By KEMI KASUMU
“People like you writing and hitting hard over this injustice, like you do to other persecuted Nigerians, will make the authorities and perpetrators of this indefensible, unacceptable and, unarguably, wicked satanism to be very careful. I read your interview with Sarkin Fulani of Lagos. Let me tell you, no Fulani person will be happy with that kind of killing…”
An advice has gone to the authorities in Nigeria to, as a matter of urgency, speak out and not remain silent over the massacre by allegedly military airstrikes of over 48 Fulani herders on Nasarawa/Benue boundary community of Rukubi, Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, last Wednesday.
“Whether action has started on it or not, it behooves not the Federal Government of a country as important as Nigeria not to speak to Nigerians on such sensitive matter of killing of those innocent Fulani people one week after,” an observer of the events as they unfold warned.
He said all the government and the military need to do to continue to earn the confidence and trust of the people and not add to existing angers on ground is to say, “Oh, we have received this information but we are working tirelessly on investigation with a view to unraveling the mystery behind the so called military airstrikes. We will be back with outcomes of our findings”.
Expressing the hope that such pacifying statement was not too late already, he complained that nothing of such has happened whereas these lost souls are those of human beings, Nigerian citizens and lawful business owners and members of the society, who died in a circumstance that has been blamed on connivance between a unit of the nation’s military and a Nigerian governor known for being anti-Fulani, according to his accusers.
Recall that the Fulani people said Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom-led government had seized over 1,000 cows that naturally grazed into his state’s side of the boundary from the Rukubi town in accumulation, charged them to pay N29,500,000 for their release.
They were said to have tasked themselves and then paid the charges and we’re on ground, on invitation of the government’s Livestock Guards invitation for the collection of their cows, only for them to see a military aircraft which started shelling, bombing them with over 48 members dead and all the cows they paid for, killed.
Although some unconfirmed military sources presented a scenario of the murdered as bandits killed during an anti-terrorism air operation same day, with swift intervention of governments and Emirates in Nasarawa State, which attended the burial ceremony of the over 48 “wickedly” terminated souls, and evidences from their relations and sources connected with anti-banditry military operations in the Nasarawa State axis, that banditry tagging failed to fly.
It has been maintained persistently that there was no military operation known to approvals on that boundary town on the said day as Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State confirmed the killings.
Sarkin Fulani of Lagos, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Bambado II, did not mince his words in accusing the Governor of Benue State, Mr. Samuel Ortom, of complicity in the killings and, neither the governor nor the military had owned up, has demanded to know who gave the instruction to those military people that went and killed those Fulani youths using state owned military aircraft as confirmed.
On Monday January 30, while discussing matters arising from newspapers review titled, “Security matters guaranteeing safety of Nigerians”, questions were raised as per, “how do we explain the killing of Fulani herdsmen in Nasarawa State”, with a kicker as to whose responsibility it is to ensure security of those herdsmen like of other Nigerians, who should take responsibility but who are not doing their job.
Why military must speak up – Concerned Citizens
Although Fulani leaders have continued to warn their aggrieved members against consideration of reprisals and, while asking them to allow the governments and military to handle the matter, some concerned Nigerians have expressed fears that the nation, this time, may be sitting on keg of gunpowder if those who should address the matter now are not doing so.
One of them, who spoke under condition of anonymity, was of the opinion that the air force field commander in Markudi, Benue State, from whose fleet the aircraft was deployed for the killings, thereby putting the much respected Nigerian Armed Forces in difficult situation at the moment, must not be allowed to go free.
“That man, commander, will not go free. This Benue State governor is one of the governors that scream about having no control of security blaming it as reason for the insecurity in their states and you have him now using the military, allegedly, to kill innocent Fulani people.
“I understand the Air Forces Commander in Makurdi takes orders from the state governor. Is it supposed to be like that? But no! Who ordered the killing of those people?
“That Commander supposed not to take instruction from the governor. Even if he has information, he should verify it and now take clearance from his military superior, not just because one civilian is giving you money, he just gives you information and you go on and take action. It should not be so.
“I am really pitying the Nigerian military now because his action has put them in tight corner and they cannot speak. If you have done what is right, how many minutes or hours of the day should it take you to turn in your operational report to your superior in Abuja?”
‘Enforcing unconstitutional law’
He said, “Yes, they don’t want to come out to speak because, how would they face the public and the international community with this kind of killings? Should they come out and admit that, “Oh, it is military operation where we killed bandits or terrorists.” They won’t succeed with that because more than enough facts and evidences have come out to show that these were law abiding Fulani herders, whose cows were seized by a governor supposedly enforcing a law that permits some Nigerians to do business, while forbidding others from doing business in their own country.
“If you have problem with herders/farmers clashes, you let your law being enforced make provision for farmers to farm and herders to herd their cows. Not to shut the herders completely out of the law only for you to take care of the farmer alone and declare cows owners, who are equally economically viable as the farmers, as enemies of the state and of the good people of Benue State, who had always lived peacefully together before you became governor. And yet, you consume cow meat of the Fulani people. Who are you therefore?” He asked.
Dilemma of the fearless warriors
He continued, “Again, do the military want to come out and say “Sorry it was a mistake” or that, “It was an intelligence provided by the governor”? And they would be asked “what mistake happened that you killed number one, number two up to over 48 people and you still went ahead and killed their cows for which they already paid N29,500,000 to be release by him that instructed you?”
“They will also be asked, “Is the governor supposed to be the one from who you take instructions?” Is this not one of the reasons people who kick against state police in Nigeria are kicking? If Ortom has control of police constitutionally, he would have used it to kill all the Fulani in sight in his state because of the hate he carries to Government House against that race,” he said.
How military can avert crisis over these airstrikes
According to the source, “No matter what their dilemma is, the military must have to come out and apologise, then pay the damages to the Fulani organisation and their families with their N29,500,000 returned by Ortom, for them to have a sense of justice with sound warning that it must not happen again and that, of course, joined with investigation to getting the perpetrators and present them to Nigerians with their requisite punishment. Because this is not the first time Fulani people are being killed in this country that both the media and government did nothing about it. Yet, they love to scream on top of their voice to paint the Fulani as bad people.
“If this measure is not taken, this one is going to be a very serious one because, you know those Fulani people, they are very good in reprisals and counter-reprisals. What is bringing reprisal attacks is when there is no justice. When somebody is punished and is made to pay for the damages he has caused, at least there will be relief on the other side. I believe it is because nobody has been punished severely, that is why this thing keeps repeating itself,” he said.
On intelligence the commander had
“What intelligence? It is not about intelligence. Some of them are having this sentimental way of doing work. You have grudges and you want to use your position to settle scores. It is to say, “Don’t worry, before I leave office, I will deal with these people.”
“You see, you have that premeditated notion about certain people whether they are innocent or guilty. May Allah be pleased with us. It shall be well with us, inshallah,” he said.
Appreciates The DEFENDER Newspaper
“People like you writing and hitting hard over this injustice, like you do to other persecuted Nigerians, will make the authorities and perpetrators of this indefensible, unacceptable and, unarguably, wicked satanism to be very careful. I read your interview with Sarkin Fulani of Lagos. Let me tell you, no Fulani person will be happy with that kind of killing and the whole Fulani race can do anything because of that, I believe, if there is no justice.
