HERDSMEN OR TERRORISTS? Human life is so precious, it must never be taken at will. This explains why right to life is the first universal human rights. Even when life is taken as punishment for crime by legitimate government establishments, it is not appropriate that we celebrate such incident. Instead of celebrating, we should feel bad that a human life is lost. I have the believe that such thinking motivate amnesty international into championing global campaign against death sentence as we have seen in recent time. Although, I subscribe to the reasoning of those who argued that, if you deny other people their own lives, you should not be allowed to keep yours, notwithstanding, I often feel grieve whenever human live is being taken no matter the crime of such culprit. But in this case, lives being taken are that of innocent people, what a wicked world. In line with this thought, I condemn in totality, all mindless murder of innocent people by murderous terrorists masquerading as herdsmen across the country. We all must speak up with one voice, not only to condemn this inhumanity, but to ensure government is put on its toes to take appropriate steps to prevent it's reoccurence and bring those responsible to justice. Having said that, I wish to call our attention to something very important. When Boko Haram gained prominence and was killing people mindlessly with utmost cruelty during the last administration, some people said it was them, killing themselves. We said it was terrorist killing innocent people,but they said no, it was them against them. It is none of their business they said. When we called on government to take action before things fall apart, they said we should tell northern elders to call their sons to order and not bother the President. We cried for human lives, we cried for the children and women going through unimaginable sufferings, we cried for the older people and soldiers fighting without appropriate arms, but our brothers and sisters seems not to be bothered about our tears. When the terrorist group increased in fearlessness, capturing barracks and towns, we said it's time for government to give it the required attention and stop the mindless killing of innocent people, but they said no, it was a plan of the political enemies to discredit the administration. Let them continue to kill themselves they concluded, though they never stepped out of their homes or comfort zones to know what is really happening in the war front. We cried out loud, stop the killings of innocent people, stop the terrorists,but our fellow countrymen laughed from afar, it's the north killing themselves. When over 200 Chibok girls were kidnapped under a state of emergency in which the power of the governor is practically stripped off, the tears of those parents, whose children were kidnapped didn't move them a bit. We said bring back our girls, they said don't disturb the President, ask the governor. We passionately appealed to our brothers and sisters to join us with one voice to call a spade what it is so we can collectively work against the evil amongst us, but they said no, it is your problem, face it alone. We said an injustice to one is an injustice to all, they converge in their homes, offices, streets and beer parlors, mocking our genuine struggle to defend victims of human inhumanity. This is not how to be human. If had collectively confronted our joint enemy, we had all shown concern,if we had all spoken with one voice,if had not politicize human sufferings, maybe today things would not be the way it is. While the current government is currently dealing with the terrorist group, something else is brewing underground. Terrorists masquerading as herdsmen are killing innocent people, some people call them fulani. The same sets of people who prevented us from collectively fighting Boko Haram as one nation by describing it as a northern affair are gradually succeeding in painting this current terrorism as ethnic agenda. We must not allow them succeed. This is their way of life, creating division for political benefits. We must not be divided once again. Terrorist is terrorist, terrorism is terrorism, we must collectively confront the current situation with all sincerity. If you join the negative propaganda, you are part of the terrorists. If you join in propagating falsehood and conspiracy theories, you are part of the terrorists. If you keep silent over this killings and join in defending or promoting the ethnic narrative, you are not different from the terrorists. It's either you are with humanity or the terrorists.

Hum