By KEMI KASUMU
“The DEFENDER clarifies that whereas terrorism and banditry are criminal and outlawed, herders/farmers clashes are economic issues that require all hands to be on deck to be resolved. But some elements, for politicisation purposes, reason of hate and ethnic profiling, have wanted one part, Fulani herdsmen, to be declared as terrorist organisation, whereas both herdsmen and farmers are involved in the clashes and not terrorism.”
Although it has not trended in the general media, more Nigerians interested in fairness and justice have reacted to killing by midnight of over 42 Fulani herders on Nasarawa/Benue boundary community of Rukubi in Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State in the early hours of Wednesday January 25, 2023.
Following the interview of Sarkin Fulani of Lagos, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Bambado II, in The DEFENDER on Saturday, citizens from other race particularly of Yoruba Land, who feel touched by what they called politicisation of security and ethnic/religious profiling on the part of some elements in the country, have come out to join their voices with the calls for justice for the murdered Fulani herders.
Among them is Idris Ahmad, who reacted from Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital. Speaking to the question, “Who ordered military airstrikes that killed those Fulani herders?” by Bambado II, the Port Harcourt based Nigerian professional said, “We are waiting for the answer”.
He said, “The truth is that BENUE state officers are suspects in calling for those airstrikes. We should exercise restraint and await military to turn in her report on investigation panel.”
Others expressed concerns that the killing by yet to be officially confirmed military operation has not been considered for trending and the usual hypes in majority of the indigenous media as only few ones have reported it, they complained.
A continental medium, Africa News, on Saturday joined in helping mention the now difficult to justify military operation that led to the killing of those Fulani youths as reported.
According to reactions gathered by The DEFENDER, the Fulani people consider themselves as the most persecuted tribe with their plights always underreported by media in Nigeria.
In its report titled, “Herders blame airstrike that killed dozens on Nigeria’s air force”, Africa News reported that “death toll from a mysterious bomb blast that hit a group of herders in central Nigeria on Wednesday has risen to 40 from 27 previously”.
Quoting Thursday’s official statement by what the international media organisation said was by the local government that is Nasarawa State government, Africa News reported the Governor, Abdullahi Sule, to have said that: “We now have around 40 people who have been killed”.
The Governor confirmed the unfortunate killings by military operation that some unconfirmed military sources tried unsuccessfully to present as killing bandits. Those claims have been washed down as full representation of state, local governments and Nasarawa State Emirates and Fulani community leadership at burial of the unjustly terminated souls proved they were not bandits.
Burial of the murdered Fulani herders on Thursday was fully attended by families and friends of the deceased as well as deputy governor of Nasarawa State and Emirs of Lafia and Doma.
The airstrikes took place in Rukubi, on the boundary between Nasarawa and Benue states, a settlement of Fulani people who are mostly herders.
Although there has been no official statement from the military despite unconfirmed military sources admitting it carried out an air operation that killed not herders but bandits, a group representing herders reportedly said that the bombing that killed their members came from a military aircraft.
Speaking on Arise TV, Governor Abdullahi Sule had said, “There was a rumour earlier that the air force carried out this bombardment, but we now know that there was no overflight of the air force over this region.
“It was a drone that flew over the area and dropped the bomb,” the governor said, without saying who was in command.
“It was an airstrike. It killed 27 people,” Lawal Dano, a member of the Nigeria Cattle Breeders’ Association, Miyetti Allah, said on Wednesday.
“We all know that only the military has planes to carry out airstrikes, and we call for a thorough investigation and necessary sanctions for those behind this,” he added.
The Spokesman of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Mapkerem Maigida, did not respond to enquiry by The DEFENDER as to knowing what the truth of the matter was.
However, in the interview published by The DEFENDER on Saturday, Sarkin Fulani of Lagos, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Bambado II, who accused the Governor of Benue State of running an enmity project painting the Fulani as bad people, insisted that somebody must take responsibility for the killing as he asked, “Who gave the instruction for the military airstrikes that killed those Fulani youths?”
Africa News noted that in the past, there have been accidental military strikes on civilians in the north of the country where the military is fighting jihadists and criminal gangs.
“Disputes between cattle herders and farmers over land, grazing and water rights are common in the central and northwestern regions of Nigeria.
“Last week, nine people were killed by gunmen near a camp for displaced people, according to Benue state authorities.
“The tensions, whose roots go back more than a century, are caused by droughts, population growth, the expansion of sedentary agriculture and poor governance.
“In recent years, these conflicts have sometimes taken on an ethnic and religious dimension, with the Fulani herders being Muslims and the farmers mostly Christians.
“Insecurity will be one of the major issues in the presidential election scheduled for late February in Nigeria. As required by the Constitution, the head of state Muhammadu Buhari, a former general who was elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2019, is not running again.”
The DEFENDER clarifies that whereas terrorism and banditry are criminal and outlawed, herders/farmers clashes are economic issues that require all hands to be on deck to be resolved. But some elements, for politicisation purposes, reason of hate and ethnic profiling, have wanted one part, Fulani herdsmen, to be declared as terrorist organisation, whereas both herdsmen and farmers are involved in the clashes and not terrorism.
The only terrorist organisations that Nigerian armed forces are at war with are Boko Haram in the North East, bandits in the North West and North Central and Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in the South East.
A concerned citizen speaking on this said, “The problem of Nigeria emanated from ethnic hate, sentiment and intolerance. Whereas you have the media promoting bailouts support from Federal Government for one (non-Fulani) part, they and their cronies jump up against same benefits for Fulani herdsmen to access ranching.
“Sadly, the government did not even forge ahead with its plan to release money for RUGA project to the herders to stop being endangered in the bushes or stop clashes between them and farmers. It is sad,” he expressed.
