The advent of democratic rule has brought about different agitations Fulani herdsmen not left out.
Historically, culturally and occupationally, many of these herdsmen are of Fulani stock. They are also not educated in the dominant Western mode that largely determines the growth curve in Nigeria today and as such find it equally difficult to move on to other economic paths. This state of events has equally been exacerbated by the National Question, where disparate communities within the Nigerian federation continue to see themselves as ‘we versus them,’ thus making it difficult to find common ground within which to resolve conflicts as they emerge.
Across Nigeria...the story is same or similar year in year out
Women from four local government areas in Enugu State, appealed to the state government to save them from Fulani herdsmen who regularly molest, maim, rape and destroy their farmland and livestock. Fulani herdsmen made headlines in the newspapers almost on weekly basis. At Ofagbe community, Isoko North Local Government Area, Delta State, herdsmen reportedly killed a man and wounded another who identified himself as Thompson Ogege.
In Benue State they lost 82 herdsmen and 6700 cattle,the most recent is Agatu Vs Fulani still ragging on in Plateau State, they lost 43 herdsmen and 4682 cattle; and in Taraba, they lost nine men and 533 cattle. so it is not only Host community that suffers, the herdsmen also lost their lives and stock to the crisis. Another Problem facing the Fulani herdsmen apart from gracing land is the issues of Cattle Thieves known as Cattle rustlers
On the Fulani Herdmen recklessness, suspected Fulani attacked Amoji in Delta State and abducted no fewer than four persons according to a community leader, Emmanuel Odili.
On the same day, a gang of youths attacked and razed down Suwa and Burukutu in Lamurde local government area of Adamawa State. The assailants were said to be well-armed Fulani herdsmen.
In November 2015 an armed group alleged to be Fulani herdsmen reportedly attacked nine different communities in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi and killed twenty-two people.
A month before, women from four local government areas in Enugu State, called on the state government to save them from Fulani herdsmen who regularly molest, maim, rape and destroy their farmland and livestock.
The abduction of elder statesman and former Presidential candidate, Chief Olu Falae on his farm at Ilado, Akure Ondo state by Fulani herdsman in September 2015 may have scaled up the national attention to the menace of attack by herdsmen. The herdsmen abducted and released the 77–year old man later after paying an undisclosed amount as ransom.
Many questions have been asked about the Fulani in general and Fulani pastoralists in particular. The media perception of Fulani herdsmen is often one of murderous marauding bandits who kill at will. Very often, journalists and reporters attribute violent attacks on villages and farming communities in especially (North) Central Nigeria to ‘Fulani herdsmen’. The Fulani story is hardly ever in mainstream Nigerian media. So the opportunity to tell their story is often difficult, as their voices are not heard.
Many observers have called on the Fulani to settle, to have ranches instead of this nomadic way of life...
I refer to the period between 1960 and 1966 as the golden era of Nigeria. That time it was as if our leaders had a vision that we are going to be what we are today, that one day farmers and herdsmen will go for each other’s throats in a very violent manner. That was why the defunct Northern Nigeria Government created 417 grazing areas dotted across the entire 19 states of the then Northern Nigeria. Of recent, Ogun and Oyo have also created grazing areas. Now by the time you furnish these grazing areas with the basic requirements, why will a pastoralist move? Why is he moving? He is moving in search of pasture. He is moving in search of water. He is moving to escape Livestock and Human diseases. He is moving to escape from conflict. By the time you provide an area that is secure and you provide amenities there, why won’t he settle? And these areas are there. One of these model grazing areas is the Kachia grazing area. The Kaduna State government created the Kachia Grazing Area and people have settled there. Apart from that the Kaduna State government created what you call the Farmers-Herdsmen Dispute Resolution Committees and these committees were given powers of magisterial powers. Ordinarily, if they were the Committees were created, empowered and functioning, most of the conflicts that you see would not have occurred. So if the grazing areas are resuscitated given functional facilities and secured facilities, pastoralists will definitely settle. The movements by Pastoralist have their own hazards especially the violent conflicts, Livestock losses, Livestock and Human Diseases
WAY FORWARD................
The state governments under the Nigerian constitution own the land. It is not the federal government that owns land. The Land Use Act vests land in the state governors. And even before the Land Use Act, the lands that were reserved for grazing were there. Why can’t the state governors develop one or two or three of these areas? There are model grazing areas that had worked. If you go to some of these model grazing areas you will find vet clinics, you will find hospitals, you will find schools, you will find normal human life and they are contented. Why can they model it after these areas? We would want to know what is their budget for agriculture and what percentage of it is allocated Livestock and Livestock Producers because we depend on livestock is vital part of our economy. It is not by coming to Abuja to say we are the Chief Security Officers of our states and we want guns. What we are saying is there are development challenges in your states that you can use your resources to address. You cannot transform livestock breeding to importing bulls and heifers from Brazil or Denmark or Netherlands that are not suitable for our environment or that can only be kept very rich or exotic breeders, if properly harnessed our Local breeds can give us all we need in terms of meat and dairy products.
God bless Nigeria.
Sources: Elnathan's Dark Corner blog, Business Hallmark, The Guardian newspaper,
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