NIGERIA: THE CATTLE COLONY

By Chimpuruimeihenile Immanuel Ukoha (Abia writers)
Edited by Livingrich Ezeikpe
Before the tenure of Muhammadu Buhari as the president of Nigeria, the menace by the Fulani herdsmen was rarely heard. Could this be because the government of the day showed that they will not tolerate them and their crime? Or probably because they knew that there will be consequences for any breach of the law?

However, Buhari-a Fulani, an Islamic extremist and a life patron of Fulani herdsmen emerged as the president of Nigeria, all of a sudden the herdsmen turned to something else. Buhari presidency has given the Fulani cattle herders the temerity to commit whatever crime they desire with impunity. they kill, maim and leave a trail of destruction behind them wherever they strike. Not too long ago, they attacked Benue state, leaving not less than 80 persons dead, including infants and women. Their atrocities in Southern Kaduna, Plateau, Kogi, Enugu are there for all to see. The most annoying part of it all is that these criminals weren't brought to book, nor ordinarily called to order.

The Fulani herdsmen have destroyed uncountable lives and properties in the contraption called Nigeria, yet the python refuses to dance on them. Unlike the case of IPOB, where the Nigerian military Python dancers rummaged Biafraland especially the town of Umuahia, causing the loss of more than 30 innocent lives at the hometown of the leader of the IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. These python dancers also caused the sudden disappearance of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and his parents. For which by every indication, they are under the custody of the Nigerian military, for no justified cause.

The Fulani herdsmen asked for grazing lands all over Nigeria, which some states refused to give to them, creating uproar in the whole of Nigeria. Unfortunately, the herdsmen swore to sack any community that refuses their request. Some time ago, a high Court fined a former Navy officer millions of Naira for seizing about 44 Hausa-Fulani cattle. The federal government of Nigeria is invariably telling the world that she is the backbone of these evil herders, by supporting the Fulani herdsmen and their evil activities.

This fact is supported by the statement of the vice president of Nigeria professor Yemi Osibanjo, “IPOB is a threat to Nigeria's unity and we the Federal Executive must crush them and their activities by fire by thunder. So we beg true Nigerians to provide our security agencies with IPOB's information/plans/activities for proper action to be taken immediately! .... But for Fulani herdsmen killings, I plead to Nigerians Don’t Retaliate Fulani Herdsmen Killings, Pray For Them Instead; just as we the Federal Executive are praying hard now”(Yemi Osibanjo).