HERDING THE HERDSMEN FROM FULANI LEST IT BECOMES LATE
Once more, the foundation of this nation has been shaken, and her unity put at stake. This time, it's not because of the terror activities of the Boko Haram in the North East, nor the militant activities of the Niger Delta in the South-South. The Shiites group is not mentioned, likewise the IPOB in the South-East. It is the handiwork of heavy armed herdsmen alleged to be Fulanis. They are at it again. This time, they infiltrate all nooks and crannies of this nation, wallowing from places to places, seeking not pastures for their cattle to graze, but human beings to annihilate.
From the plains of Plateau, Nasarawa and southern parts of Kaduna State, these armed desperados have increased in numbers, pouring southward into Oyo, Ekiti, Ondo, Osun, Ogun, Benue, Taraba, Kogi, Enugu, Abia, Anambra, Delta, Edo and parts of Rivers States, and worse still, they seem unstoppable.
Few days ago, it was the turn of Agatu communities in Benue State, where the herdsmen not only converted the indigenous communities to human abattoirs, but also drove the people from their communities and occupied same with wild impunity. That was still fresh in our minds, but not enough in theirs, as days later they continued the blood bath, unleashing mayhem in several communities in Enugu State where a numberless crowd of persons were gruesomely murdered.
A record revealed that in the past few weeks, these herdsmen have taken the lives of many hundreds, displaced many from their houses, kidnapped, and in some cases, raped their female victims. To accomplish their deadly acts, they move around with heavy arms, and yet we still have security operatives manning every check point. This also is wonderful.
But what is more eerie for all who care to imagine was the initial silence of the President, Muhammadu Buhari in the heat of the series of these attacks, until only a very few days ago when he made a comment through his minister for information, apparently due to wide public outcry. Notably, these words are yet to be marched with requisite action.
It could be recalled that the only sin of former President Goodluck Jonathan in the alleged abducted Chibok girls saga was his treatment of the issue with levity, and same can be said of President Buhari in this case.
Fortunately for Nigerians, these armed carrying herdsmen are not faceless like their Boko Haram insurgent group counterpart, hence can be easily crushed if the Government wanted to.
To forestall further escalation, this administration must rise up to the challenge by considering the acts of herdsmen as terrorism and treat them as such. After all, true peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice.
Again, the herdsmen should hence forth, be banned from traversing the country until the violent ones are brought to book even as the North has the largest land mass in Nigeria and therefore reservations could be made for them to graze there.
Until these are done, Nigeria and Nigerians might know no peace, as I see another war situation boldly staring us in the face. This is no dooms day prophesy, but a revelation that is busy calling for our attention. As a matter of fact, no sane man will sit at home with his hands thigh-bound and his mouth latched while strange plague (Fulanis) bedevil his home, taking his wife, kids and even himself. This will be like an elder watching the goat deliver in its tether. Humans psychologically are known for being dominating and when not met with similar force, the situation of “the oppressor and the oppressed” will emerge, and no one, I repeat NO ONE!, should accede to this in this era.
When your fellow human bites your head without due consideration for your brain, please bite his buttocks without thinking about faeces. A word is a enough for all parties involved in this situation of guns and roses; in this case, the Federal government of Nigeria, the Fulnai herdsmen (oppressors) and their victims (the oppressed).
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