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Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi |
By Osita Nwaka
Herdsmen are at it again. After the Nimbo killings, no one
expected that another Enugu town or anywhere in the Southeast will come under
attack. At least not so soon. Incidences such as these raise many questions.
Should a Governor who is the Chief Security Officer of his State watch
helplessly as his people are being killed? Should he rely on Security apparatus
that take orders from other quarters? What are the implications of these
killings on the Grazing land issue? I read an article by Churchill
Okonkwo entitled “Efulefu Biafrans” How to play the Ethnic and Religious Cards
and Lose. Published by Saharareporters on June 13, 2016.
Churchill in my opinion veered of
the track on the Grazing Land issue. Adorning a Neo Nationalist Cloak and
pontificating on an issue of which one, apparently has no good grasp is not how
to be detribalized. Comparing the allocation of Lands for shop by the relevant
authorities in North to the allocation of lands for grazing purposes in the
South is like comparing a clap to a bomb blast on the grounds that both produce
sounds.
There are genuine security
concerns regarding the Grazing Land issue. When the Bill became public,
Governor Ajimobi of Oyo State, stated unequivocally that not an inch of Oyo
State Land will be given out for grazing. ‘So Osisi nuru n’aga egbu ya o ka
kwuru’ (only the tree heard that it will be cut down and still stood).
Fulani herdsmen are no longer the
innocuous nomads who transverse our communities with their Cattles, quietly and
somewhat indifferent to the external environment. Now they are blend of Cattle
Rearers and guerilla fighters, revealing each side according to the dictate of
their impregnable minds. They probably perceive dialogue as weakness and
unleashing mayhem on their target give them fulfillment.
Not long ago, Fulani herdsmen
invaded Nimbo Community in Enugu State and left their signature carnage. On May
27th, President Buhari reacting to a question on the Enugu Killings, during a
press interview, gave an insight on the matter. According to him, Gaddafi – the
late President of Libya recruited some young men from the Sahel and trained
them on how to shoot and kill. When Gaddafi was killed these young men were
driven out of Libya. They made their way into Mali, Burkina Faso and also
Nigeria. He alleged that they could be involved in the killing, since they can
be hired to fight for a fee.
In view of the foregoing, allocating
lands for grazing purposes in the South-East is tantamount to carving out
territories for Fulani herdsmen and the professional killers from the Sahel
within Igbo Communities. Especially when it is obvious that for the
Northerners, the religious bond is stronger than the Green Passport.
When the killings in Plateau State
became so frequent such that the Press dropped ‘Breaking’ from the News. I was
worried and curious about the existence of a somewhat shift – duty arrangement
between the attackers and the State Security Forces. A situation where the
killers on each attack held sway at night, and the Security Agents resuming in
the morning, apparently to quell a reprisal. My curiosity was heightened by the
absence of a single incidence of duty – clash, the herdsmen were always
successful.
An article by Femi Orebe, a
Columnist with the Nation Newspaper, entitled ‘The Looming Cattle War in
Nigeria’ published on May 29th, 2016 edition answered my question. He published
a report by the Chinua Achebe Centre for Leadership and Development (CACLD)
entitled ‘Fulani Herdsmen Killing: Modus Operandi. Those Involved and Possible
Solutions’. The last paragraph of item 6 has the following information “During
an attack every Fulani person in the area knows there will be an attack and all
will contribute to make sure it goes on successfully. Fulanis in the higher
levels of the Military will ensure all Commands under them stand down, and top
Fulani Police Officers will do the same. The road is then clear for the Fulani
herdsmen to carry out their attacks.
The Enugu state Governor gave the
Police a hint that an attack was likely at Nimbo, having been informed by the
locals that they have been Governor Ugwuanyi for his tears, got the
Police Commissioner redeployed. Another attack has successfully been carried
out in Ndiagu Attakwu. The Governor went and wept. He assured the traumatized
people that the perpetractors will be brought to book, as if it is in his
powers to do so. He failed to realize that no one lives to see his killer
brought to book. In other words, the people are interested in being alive and
not the arrest of their killers. The onus is on him to ensure that his state is
safe and secure. There is Anambra Vigilante Group, there is Imo Security
Network. Ugwuanyi is not helpless, he should simply borrow a leaf from either
of these states.
The position of the Federal
Government is pro cattle. One thousand soldiers were promptly sent to Zamfara
to combat cattle rustling. Elsewhere, farmers have become endangered
specie, no thanks to incesant attacks by herdsmen. The Federal Government has
no alternative other than Grazing land. The cattle is given priority
consideration in every instance. The herdsmen apparently have monopoly of
violence, they are the victors, so the Government can afford to downplay the
issue and foot drag.
Governor Ugwuanyi’s tears at Nimbo
apparently didn’t spur him to proactive action. His latest tears at Ndiagu
Attakwu literally communicates hopelessness to his people. He has to rise up to
this challenge. The Southeast Governors should rally round their Enugu brother.
Otherwise it won’t be long before they find themselves in similar situations.
Osita Nwaka can be reached
at ostarnc@gmail.com and lives in Lagos.
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