By TochukwuEzukanma<\/p>\n
A onetime Chinese leader, Mao Tse Dong, once said, \u201cWeadvocate world peace<\/p>\n
but there can be no peace without war\u201d. Interestingly,history has<\/p>\n
consistently attested to the validity of this maxim. The history ofEurope,<\/p>\n
for example, was replete with wars between European countries up till<\/p>\n
themid-20th Century, when European countries fought a comprehensive warand<\/p>\n
a comprehensive peace dawn on Europe in a comprehensive way. As the<\/p>\n
federalgovernment of Nigeria has refused to restrain and punish armed,<\/p>\n
violent Fulaniherdsmen, only a determined fight against them will end<\/p>\n
their murderous lunacy inNorth Central Nigeria. The peoples of the area<\/p>\n
must engage the Fulani herdsmen firefor fire. For until the herdsmen are<\/p>\n
beaten to a bloody retreat, there will notbe peace in the region.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
General T Y Danjuma\u2019s recent call on the peoples ofthe North Central<\/p>\n
states to defend themselves against murderous Fulani herdsmenis most<\/p>\n
appropriate. The general is neither voluble nor flippant; he is a manof<\/p>\n
few, but direct and blunt, words. So, he made that call not in<\/p>\n
remissnesswith words. His impressive career spanned through politics,<\/p>\n
business and themilitary. He is one of the most important powerbrokers in<\/p>\n
Nigeria. He is aconsummate insider with a lucid insight into the<\/p>\n
operations of the army andother security agencies. In addition, he has a<\/p>\n
firsthand knowledge of thepolitical operators that run this country. As<\/p>\n
such, he is in a vantage point toappreciate the absurdity of the peoples<\/p>\n
of North Central Nigeria expectingprotection from the federal government.<\/p>\n
Thus, he urged them to defendthemselves, on their own, against Fulani<\/p>\n
herdsmen.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ordinarily, it is the purview of the federalgovernment to defend the lives<\/p>\n
and property of Nigerians. It is prosaicknowledge that one of the central<\/p>\n
responsibilities of government is the protectionof lives and property. The<\/p>\n
Buhari administration has failed woefully in thisrespect. And the peoples<\/p>\n
of different parts of Nigeria, especially, the NorthCentral states of<\/p>\n
Nigeria have remained under relentless attacks from bands ofmarauding mass<\/p>\n
murders euphemistically termed \u201cFulani herdsmen.\u201d The Buhariadministration<\/p>\n
has turned a blind eye to the atrocities of these Fulani<\/p>\n
terrorists.Unimpeded, they rampage through defenseless farming<\/p>\n
communities, leaving death,devastation, pains and sorrow in their wake. .<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Fulani herdsmen are the foot soldiers of wealthyand powerful cattle<\/p>\n
owners, whose umbrella association is known as the MiyettiAllah Cattle<\/p>\n
Breeders Association of Nigeria. They are invariably subject tothe<\/p>\n
authority of Myietti Allah. The average herdsman lacks the wherewithal<\/p>\n
toacquire sophisticated assault rifles. They are armed by their masters in<\/p>\n
the MiyettiAllah. Buhari is a member of Miyetti Allah. Not surprisingly,<\/p>\n
he hasdemonstrated an emotional attachment to the organization, its armed<\/p>\n
terrorists andits hidden agendas. His government refuses to rein-in the<\/p>\n
bloodthirsty herdsmen,protect the farming communities, and prosecute<\/p>\n
culpable herdsmen and their suspectedsponsors. Consequently, the people of<\/p>\n
these communities remain at the mercy ofMiyetti Allah armed terrorists and<\/p>\n
their sociopathic relish for killing,raping, maiming and burning down<\/p>\n
entire villages. As the death toll, number of burntdown villages and<\/p>\n
displaced persons from the herdsmen murderous binges continueto mount,<\/p>\n
President Buhari and his security chiefs vacillate, equivoc<\/p>\n
Evidently, it is futile for the afflictedcommunities to continue to wait<\/p>\n
on the federal government for protection fromFulani herdsmen. Also, futile<\/p>\n
is Governor Samuel Ortom-styled emotive publicity(publicized mass burial<\/p>\n
and public funeral). It poignantly dramatized theinhumanity and<\/p>\n
murderousness of the herdsmen and the failure of the Nigeriangovernment to<\/p>\n
put an end to their unrelenting decimation of the innocent. It evokedthe<\/p>\n
sympathy of Nigerians and the world. However, it portrayed the governor<\/p>\n
ina bad light; it depicted him not as a courageous leader capable of<\/p>\n
taking theinitiative to defend his people, but as a whimpering wimp<\/p>\n
desperate forattention and pity. Over all, it did not, in any way, reduce<\/p>\n
the danger andinsecurity that mar the lives of his people that live under<\/p>\n
the daily fear ofFulani herdsmen attacks.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The first human instinct is self-preservation. Andin recognition of this<\/p>\n
fundamental reality, the law makes provision forself-defense. It allows<\/p>\n
the individual to fight back, and even, kill his would-have-beenassailant<\/p>\n
in self-defense. Until the federal government can uphold itsconstitutional<\/p>\n
obligation to defend the lives and property of the farmingcommunities in<\/p>\n
the Middle Belt, Danjuma\u2019s call for self-defense remainsgermane. They<\/p>\n
should organize, train and arm themselves, and then, resolutelyand<\/p>\n
ruthlessly fight the Fulani herdsmen. Only then will these mindless<\/p>\n
Fulanimass-murders leave them alone.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
TochukwuEzukanma writes from Lagos, Nigeria<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
maciln18@yahoo.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By TochukwuEzukanma A onetime Chinese leader, Mao Tse Dong, once said, \u201cWeadvocate world peace but there can be no peace without war\u201d. Interestingly,history has consistently attested to the validity of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":43449,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-61427","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles-opinions"],"yoast_head":"\n