*Enugu Fulani community leader intervenes

By Chinenyeh Ozor

Confusion has enveloped Ukpabi Nimbo community in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area, Enugu State, following an alleged attempt by Fulani herdsmen to invade the community and displace residents for cattle-grazing.

About 500 Fulani herdsmen were allegedly assembling at Ukpabi Nimbo community in the area to launch an attack.

It was gathered that the herdsmen at Adani had, weekend, imported these 500 others from Nasarawa State to help them invade the community on grounds that some of their cattle were missing.

However, stakeholders from the local government met, weekend, to find solutions to the incessant attacks by herdsmen on communities in the local government, leading to the kidnap of over 15 persons and raping of several women from the area along the Nsukka-Adani-Umulokpa road in the last six months.

Those kidnapped allegedly paid ransoms ranging from N500,000 to about N5 million before they regained their freedom.

According to sources, Chairman, Transition Committee, Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area, Cornell Onwubuya, reportedly alerted Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and the state Commissioner of Police, Ekechukwu on the development.

He was said to have further alerted the leaders of the Fulani community in Enugu State, who met with stakeholders from Uzo-Uwani to address the issue.

Emergency meeting

Speaking at the emergency meeting in Enugu, Onwubuya said the meeting was convened to address the allegation that herdsmen planned to import about 500 of their tribesmen to enable them invade some communities in the area.

He noted that local leaders of the Fulani community also confirmed that there were attempts to bring in mercenaries for the attack on the communities, adding that the Fulani leaders in Enugu had complained that some of their people were killed within the axis of Ukpabi Nimbo and Abbi communities in the recent past.

In his speech at the meeting, Enugu State leader of the Fulani community, Alhaji Haldo Saidu Baso said that he had lived in Enugu State for over 33 years and would not be alive to witness the type of crises that they were talking about.

The Fulani community later resolved to talk to their people in the state not take the laws into their hands.

Baso said: “We will travel to Nasarawa State to talk to the cattle owners and stakeholders to warn the rustlers in Enugu State to stay away from trouble.”

joborskill:
[b]I laugh at the ignorance displayed by many emotionally clouded Nigerians who are against the grazing bill proposed for the Fulani cattle rearers in all states of the Federation. Let's remember that like every other Nigerians, the Fulani's have the right to live and do their business in any part of the country. It is their constitutional right as Nigerians to own grazing fields in any choice location of the country so far it is paid for or provided by the government. We ought to applaud the move made by the federal govt because it will help in ending the unnecessary violence between the Farmers and the Herdsmen. By provision of grazing fields, the fulani's will be restricted to graze on an apportioned land provided by the federal govt. It will be a crime for them to graze their cattles on people's farms once the bill is passed into law. We should not castigate every fulani herdmen as killers because of the few bad ones among them. The incidence in Agatu and other parts of the country were perpetuated by cattle rustlers and not Fulani herdsmen. Cattle rustlers are armed terrorist who steal cattles from herdsmen and graze them around the country as a cover up for their terrorist acts. The ordinary Fulani herdsmen are peaceful people and will never harm innocent Nigerians. The fulani's do not move around with weapons but sticks to guide their cattle. I observed most critics of this Bill are from the eastern part of the country. The igbos need to realize that the federal govt owns all the land and territories in Nigeria and it can decide on how it chooses to use every inch of its territory. The fulani's have every right to graze in the SE and there is nothing any one can do about it. It is their right as a Nigerian just like the igbos are the most travelled tribe doing business in every part of the country. We cannot decide to restrict all igbo traders to the east because of the attitude of few bad eggs amongst them likewise the Fulani's. Most Nigerians criticized the federal govt when they decide to create ranches and import grasses from Brazil to graze these cattles so the herder wont roam about. Now the FG is shifting plans to create a grazing site for the herders in every state which is not a bad move by all standards. We are one Nigeria and we must learn to tolerate ourselves and live in peace. We must shun the politics of hatred and tribalism. Lord Luggard saw the potentials in our diversity before merging us up to form this great country. We must not allow ethnicity to cloud our sense of judgement when the federal govt proposes law that will favour every Nigerian. We must support the grazing bill so the Fulani's can do their business in peace. BTW i am a Yoruba man from the SW. proudly Nigerian [/b]

joborskill:
[b]I laugh at the ignorance displayed by many emotionally clouded Nigerians who are against the grazing bill proposed for the Fulani cattle rearers in all states of the Federation. Let's remember that like every other Nigerians, the Fulani's have the right to live and do their business in any part of the country. It is their constitutional right as Nigerians to own grazing fields in any choice location of the country so far it is paid for or provided by the government. We ought to applaud the move made by the federal govt because it will help in ending the unnecessary violence between the Farmers and the Herdsmen. By provision of grazing fields, the fulani's will be restricted to graze on an apportioned land provided by the federal govt. It will be a crime for them to graze their cattles on people's farms once the bill is passed into law. We should not castigate every fulani herdmen as killers because of the few bad ones among them. The incidence in Agatu and other parts of the country were perpetuated by cattle rustlers and not Fulani herdsmen. Cattle rustlers are armed terrorist who steal cattles from herdsmen and graze them around the country as a cover up for their terrorist acts. The ordinary Fulani herdsmen are peaceful people and will never harm innocent Nigerians. The fulani's do not move around with weapons but sticks to guide their cattle. I observed most critics of this Bill are from the eastern part of the country. The igbos need to realize that the federal govt owns all the land and territories in Nigeria and it can decide on how it chooses to use every inch of its territory. The fulani's have every right to graze in the SE and there is nothing any one can do about it. It is their right as a Nigerian just like the igbos are the most travelled tribe doing business in every part of the country. We cannot decide to restrict all igbo traders to the east because of the attitude of few bad eggs amongst them likewise the Fulani's. Most Nigerians criticized the federal govt when they decide to create ranches and import grasses from Brazil to graze these cattles so the herder wont roam about. Now the FG is shifting plans to create a grazing site for the herders in every state which is not a bad move by all standards. We are one Nigeria and we must learn to tolerate ourselves and live in peace. We must shun the politics of hatred and tribalism. Lord Luggard saw the potentials in our diversity before merging us up to form this great country. We must not allow ethnicity to cloud our sense of judgement when the federal govt proposes law that will favour every Nigerian. We must support the grazing bill so the Fulani's can do their business in peace. BTW i am a Yoruba man from the SW. proudly Nigerian [/b]

chukwudi44:
If the fulani want to attempt an agatu-like scenario in igboland,they better get ready for reprisals in major cities of the east!! The igbos are a majority ethnic group and. Expect reprisals in key eastern cities like onitsha,Aba,Enugu etc!! No one has a monopoly over violence.

joborskill:
[b]I laugh at the ignorance displayed by many emotionally clouded Nigerians who are against the grazing bill proposed for the Fulani cattle rearers in all states of the Federation. Let's remember that like every other Nigerians, the Fulani's have the right to live and do their business in any part of the country. It is their constitutional right as Nigerians to own grazing fields in any choice location of the country so far it is paid for or provided by the government. We ought to applaud the move made by the federal govt because it will help in ending the unnecessary violence between the Farmers and the Herdsmen. By provision of grazing fields, the fulani's will be restricted to graze on an apportioned land provided by the federal govt. It will be a crime for them to graze their cattles on people's farms once the bill is passed into law. We should not castigate every fulani herdmen as killers because of the few bad ones among them. The incidence in Agatu and other parts of the country were perpetuated by cattle rustlers and not Fulani herdsmen. Cattle rustlers are armed terrorist who steal cattles from herdsmen and graze them around the country as a cover up for their terrorist acts. The ordinary Fulani herdsmen are peaceful people and will never harm innocent Nigerians. The fulani's do not move around with weapons but sticks to guide their cattle. I observed most critics of this Bill are from the eastern part of the country. The igbos need to realize that the federal govt owns all the land and territories in Nigeria and it can decide on how it chooses to use every inch of its territory. The fulani's have every right to graze in the SE and there is nothing any one can do about it. It is their right as a Nigerian just like the igbos are the most travelled tribe doing business in every part of the country. We cannot decide to restrict all igbo traders to the east because of the attitude of few bad eggs amongst them likewise the Fulani's. Most Nigerians criticized the federal govt when they decide to create ranches and import grasses from Brazil to graze these cattles so the herder wont roam about. Now the FG is shifting plans to create a grazing site for the herders in every state which is not a bad move by all standards. We are one Nigeria and we must learn to tolerate ourselves and live in peace. We must shun the politics of hatred and tribalism. Lord Luggard saw the potentials in our diversity before merging us up to form this great country. We must not allow ethnicity to cloud our sense of judgement when the federal govt proposes law that will favour every Nigerian. We must support the grazing bill so the Fulani's can do their business in peace. BTW i am a Yoruba man from the SW. proudly Nigerian [/b]

Owamudia:


This is the time for ibos to go back home and defend their homesteads.
As ibos are trooping into the SW so are Fulanis trooping into the east.
ibos will remain visitors/strangers in the SW no matter how long they stay while Fulanis will eventually take over your ancestral lands.
This is no time for cowardly empty chest-beating.
Be warned!