Some days ago former aviation minister Chief Femi Fani-Kayode wrote a damning article on the nomadic Fulani herdsmen from the northern part of the country. It was quite a powerful and revealing article. Although I usually disagree with FFK on some national issues, I had to agree with some vital points he raised in that particular post. This article has however been condemned by the chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Prof. Chidi Odinkalu as hate speech due to the use of terms such as tse-tse fly, locust, leeches to describe a race plus advocating mass expulsion of Fulani herdsmen from the southern part of the country. Inasmuch as I agree with the chairman of NHRC in condemning some terminologies in the article, I still support most of FFK assertions. I wonder if the same NHRC chairman has been bold enough in the past to condemn the killings and wanton destruction of human lives and properties by these Fulani herdsmen in the middlebelt and southern regions of Nigeria. Why he's only concerned about FFK speech instead? Though FFK actually went overboard with some of his descriptions and it's not too good.

Fulani herdsmen have become quite a big problem for a lot of southerners. Inasmuch as all citizens are encouraged and welcomed to do business and live in any part of the country, it's essential to pay due respect to the indigenes of any region. In FFK's words, "Anyone that doubts this should ask the people of the North-central zone what they have been suffering in the hands of these vagabonds and vagrants for the last 50 years. This is especially so in Plateau, Benue, Niger, Kwara, Nassarawa, Taraba and Adamawa states..... Fulani herdsmen have attacked, ravaged and pillaged many rural communities south of the River Niger and they have slaughtered and raped thousands of innocent people in the South-South, the South-East and the South-Western zones of our country."
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/09/the-herdsmen-from-hell-by-fani-kayode/
That is virtually the truth. Too many incidents of Fulani herdsmen wrecking havoc in their host communities.

Former Commissioner of Police in charge of Delta State, Ikechukwu Aduba also raised an alarm over the illicit activities of cattle rearers recently, describing it as ‘worse than terrorism.'
He stated, “In some places, especially in Delta State where I served as the Commissioner of Police, many people cannot go to the farm anymore for fear of being attacked in the bush by cattle rearers. Many women have been raped in front of their husbands and children. Many people killed by the cattle rearers. It is a pathetic situation if cattle eat up people’s crops in the farm and the farm owner challenges them, it is a big problem. If the farm owner keeps quiet, his toil for the year will be in vain. It is a wearisome situation." “The action is affecting agricultural businesses as communities are afraid to go to the farm for the fear that one day, all their labour for one year will be eaten up in one day by cattle. If a community is afraid that their loved ones may go to the farm and not return, how do you expect them to go to the farm where they may meet their untimely death? This is a serious and pathetic situation that is worse than Boko Haram. They will soon over run the entire country."
http://scannewsnigeria.com/news/former-delta-police-commissioner-says-fulani-herdsmen-are-a-security-time-bomb/

What are the solutions to this growing menace? Is it by expulsion? Is it by revenge attacks? However first we need to look at the root causes of this problem. These herdsmen earn their living by rearing of cattle, sheep and other animals. Back in the days, since the Northern vegetation consisted mainly of arid savannahs, the herdsmen started migrating down south with their animals in search of better fodder (grass) as food for their animals. Ordinarily that was not a bad agricultural strategy as at that time. However over time, changes should have been made as occurred in other climes. In this 21st century, it's quite disappointing to see cattle roaming across major streets and highways in Nigerian towns and cities as if we are still in the Iron age or precolonial times.

Who do we blame?
Personally I hold our southern leaders responsible for this menace. They have always failed in their duties. I don't think political leaders or Emirs in the North would have tolerated such till now if the roles were reversed. So why do I point fingers at our governors, senators, legislators and traditional rulers. Because they ignored countless cries from their own citizens about the criminal activities of the herdsmen. These Fulanis invade a community and set up camp in the bush with disregard to the original owners of the land or even the leaders of the community. They allow their animals graze illegally on people's farms and destroy crops which are the economic sustenance of the farmers. When the poor woman or man complains to our own leaders, their cries are ignored because "they don't have levels." When he or she attempts to challenge the invaders themselves, they respond with violence and attack the poor farmers raping and murdering them. In some cases, they even attack the host community and rape and murder the defenceless indigenes who now have to run away from their own homes becoming refugees in their other communities or states. These Fulani herdsmen have in their possession various kinds of dangerous weapons such as daggers, swords and automatic guns such as AK47s which they even brandish publicly. Even without legal permit! Which southerner can dare travel around with any weapon even if it's a bread-knife? Worse off are some herdsmen who come out at night to waylay night buses and rob innocent travellers. They are quite brutish feeling no qualms in slaughtering their victims savagely. Even when they are arrested for these grevious crimes, our weak corrupt leaders let them go scot-free due to pressure from the moneybags Alhajis and Abuja politicians. Fulani herdsmen raid communities and are set free but when the youths of same communities engage in revenge attacks, they are hoarded off to police cells in Abuja. Infact the entire community is stormed by soldiers and the police because of few cattle lost. When there is no justice for the human lives initially lost. What an irony!!!

Enough of the blamegame. What's the way forward to ending this problem?
I don't think solutions are easy to implement due to the complex nature of this menace. However for a start, a concerned state chief executive (governor) should submit a bill to the state house of assembly proscribing the activities of these Fulani herdsmen as per nomadic cattle rearing in any hamlet, village, town and their surrounding lands. Stiff punishments should be meted out to those who break the laws such as jail terms to the Fulani men while the main cattle owners or Alhaji be giving initial warnings and following continuous infractions, that Alhaji be expelled from doing business in the state. There should be formation of special taskforce comprising men of the various host communities to enforce this law as the police might be too overstretched to implement it properly. This taskforce will be provided with all essential support to aid it's members in apprehending any errant herdsmen. Thereafter there should be formation of cattle ranches across various regions of the state to be strictly monitored by the state government taskforce. Vast hectares of lands will be leased to the cattle owners/Alhajis for cattle rearing. The properties should be well fenced around and adequate codes of conduct signed by the cattle owner/herdsmen and host community/government. As observed in the arid parts of the North, fodder (hay) should be prepared, sourced or purchased and fed to the animals within the enclosure. This is what obtains in developed countries. You don't see cattle strolling around in downtown Manhattan or walking along Piccadilly circus. Many of our leaders have been exposed to this form of sensible living during their stay outside the country. But in Nigeria, they turn blind eye to their own citizens because of illegal kickbacks from the Alhajis. I hope they soon listen to our cries and apply some of the above solutions with ultimate aim of ameliorating the plight of the citizens (especially subsistence farmers) in their own states.

Happy 55th Independence Nigeria!!!!!

H