Fulani Herdsmen in Abraka: Savagery Without Response?

Fulani Herdsmen in Abraka: Savagery Without Response?

It is unfortunate that the ethnic group that the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, belongs to is a “nation of habitual butchers”; the Cattle Fulani. This is the unequivocal belief of the nations within Nigeria victimised by Herdsmen violence. First, it was military men in uniform and now it is wandering Herdsmen; both have enjoyed peerless impunity. The university town of Abraka in Delta State, Nigeria has witnessed another incidence of menacing violence by Fulani Herdsmen against its residents this week, a repeat of what occurred in the same town last year. The people of Abraka (Urhobos) have experienced an atrocious mix of intimidation, violence, mayhem, murder, trauma and vandalism at the hands of Fulani Herdsmen in their very own indigenous land. Why are there no credible responses from the state to deal effectively with the crisis other than shoddy policing?

The Government of Nigeria (GON) and its Fulani-dominated power structure are tempting a very major violent reaction across Nigeria. Why do the Fulani elites in power [auto-colonialists] not think that as Niger Delta militants started sabotaging petroleum production infrastructure to get back at them, Non-Fulani Nigerians will not one day start to slaughter much of the cattle stock in Nigeria to subvert them? People are already thinking seriously about it. The GON can either address the problem effectively now or ignore it till a massive popular but spontaneous and coordinated reprisal against Cattle and Herdsmen inevitably occurs.

The interests of Fulani Herdsmen are also very well-served by the public relations arm of the GON and its security forces; their victims never seem to get any justice or redress other than empty rhetoric. If the GON cannot protect a nation within Nigeria from the violence of another, that nation should energetically build their own self-defence militias or vigilantes. One would have thought that Niger Delta Militants would come to the rescue of the land and people when Fulani Herdsmen strike. Abraka is within the Niger Delta. Unfortunately, there is no financial profit in it. The sole goal of the militants is extortion from oil companies, contractors and government. Section 407 of the Nigerian Criminal Code states: “Any person who, with intent to extort or gain anything from any person… without reasonable or probable cause, and containing threats of any injury or detriment of any kind to be caused to any person… if the demand is not complied with, is guilty of a felony, and is liable to imprisonment for fourteen years.” This makes the militants organised criminals. Bianimikaley!

However, the people of the Niger Delta are waking up to the waste of their support on the Militants. The racket is just too obvious. A total loss of support for them is in sight. The peoples of states across Nigeria are also waking up the blatant and violent auto-colonialism in Nigeria by the Fulani elite, apart the capture of government and rents shared, through their Herdsmen who simply do the “dirty work”, including spying. Nigerians are also learning fast how to respond rationally and effectively to oppression they can successfully repel. One Nigeria!

Grimot Nane