THE SCOURGE OF THE FULANI HERDSMEN-FARMERS CONFLICT IN NIGERIA.

THE SCOURGE OF THE FULANI HERDSMEN-FARMERS CONFLICT IN NIGERIA.

A picture of people gruesomely murdered in Benue state.

Nigeria is in trouble. Deep trouble but the troubling part of this problem is that the federal government of Nigeria is nonchalant about it. Apart from the plague of terrorism which crash landed on the soil of this country about ten years ago and which has claimed thousands of lives and renders many thousands more homeless, there is the religious fanaticism.

Though this country is meant to be a secular state, yet one religion is hegemonic and its powers is growing by day, snuffing life life out of other religions, especially Christianity. Islamic religion is like a deadly virus, spreading its deadly tentacles to sll the nooks and crannies of the country. Even the so called political leaders are not left out of this fanaticism.

For instance, Kano state Governor, Ibrahim Ganduje publicly declared during the last ramadan fasting that no one should eat publicly in the state. This is highest level of the abuse of power. He has obviously taken a side while he is meant to remain neutral or embrace both religions. Does it mean that everyone who lives in the state is a Muslim? Did he make the same announcement when the christians were fasting too, NO!

Away from Kano state, Mallam El Rufia, the incumbent governor of plateu state also embarked on this foolishness. He released a statement which wishes to ban public preaching, night vigils and other religious activities which will obviously put an end to all christian religious activities. Thank God though, the house of asssembly in the state is not as fanatical as the governor so this was not carried out eventually.

As if the problems we are facing through religions are not enough, a set of mentally derailed and blood thirsty individuals emerged like a pague from nowhere and began wrecking havoc on the innocent citizens. They called themselves Miyetti Allah.  At first, this body vehemnetly denied being responsible for all the attcks on the poor farmers and villagers maybe they feared that they were going to be persecuted in a law court and be appropriately punished, so they denied and denied away.

As time goes by, they noticed that they could go away with it even if they admit to being responsible for the attacks. So they began to own up. They admitted that they are responsible for the attacks – both past and present. Just like a bad dream, they became so articulated and began to sporadically attack villages and small settlements randomly like a band of Godless outlaws.

Some Fulanis On Rampage.

How Did Fulani herdsmen Crises Begin In Nigeria?

There is no definite date when this started but it is agreed by different sources that it began in the fourth republic (From 1999 till date). According to Wikipedia, about 80 people were killed by this sect from 2010-2013. But in 2014, more than 1,229 were killed, making it the world’s fourth deadliest group. Thousands of farmers and villagers more became homeless and farmless. The states affected during this period were middle belt states (Benue, Nassarawa, Kaduna and so on).

At first, it was a one sided battle, the herdsmen continued to kill and plunder while their victims remained meek like the proverbial lamb that is sent to the slaughterhouse. But over time, the poor farmers too began to take up arms to defend their farms-their life;long labour and their families.

In 2015, more than 800 people were killed an lots more were rendered homeless by the activities of this group. In 2016, more people were killed in Agatu, Benue state. In 2017 and 2018 respectively, more than 2000 people were killed and a lot more were rendered jobless and homeless by the weapon wielding Fulani herdsmen. Different activists and global observers were calling on the federal government of Nigeria to declare the sect a terrorist group but the government refused to heed this warning. Instead, it keeps pampering this deadly sect.

In February 2019, this sect launched an attack on a settlement and killed 11 people. The villagers reportedly attacked back and killed 141 people. In 2019 alone, there were pockets of violence in many rural areas in the country suspected to be from this terrible sect. I saw pictures of the gruesome murder of so many citizens in Benue state and wept for this country.

Why Are Fulanis Herdsmen Wielding Weapon And Killing People?

Because they are herdsmen, they need forage and grass for their livestock but the Northern part of Nigeria where they occupy is facing degradation, over population and desertification issues. Due to the change in ecology, there is swift desert encroachment in the region which forces the nomads to seek pasture for their livestock where available. Apart from desertification, the population explosion of these people also added to the need to expand beyond their traditional territory.

Therefore, they came down to the southern part  and the middle belt of the country where the grass is greener and in surplus abundance. When they arrived, they were at first allowed to roam their cattle through the lands without opposition but as time goes on,  their grazing activities began to take on new dimensions. They began to run their cattle through farms, thereby destroying plants in the process.

The farmers in the affected areas made concerted efforts in curbing this menace by calling a peace meeting between the farmers and these nomads but it all yielded no positive results. Letters and notices were written and forwarded to different governments at all levels but nothing came out of it for all the good it did. When these farmers cannot take it any longer, seeing their families raped and killed, farmlands destroyed and razed, they took to defending themselves.

Where Is The Nigerian Government Throughout All These?

Nowhere. Apart from looting the public funds under the pretense of practicing democracy, one thing our leaders are good at is doing nothing when issues of serious import arise.

I remember vividly, at the height of the crises in Benue state in 2018, that was when the president's son had an accident on his power bike, the president said he had given an instruction to the inspector general of police to relocate to Benue state with immediate effect but the latter refused to obey this simple command from his president, the commander in chief of the armed forces. As if this insult is not enough for the people and the government of Benue state, the president did not for once visit the  people and government of Benue state to commiserate with them. Yet, when his son was discharged form the hospital after the accident, it was hugely celebrated within the safe walls of the president’s villa in Abuja. Meanwhile, that same night, hundreds of children became orphans and hundreds of people became homeless. Is that how a leader should act?

When the pressure was too much on the government, the government decided to wake from its slumber by imploring state governors to allocate lands in their states to accommodate these devil in-laws. The government said that the best way to stop these attacks is to give them lands in each state where they can be doing their ranging without public grazing. In a better clime, this could have a been a perfect solution to this problem but in Nigeria it is a different thing entirely.

It can never work.

Countries where there are lands for ranges don’t just give lands to the cattle rearers, the cattle rearers BUY the lands with their money because they are business men, they make money through their cattle. Each fully grown cattle in Nigeria today worth more than a hundred thousand naira! So advocating lands for them is highly ridiculous. If they know that they need lands for their ranging activities, then they should BUY!    

Another reason why this idea of ranging will not work is that the Nigerian Fulanis don’t plant; they only consume grass. In countries where there are cattle ranges, the farmers plant their grasses! Our government should have carried out their researches before coming to the public with this ludicrous idea of giving lands for ranging but that will be too much for them to do. They are diligently lazy to what’s right. Instead, they slept and dreamt and it was revealed to them in their dreams that the only solution to this problem is giving lands.

 If these Fulani herdsmen are given lands, they will eat it bare and begin to look for another land in a few years time then the problem will start again. By then, it would have been worse because they would be living among us, no longer strangers  and stragglers so they will know every nooks and crannies of the land. A war may even break out and history will repeat itself like it happned in Ilorin long before we were born.

Finally, this will not work because even if they are given the lands at the end of the day, to stop the bloodletting and rampages, other aggrieved groups will rise. They too will make demands and will stop at nothing before they are met. They will do everything possible including terrorism to make sure that their demands are fully met. The Niger deltans are just resting, they are still coming back stronger, smarter and deadlier if our government should give in to this unholy blackmail.

The Solution To The Herdsmen Crises?

Simple.

In fact, you, my dear reader would be surprised at how simple it is.  Let us go down the memory lane a bit, if you please. Thousands of years ago when Egypt was still the greatest country in the world, before they discovered technology, they were prosperous through agriculture. In fact, what made them prosperous was agriculture, not technology. It was as a result of the development of their agriculture that led to the creation of farm machine that would aid their agricultural practices. Yet, this prosperous nation was a DESERT! Or, maybe not a total desert but it was worse than the land that our dear Fulani herdsmen are running away from.

What Egypt did to salvage the situation was not running away, they practiced an extensive irrigation system. Egypt had only one great river, River Nile and made use of it in irrigating the lands efficiently despite the fact that technology was not even available then or it was just starting yet Nigeria has two major rivers (Niger and Benue) and the Atlantic ocean for crying out loud! These large bodies of waters are more than enough to solve this problem but it is either our leaders are imbeciles or they are happy that we are murdering ourselves.

What Nigeria needs to carry out this gigantic project are visionary, honest and diligent leaders but we lack leaders who have these qualities and this is why they are indifferent to the plight of an average Nigerian.

If our government continues to be indifferent to this problem, a greater problem will arise and by then, it may be too late for our nation!

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