Aside the fact that Nigeria is generally viewed as a
paradox of a nation because of the inability of the nation – state to deploy
the enormous natural and human resources to scale up the deteriorating standard
of living and better the society for the benefit of all, it is also seen as
such because of the dangerous collective abnesia that afflicts majority of the
citizenry.
Few years back, a scholar was quoted as saying that most
Nigerians when pushed to the wall, rather than fight back, would drill a hole
through the wall and escape. Most Nigerians seem to like persons who lack the
courage of conviction to fight since it is generally assumed in Nigeria that
only the living can fight a second time. This unfortunate mindset has led many
Nigerians to allow the society to go to the dogs and the institutions of State
are now headed by persons who lack the necessary competences and skills to
facilitate Nigeria’s arrival at the doorstep of 21st century compliant fast
moving computer age. Nigeria is stocked in the pre-medieval or rather Stone Age
mentality of survival of the fittest whereby even those elected into office
believe and practice the theory that says MIGHT IS RIGHT.
This metaphor of Nigeria as a functional paradox simply
means that millions of Nigerians are so docile to a fault to an extent that the
population have this uncanny character to tolerate the worst forms of depraved
and criminal leadership in the body politics.
The docility of the ordering Nigerian which is virulent
is the cause of the gross underdevelopment of the country by the successive
administrations, that have ruled the nation since independence. The predatory
political class have become prolific because the people are docile and are
sleeping on their rights as human beings endowed with the faculties of
Rationality and Resilience.
The docility of a Nigerian and the lack of assertiveness
is also the reason why there is virtually no good governance at virtually every
levels of government. It is for this intolerable level of docility that
governance even at the most rudimentary levels have disappeared.
Perhaps, the area that has suffered the most due to this
groundswell of lack of the will to demand accountability from the leaders by
the citizenry, is the persistent cases of violent attacks that take place in
different parts of Nigeria by a diverse class of armed freelance killers and
gangsters, but there is apparently no certainty that those who commit those
atrocities and their sponsors responsible for thousands of fatalities can be
brought to justice.
Aside the ugly fact that the wheel of justice moves
dangerously slow, even slower than the weakest tortoise, there is usually the
failure of most government officials to deliberately activate legal, judicial
and law enforcement mechanisms that would decisively bring these violators of
the Nigerian law to justice even when section 33 (1) of the constitution absolutely
outlaws murder and extra judicial killings.
One issue in which this vexations docility and
forgetfulness of the Nigerian has become ubiquitous are the various cases of
organized killings by armed Fulani herdsmen who incidentally are rated highly as
one of the most vicious terror organizations globally.
There have been cocktails of organized and properly
choreographed attacks by armed Fulani herdsmen targeting mostly Christian
farming communities in the North central region of Nigeria and Enugu in South
East of Nigeria in the last three years, but even when over 10,000 casualties
have been recorded from these dastardly attacks, but not one of these killers
is behind bars. The annoying thing is that some persons close to the current
administration including the Defence minister and immediate past Inspector
General of police have rationalized these armed Fulani killings.
Benue, Plateau and Southern Kaduna states have become the
killing fields of these armed Fulani attackers with back up from their trade
association known as Miyetti Allah Cattle owners Association.
One sad reality about these dastardly crimes is that the
platform that speaks for these suspected mass killers is seen as one of the
most vociferous supporters of the re-election bid of President Muhammadu
Buhari.
Miyetti Allah cattle owners Association which is the body
that had often spoken in the media before and after suspected armed Fulani
attacks in Christian dominated Northern Communities, was amongst the first
group that visited President Muhammadu Buhari to endorse his re-election
aspiration even when strident calls have been made for it to be classified as a
terror organization.
However, the international community is not relenting in
its rational approach towards exposing those they branded as dreaded terrorist
groups which incidentally includes Miyetti Allah Cattle Owners Association.
Mind you, president Buhari quickly declared the peaceful
agitators for self-rule in Igbo land known as IPOB as a terrorist organized
whereas Miyetti which is the body that protects armed Fulani herdsmen that are
responsible for some of the worst cases of mass genocides is flirting
politically with Nigerian president including the Enugu state governor Mr.
Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi even as Enugu his state faced armed Fulani herdsmen attacs
twice in two communities killing scores of persons and unleashing devastation and
destruction of property worth billions of Naira.
Last week Miyetti Allah Cattle Owners body endorsed
Ugwuanyi’s second term bid. It would be recalled that two years ago when one of
the Enugu state communities was attacked mercilessly by armed Fulani herdsmen
leaving devastation and dozens of deaths, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi was captured in the
media shedding tears but after that he did nothing to prosecute the killers.
Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi indeed sheded crocodile tears.
Before analyzing the template of attacks by armed Fulani
herdsmen in the last three years in which president Buhari did nothing to stop
the bloodshed nor prosecuted the suspected mass killers, I will revisit the
global rating of terrorism whereby armed Fulani herdsmen featured prominently.
On December 5th 2018, www.forbes.com published a piece
titled “The deadliest Terrorist Groups in the World Today” in which the authors
told us that of the 18,814 deaths caused by terrorists around the world last
year, well over half were due to the actions of just four groups: Islamic
state, the Taliban, Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram.
Quoting Global Terrorism Index 2018, compiled by the
Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) the authors said these four
organizations were responsible for 10,632 deaths in 2017. Their actions
contribute to the instability of what are some of the most dangerous countries
in the world including Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia and Syria. Over the
past decade they have accounted for 44% of all terrorist deaths.
On boko haram they wrote that the Nigerian terrorist
group Boko Haram (also known by the far longer name Jama’tu Ahlis Sunna
Lidda’awati wal-Jihad) was once the world’s deadliest terror group but it has
been in decline since 2014 and has recently started to splinter into different
factions, the largest of which is the Islamic State West African Province
(ISWAP).
Since it emerged in the northeast of the country in 2002
it has spread out to other nearby countries including Chad, Cameroon and Niger
and the group has sworn allegiance to Islamic State.
The fall in terrorist deaths in Nigeria in recent years –
the number of deaths is down 83% from the 2014 peak – indicates that the
region’s security forces, assisted by international allies, are having an
impact on groups such as Boko Haram, Forbes stated.
“The battle is far from won, though. Boko Haram carried
out 40% more attacks and was responsible for 15% more deaths in 2017 than in
the year before”.
“Most of the group’s attacks last year were carried out
in Nigeria – particularly in Borno State – with smaller numbers in Cameroon and
Niger. The group has gained notoriety for mass hostage takings and the
extensive use of children and women as suicide bombers.”
On Other terrorist groups the authors said that beyond
these four deadly organizations, myriad other terrorist groups are active
around the world. Last year, a total of 169 groups were responsible for at
least one death, but more than 130 others also carried out attacks.
The authors specifically mentioned armed Fulani killers
as some of the worst kinds of terrorists in the following words: “other less
well-known groups are becoming more prominent, including the Fulani in Nigeria
which was responsible for 321 deaths and 72 attacks in 2017. While those
numbers represented a fall from its activities in 2016, IEP says that there has
been a significant increase in violence by the group in 2018.
Here are the armed Fulani killing templates:
No fewer than 20 persons in Ukpabi Nimbo, an agrarian
community in the Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State, were killed
during an attack by Fulani herdsmen on Monday – April 25th2016.
It was learnt that scores of armed cattle rearers,
reportedly numbering more than 100, stormed the sleepy community in the early
hours of Monday.
A national newspaper had reported then that the herdsmen
had recruited scores of gunmen from Nasarawa State for the impending attack on
the Enugu community.
Sources in the community said sporadic gunshots were
heard as the rampaging herdsmen moved to sack villagers from their homes.
It was gathered that the invading cattle rearers carried
guns, bows, arrows, machetes and swords to execute their mission.
The invaders also set a Catholic church in the area on
fire.
Many of the villagers were said to have escaped to
neighbouring communities in the Uzo-Uwani area, but it was gathered that people
in the nearby towns were also worried about possible attacks from the herdsmen.
A police source told our correspondent that as of the
time of filing this report, the corpses of five persons, who died in the
attack, had been recovered.
It was also learnt that the corpses, which were deposited
at the morgue in Bishop Shanahan Hospital, Nsukka, were recovered from
farmlands.
There were indications that more bodies would be
recovered as a combined team of police and military personnel, who moved into
the community to quell the attack, had yet to reach all the affected areas.
On April 23rd 2018 the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi
confirmed the killing of two of its priests, Rev Fathers Joseph Gor and Felix
Tyolaha, in an early hour attack on St Ignatius Quasi Parish, Ukpor, Mbalom in
Gwer West Local Government Council of Benue.
A statement by its Director of Communications, Rev Fr
Moses Iorapuu, said that the attacks were perpetrated by herdsmen who stormed
the Mbalom community and killed the two priests during the morning mass at the
church.
The Diocese expressed regret at the nonchalant attitude
of the security agencies in containing the killings.
It said the herdsmen, who stormed the community, burnt
down houses, destroyed crops and killed people.
The church, therefore, urged the relevant authorities to
stop the killings in the Benue valley.
Iorapuu said the Diocese had been active in providing
food and relief materials to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP’s) since the
onset of hostilities in the state and wondered why it could be marked as a
target of attacks.
“The attack on the priests is an attack on everything
that we ever stood for and believed in.”
Plateau state perhaps has witnessed some of the worst
cases of attacks.
On June 23rd 2018, several people were allegedly killed
in Gashish and Ropp Districts of Plateau State on Sunday, during attacks that
were carried out on about 11 communities by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
Subsequently, the Plateau State Government has imposed a
dusk-to-dawn curfew on Riyom, Barkin Ladi and Jos South Local Government Areas.
Although there were rumours that some soldiers might be
missing, the Commander of the Special Military Taskforce code-named Operation
Safe Haven, Major-General Anthony Atolagbe, said, “it’s not true, no soldier
died and no soldier is missing.”
The decision, according to the government, was to avert
further breakdown of law and order.
A terse statement issued on Sunday by the Secretary to
the State Government, Rufus Bature, said the movement was restricted from 6:00
pm to 6:00 am, except for those on essential duties.”
The attack was said to have been launched at Xland,
Gindin Akwati, Ruku, Nghar, Kura Falls and Kakuruk all in Gashish District. The
communities were completely sacked by the assailants, reports said.
Other areas affected by the attack included Rakok, Kok
and Razat all in Ropp District.
The Chairman, Public Accounts and Petition Committee in
Plateau State House of Assembly representing Barkin Ladi, Peter Gyendeng, in an
interview with The PUNCH on Sunday, said the attack was “a declaration of war”
on his constituency.
He claimed that “mercenaries” have been hired to come and
kill people in Barkin Ladi LGA. Southern Kaduna state has come under incessant
attacks but the government has done nothing. The Federal government under the
Fulani born President is rather planning to reward these killers by using
public fund to set up grazing colonies for the cow owners but not one killer is
punished and of course politicians including MIYETTI ALLAH CATTLE OWNERS that
sponsors armed Fulani attacks are also on the campaign train of APC even as the
thousands of victims of these genocides are forgotten by the power hungry
elite.
The campaigns are ongoing and the victims are totally
forgotten even as the group which supports much of these attacks is busy
playing politics.
*Emmanuel Onwubiko heads the Human Rights Writers
Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) and blogs @ www.emmanuelonwubiko.com;
www.huriwanigeria.com; www.huriwa@blogspot.com; www.thenigerianinsidernews.com.
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