*FG, states must act fast as members want justice – Leaders
*As more Fulani leaders react to perceived military air strikes
*Figure we recovered were up to 60 not 42 – Salihu Muhammad
*If military is not owning the blame, somebody has to take responsibility, who ordered the killings? – Bambado II
By KEMI KASUMU
The killing, allegedly, by military air strikes of over 42 Fulani herders, who some military sources tried to tag bandits in the early hours of Wednesday, has been condemned by aggrieved Fulani leaders.
They not only condemned what they described as wicked killing ostensibly orchestrated, allegedly, by Governor of Benue State, Mr. Samuel Ortom, but also knocked attempt by some “faceless military sources” to tag who they said were clearly norman Nigerians doing their normal businesses but killed unjustly as terrorists.
It is untrue. One of them kicked saying those youths lived in Nasarawa State boundary town with Benue, Rukubi where Fulani people are settled in Doma Local Government Area, but that their cows, naturally and characteristic of them, grazed into the Benue State territory leading to them being seized by Benue State Livestock Guards under the claim of enforcing the “so-called” anti-open grazing law of Ortom-led Administration.
The DEFENDER can authoritatively report that Fulani leaders across Nigeria up to their outreach internationally are aggrieved, angered and saddened by the killings they described as “obviously offshoot of anti-Fulani project of Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom either misleading the military or some elements within the all-important armed forces purposefully colluded with the governor to implement his hate for Fulani people”.
Among them were the Ardo that is the Sarkin Fulani of Nasarawa State, Alhaji Lawal Dono, Kaduna-based Islamic cleric and an active Fulani rights advocate, Mallam Salihu Muhammad, and the Sarkin Fulani of Lagos, His Royal Highness Dr Mohammed Abubakar Bambado II.
Speaking with The DEFENDER Newspaper in the early hours of Thursday from Kaduna, Mallam Salihu Muhammad who, despite military’s continued silence or allowing the “evil deeds” to remain subject of guessing from unconfirmed sources, confirmed the “mischief” in the allegedly obscure military operation and vehemently posited that it was not possible by anyone to claim that those herders killed Wednesday were bandits.
According to Muhammad, “This is not the first time Fulani herders are being unjustly killed on the ground that their shed blood has always been traced to Governor Ortom. The Fulani all over the country and right thinking people globally have no doubt in their minds that Governor Ortom’s mission in government is to help himself and those who share his hate-based political ideology to exterminate the Fulani people.”
He said, “Dead people who had governor of Nasarawa State represented by his deputy, Emirs of Lafia and Doma and other well meaning leaders attend their funeral on Wednesday and who were confirming that they were killed unjustly. How can you say those people were bandits? They had relations who knew why and when they left homes to go to Ortom’s Livestock Guards to collect their released cows for which release they paid N29,500,000 among them a lawyer. You can’t be fair to call them terrorists. It is misplacement of justice and Allah will judge Ortom but let the governments of Nigeria, Nassarawa and Benue states investigate and act in fulfilment of the duty Allah placed on them.”
In a WhatsApp message he sent before the voice Interview, the Fulani rights advocate said: “Subha-nallah this is what Ortom of Benue State did to our Fulani pastoralist yesterday 24th January 2023 after kidnapping their 1,250 cows and they paid the ransom of ₦29,500,000.00. And he killed them again, and it’s not even in Benue State it’s in Nasarawa State at Rukubi under Doma LGA of Nasarawa State, yesterday (Wednesday).”
On the sidelines of a 30-minute media Interview in his palace on Thursday, the Sarkin Fulani of Lagos and Chairman, South West Council of Fulani Chiefs, Dr. Mohammed Abubakar Bambado II, said the killings were sad, wicked, unacceptable and must be investigated by Federal Government, Governments of Nasarawa and Benue state, respectively.
Trusting that the Nigerian Armed Forces under the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky EO Irabor, and Nigerian Air Force under the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Isiaka Oladapo Amao, would not give such instruction for any jet fighter to fly into the sky and strike innocent Nigerians without correct intelligence, the Fulani leader expressed hope that they would take necessary actions now and not later.
“For what? Because they are cows’ owners or because they are Fulani people of Nigeria? Military leadership could not do that. That is why they are not coming out to speak but somebody must take responsibility for it,” he said.
Told that although there has been no statement from the military but that military sources claimed they did operations and that they only killed bandits, Sarki Bambado II said:
“We, the Fulani people are anti-crime group of people. So, we will never go against any military action to end terrorists or bandits activities anywhere in Nigeria even if they are found out to be from among the bad eggs of Fulani tribe like they could be from among bad eggs of Yoruba or Igbo tribe. So, if they had airstriked bandits, who of course are criminals and to whom even many Fulani herders have been falling victims, we would commend them.
“But for you to kill people who are law abiding and are only doing what they know best how to do, herding, after you have held their cows for a long time starving them and subjecting them to paying ransom of N29,500,000 or there about, you still give the military misinformation to go ahead and kill so called bandits when you know quite well that you were the one that asked them to come and collect their cows after paying heavily for their release, and you call those people bandits? No!
“Something fast must be done by the Federal Government because our people are demanding for justice and it must not be delayed. As for Ortom, he will pay for all that he has done to the Fulani race of Nigeria because all the anti-Fulani hates and campaigns that have occurred across other regions of Nigeria emanated from Benue State under him. Fulani people had been living in peace with Benue people until he came to government.
“Governor Ortom is an open enemy of Fulani people to the extent that he went to state that is not even his own and killed innocent Nigerians because of hate for their tribe. He will pay for all of these because we will use all means available in law to achieve that, since he failed to remember that there is always life after government. But let the Federal Government and the military do their own parts first,” he said.
*Watch out for full interview if Sarkin Fulani of Lagos in The DEFENDER Newspaper.
