By TochukwuEzukanma
A onetime Chinese leader, Mao Tse Dong, once said, “Weadvocate world peace
but there can be no peace without war”. Interestingly,history has
consistently attested to the validity of this maxim. The history ofEurope,
for example, was replete with wars between European countries up till
themid-20th Century, when European countries fought a comprehensive warand
a comprehensive peace dawn on Europe in a comprehensive way. As the
federalgovernment of Nigeria has refused to restrain and punish armed,
violent Fulaniherdsmen, only a determined fight against them will end
their murderous lunacy inNorth Central Nigeria. The peoples of the area
must engage the Fulani herdsmen firefor fire. For until the herdsmen are
beaten to a bloody retreat, there will notbe peace in the region.
General T Y Danjuma’s recent call on the peoples ofthe North Central
states to defend themselves against murderous Fulani herdsmenis most
appropriate. The general is neither voluble nor flippant; he is a manof
few, but direct and blunt, words. So, he made that call not in
remissnesswith words. His impressive career spanned through politics,
business and themilitary. He is one of the most important powerbrokers in
Nigeria. He is aconsummate insider with a lucid insight into the
operations of the army andother security agencies. In addition, he has a
firsthand knowledge of thepolitical operators that run this country. As
such, he is in a vantage point toappreciate the absurdity of the peoples
of North Central Nigeria expectingprotection from the federal government.
Thus, he urged them to defendthemselves, on their own, against Fulani
herdsmen.
Ordinarily, it is the purview of the federalgovernment to defend the lives
and property of Nigerians. It is prosaicknowledge that one of the central
responsibilities of government is the protectionof lives and property. The
Buhari administration has failed woefully in thisrespect. And the peoples
of different parts of Nigeria, especially, the NorthCentral states of
Nigeria have remained under relentless attacks from bands ofmarauding mass
murders euphemistically termed “Fulani herdsmen.” The Buhariadministration
has turned a blind eye to the atrocities of these Fulani
terrorists.Unimpeded, they rampage through defenseless farming
communities, leaving death,devastation, pains and sorrow in their wake. .
The Fulani herdsmen are the foot soldiers of wealthyand powerful cattle
owners, whose umbrella association is known as the MiyettiAllah Cattle
Breeders Association of Nigeria. They are invariably subject tothe
authority of Myietti Allah. The average herdsman lacks the wherewithal
toacquire sophisticated assault rifles. They are armed by their masters in
the MiyettiAllah. Buhari is a member of Miyetti Allah. Not surprisingly,
he hasdemonstrated an emotional attachment to the organization, its armed
terrorists andits hidden agendas. His government refuses to rein-in the
bloodthirsty herdsmen,protect the farming communities, and prosecute
culpable herdsmen and their suspectedsponsors. Consequently, the people of
these communities remain at the mercy ofMiyetti Allah armed terrorists and
their sociopathic relish for killing,raping, maiming and burning down
entire villages. As the death toll, number of burntdown villages and
displaced persons from the herdsmen murderous binges continueto mount,
President Buhari and his security chiefs vacillate, equivoc
Evidently, it is futile for the afflictedcommunities to continue to wait
on the federal government for protection fromFulani herdsmen. Also, futile
is Governor Samuel Ortom-styled emotive publicity(publicized mass burial
and public funeral). It poignantly dramatized theinhumanity and
murderousness of the herdsmen and the failure of the Nigeriangovernment to
put an end to their unrelenting decimation of the innocent. It evokedthe
sympathy of Nigerians and the world. However, it portrayed the governor
ina bad light; it depicted him not as a courageous leader capable of
taking theinitiative to defend his people, but as a whimpering wimp
desperate forattention and pity. Over all, it did not, in any way, reduce
the danger andinsecurity that mar the lives of his people that live under
the daily fear ofFulani herdsmen attacks.
The first human instinct is self-preservation. Andin recognition of this
fundamental reality, the law makes provision forself-defense. It allows
the individual to fight back, and even, kill his would-have-beenassailant
in self-defense. Until the federal government can uphold itsconstitutional
obligation to defend the lives and property of the farmingcommunities in
the Middle Belt, Danjuma’s call for self-defense remainsgermane. They
should organize, train and arm themselves, and then, resolutelyand
ruthlessly fight the Fulani herdsmen. Only then will these mindless
Fulanimass-murders leave them alone.
TochukwuEzukanma writes from Lagos, Nigeria
maciln18@yahoo.com