms
came to the
Boko Haram insurgents and other
dangerous groups and
individuals through Libyan
and Malian rebels on the backs
of camels and
donkeys desperate to
exchange arms for
money. This has been
made possible to
a great extent
by a porous
borders, corruption of
immigration officers, and
inadequate security on boarders. Report
has confirmed that the Fulani herdsmen through their transactions which take place
largely outside the
banking system is
a potential source
of money laundering
and terrorism financing for
Boko Haram.
It was reported that Boko Haram infiltrated
the rank and file of the herdsmen during their recruitment period to help them
in their unholy wars. There is no big difference in the killing pattern of the
Fulani herdsmen and that of Boko Haram and even in their operations. Both
alleged to setting of homes ablaze
and shooting of
escaping villagers, the
use of AK
47 weapons and
other assorted weapons.
Last year, revelations by some ‘captured’ members of Boko Haram members operating
as Fulani herdsmen
in the North
Central states of Nasarawa, Plateau,
Southern Kaduna, Benue,
Taraba, and Kogi States.
“I don’t
know if there is any link between them and Boko Haram and I also agree with you
that they have killed more than Boko Haram. You will also know that Fulani
people have also been killed. You know that Fulani depends on cattle for their
subsistence living, they have no other business other than cattle rearing and
it’s also reported that people have been stealing their cattle, cows and
killing them,” Abubakar Tsav, former Commissioner of Police, Lagos State told
our correspondent, in an interview.
“And Fulani
man is a person that once you offend him, he will never forget and forgive you
no matter how long it takes, he must take his revenge, so people should respect
their rights. My own solution to this crisis is that if government cannot
establish ranches immediately, they should set up a body; and if the Fulani
herdsmen’s cattle stray into somebody’s farm, and destroyed his farm crop; the
Fulani herdsman who is responsible should be charged and made to pay for the
cost of the damaged crops but if a cow destroyed your farm instead of you
coming to seek compensation for the damage, you go on to kill the Fulani herds
man’s cattle or even kill the herdsman himself, should not happened. I said
before that Fulani man doesn’t forgive in a hurry and this is what has been
fuelling this conflict.”
The statement credited to the former
President Goodluck Jonathan
that security report
confirms that Boko Haram insurgents now
exploited the conflicts
between Fulani herdsmen
and farmers in
the North Central
States to open
another front for the
insurgency against Nigerian
State was not heeded. Also,
another comments by former head of
State, General Gown
that; “these children
(Nigerian Fulani herdsmen)
carry sticks and
lead their cattle and cows on
pasture across the
country, but now
some people put
on Fulani clothes
and perpetuate crisis”, were also never investigated by
Nigeria security forces.
However, our
security findings, further revealed that
those carrying out
attacks on farmers in Nigeria are
immigrant Fulani herdsmen
mostly from Mali,
and Chad etc, and
this fact is
corroborated by the
former Lagos State police Commissioner, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav in his
interview with our correspondent.
Tsav said majority
of these herdsmen are foreigners who have no respect for the law. “And for your
information, these herdsmen are not from Nigeria alone. Some of them come from
other neighbouring African countries to graze their cattle here in Nigeria.
Majority of them are not Nigerians. From the story we have heard, they come
from other countries and you have different categories of Fulani. There are
some who are very kind, there are some who don’t forgive, there are some who
come to deliberately destroy your farm crops, and wait for any reaction from
anybody. So, we have some that are very hostile and dangerous who can kill and
destroy lives”, he stated.
Recent record
showed that the areas that have come under repeated attacks are mostly towns,
villages and communities that have predominantly Christian populations. In the
North east, these include Adamawa, Borno States while in the North central areas mostly
affected by operations
of the so-called gunmen include
the following; Jos, Nasarawa,
Benue, Kogi and Kwara States, thereby confirming the suspicion that
the two groups have
a common hidden agenda.
But the
ex-police cop, Tsav said it’s not true. “It’s not easy for Fulani herdsmen to
take any body’s farm land. People are making allegations that Fulani herdsmen
wants to annex their lands and in all these crises that have been happening, we
have never seen where they collected people’s land”, he added.
“ Let me say
this, they accused the Fulani herdsmen of claiming the lands for Islam, but all
the places that the Fulani herdsmen fought with the farmers, they have not
build any mosque on such lands, or building a settlements, depicting Islam.
What interests a Fulani herdsman is where he can get green grass to feed its
cattle and cows, which is what concerns them.” Our investigation also showed
that the Fulani herdsmen conflict and security threats are in 30 out of 36
states of the federation
Ikechukwu
Aduba, former Delta state police commissioner, has insisted there is something
more dangerous than the dreaded Boko Haram sect in Nigeria. The retired police
officer raised alarm over the illegal activities of Fulani cattle reaerers and
urged the man in charge of the country, President Muhammadu Buhari to address
the situation before it is too late. Ex-CP Aduba explained why these men are
worse than Boko Haram:
“It is a
serious issue, more complicated than the terrorists’ activities in the
Northeast. Boko Haram war is a minor issue when compared with what we are going
to experience in the hands of Fulani cattle reaerers in the nearest future if
the issue is not addressed.
“In some
places, especially in Delta state where I served as the commissioner of police,
many people cannot go to the farm anymore for fear of being attacked in the
bush by cattle reaerers. Many women have been raped in front of their husbands
and children. Many people killed by the cattle reaerers. It is a pathetic
situation if cattle eat up people’s crops in the farm and the farm owner
challenges them, it is a big problem. If the farm owner keeps quite, his toil
for the year will be in vain. It is a wearisome situation”, he added.
“The action
is affecting agricultural businesses as communities are afraid to go to the
farm for the fear that one day, all their labour for one year will be eaten up
in one day by cattle. If a community is afraid that their loved may go to the
farm and not return, how do you expect them to go to the farm where they may
meet their untimely death? This is a serious and pathetic situation that is
worse than Boko Haram. They will soon overrun the entire country.
“I want to advice, that President Muhammadu
Buhari and the National Assembly should constitute a committee that would look
into the issue. My suggestion is that the cattle reaerers should be confined in
gracing reserves and ranches. They should be made to stay in a particular area
and not to wander from place to place.
“If you look
at it critically, we don’t eat beef more than other countries of the world. We
don’t have cow more than other countries. We don’t export cow, yet in the
countries that even export cow, there is absolute peace because they don’t take
their cattle to places that they are not supposed to take them. The Nigerian
government should take a decisive stands on the matter or the keg of gun powder
will explode and the government will now not be able to tackle the menace of
the cattle reaerers,” Aduba said.
According to
Tsav, “Security agencies should be conscious of their responsibility. People
should also be conscious of their duties, people should show more love to this
country than they show to themselves. Again, people should have the fear of God
and always try to speak the truth and seek what is right for this country”,
“I’m
expecting the National Assemble to have come up with a law that will restrict
the movement of the Fulani herdsmen and their cattle in some quarters and areas
in this country. They should come up with law but they cannot do that; I don’t
know because some of them or may be majority of them know top Nigerians who
have these cows or some of them owned the cows, may be but if these people
wants to serve this country very well, everybody should set aside his personal
interest and do things for the interest of this nation and their people, that
is why they were voted into the NASS.”
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