By: Ifeanyi Izeze<\/p>\n
Being \u201cextreme left\u201d or \u201cextreme right\u201d are measurement
\nstandards that solely depend on who is doing the definition. To a
\nleftist everything is right and to the rightist, everything is left.
\nThat\u2019s where we are today as a nation of people. Everybody is
\ninterpreting the constitution to support their evil agenda against
\ncorporate Nigeria.<\/p>\n
Tragically, across the country marauders commonly referred to as
\nbandits, Fulani herdsmen, Boko Haram terrorists etc. freely move around
\nfrom one area to the other meting mayhem on innocent citizens of this
\ncountry for no reasonably genuine reasons whatsoever.<\/p>\n
The worst part of it is that those that should speak out against these
\ncriminal atrocities either became dumb and\/or opt to play dangerous
\npolitics with the issue. And this conspiracy of silence by northern
\nleaders produced all kinds of interpretations of the source of the
\naudacity of the armed herdsmen and bandits. Truth be told, when leaders
\n(religious and political) refuse to speak against the glaring evil in
\ntheir domain, it is either they are part of the problem or they benefit
\nlucratively from it.<\/p>\n
Hitherto, Gen. T.Y. Danjuma was the lone voice from the entire northern
\nNigeria speaking against the ills of the marauding Fulani bandits and of
\ncourse his reasons are obvious as his people have serially been attacked
\nand messed up by the same herdsmen\/bandits.<\/p>\n
Now, a first of its kind ever heard, the fiery Islamic Scholar, Sheikh
\nDr Ahmad Gumi and the Kano State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje have boldly
\nstepped out to proffer solutions to the spate of senseless killings by
\nbandits and herders in the north and elsewhere across the country. This
\nis what Nigerians from other sections expected the northern leaders to
\nhave done right at the onset of the security challenge that has
\nliterally destroyed the economy of the north whether anybody wants to
\nhear it or not.<\/p>\n
As exclusively reported by the Desert Herald Newspaper, Sheikh Dr Gumi
\nhas stepped out to pioneer the course of peace between the Fulani
\nherdsmen and other Nigerians, particularly in the Northwest where on
\ndaily basis we get reports of bandits wiping out entire villages with
\nimpunity.<\/p>\n
Sheikh Gumi on Tuesday 19th January convened the first-ever fact-finding
\npeace initiatives with over 500 armed Fulanis and about 25 of their top
\ncommanders somewhere in the bush in Kaduna state.<\/p>\n
The mission of the Sheikh is to \u201ceducate, support and pacify aggrieved
\nFulani herdsmen that turns into kidnapping and armed banditry.\u201d Just
\nto hear them out on a first hand basis. If this is not a milestone, how
\nelse can anyone describe it? Have we heard of that kind of meeting
\nanywhere in the north since this mayhem started?<\/p>\n
Though details of Sheik Gumi\u2019s discussions with the armed Fulani men
\nare not known, interestingly, it was disclosed that they accused
\ngovernment of not being sincere in ending instances of banditry and
\nkidnappings. They said the Fulanis are not the only culprits in the
\nbusiness of kidnappings and banditry as most of the local intelligence
\nthey used to gather are being coordinated by their accomplices in the
\ncity as it is impossible for them that are predominantly living in the
\nbushes to personally know their targets, locations of houses or to even
\nidentify the rich without such internal collaborators. They said
\ngovernment has failed in acknowledging and addressing that reality. But
\nthis a story for another time<\/p>\n
No doubt, Sheikh Gumi\u2019s carrot approach and confidence-building
\nmission should be encouraged as key to any solution that will enthrone
\nlasting peace and security in the region where kidnappings and banditry
\nhas become a daily occurrence.<\/p>\n
Also, few days from the Sheikh\u2019s meeting with the armed Fulani
\nherdsmen, Governor Ganduje of Kano state also stepped out to urge the
\nFederal Government to enact a law banning the movement of cattle from
\nthe north to other parts of the country in order to resolve the
\nincessant incidences of clashes between farmers and herders and address
\nthe spate of banditry, kidnappings and other heinous crimes attributed
\nto the Fulanis some of them herders.<\/p>\n
His words, \u201cMy advocacy is that we should abolish through a law the
\ntransportation or trekking of herdsmen from the northern part of Nigeria
\nto the middle belt and to the Southern part of Nigeria. Otherwise we
\ncannot control the conflicts between herdsmen and farmers and cannot
\ncontrol the spate of cattle rustling which is affecting us greatly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Give it to these two northern leaders, they deserve commendation for
\nthis path they are toeing because no matter what happens, this Fulani
\nbanditry can only be sincerely addressed by Fulani\/Hausa elders as we
\nhad with the Niger Delta militants.<\/p>\n
True as said by the Kano State governor, if such prohibition of cattle
\nmovement for open grazing is enacted, it would nip in the bud the
\nincessant incidences of clashes between farmers and herders as well as
\nresolve the many illicit cases and security issues associated with the
\nnomads including banditry, kidnappings for ransom etc. So it\u2019s a call
\nof common sense.<\/p>\n
Ganduje\u2019s idea is brilliant. He is also an expert in agriculture and a
\nstakeholder in animal husbandry. He ought to know the challenges of the
\nsector. He also ought to know what will be the solution.<\/p>\n
If the prohibition is enacted, it resolves what we are facing at the
\nmoment across the country. Wandering around from state to state, from
\ncities to cities with grazing cattles and causing mayhem is an
\nanachronistic concept that no longer should be allowed in the 21st
\ncentury. We can do better than that!<\/p>\n
Obviously, bad Fulanis have infiltrated the good ones we used to have;
\nthey are committing serious havocs creating fear and despondency
\neverywhere in the country even in their natives states in the Northwest.
\nHow long can a nation allow this misdemeanour to continue?<\/p>\n
If the proposal coming from Sheikh Gumi and Ganduje: two prominent
\nnorthern leaders will solve the problem of armed banditry and
\nkidnapping, it is a welcome development and need to be supported by all
\nand sundry. More prominent northern leaders especially the honourable
\nIslamic scholars and teachers that have integrity to be honoured and
\nlistened to need to speak up against the ills by these armed Fulani
\nbandits. We cannot continue like this and everybody is keeping quite!<\/p>\n
It is the height of insensitivity and outright callousness for any
\nlawmaker to say that such enactment of such law would not only be
\nunconstitutional, but also go contrary to the part of the constitution
\nwhich stipulates that Nigerians, irrespective of state of birth or
\nnativity had right to freedom of movement.<\/p>\n
Your right to freedom of movement and\/or residency cannot trample upon
\nmy own right to life and ownership of land and crops in my place of
\nnativity and\/residence. If that is allowed as we have today, then
\nsomething is grossly wrong with the interpretation of that section of
\nthe Constitution.<\/p>\n
Ganduje\u2019s proposition and Sheikh Gumi\u2019s initiatives are fantastic
\nideas that need a follow up in pragmatic and sincere manner towards
\naddressing this herdsmen\/bandit security problem. What to do now is to
\nlook at the credibility of the propositions with sincerity and unbiased
\nmindset. It can be made to go as a private bill before the National
\nAssembly and given expedited action considering the seriousness of the
\nissue on our oneness as a nation of people and the security of lives and
\nproperty across the country. God bless Nigeria!<\/p>\n