By Rauf Oyewole
SIR: The Emir of Muri Kingdom in Taraba State, Abbas Tafida must have been fed up as a traditional ruler. He must have been pushed to the wall by the activities of some killer herders. His subjects may have grown restive should he fail to talk about what ails his kingdom-the raping of women and children, looting and kidnapping of the people of the community.
The emir chose Sallah day – when his kinsmen were expecting a message of hope – to speak out. He issued a one-month ultimatum to Fulani herders to leave his kingdom.
The Emir who spoke in Hausa language said something to this effect: “Our Fulani herdsmen in the forests, you came into this state and we accepted you, why then will you be coming to towns and villages to kidnap residents, even up to the extent of raping our women?
“Because of this unending menace, every Fulani herdsman in this state has been given a 30-day ultimatum to vacate the forests. We are tired of having sleepless nights and the hunger alone in the land is enormous and we will not allow it to continue.”
Apart from these, the emir also said “we won’t allow this (sleepless night) to continue”, how does this kingdom plan to stop its sleepless night if the tormentors failed to leave and the language from Abuja is not reachable in Muri Kingdom?
One hopes that the emir’s comment will not lead to overnight DSS raid, or, grave charges bordering on terrorism or other subversive activities.
May be that’s why the Governor of Benue, Samuel Ortom was seen wailing and weeping when his kingdom was invaded. Like the Emir of Muri, Ortom also gave an ultimatum to the herders who kill, kidnap and loot but it failed. Perhaps, it has worsened the peace move in the land. More blood wasted. The governor is helpless, he does not control security architecture but he told his people to defend themselves where governments failed.
When the government failed to secure the lives of Ibarapa residents, they asked their tormentors to leave their ancestral land. It turned bloody. Women and children were being raped, farmers were kidnapped for ransom, and houses were looted. Oba’s Palace in Igangan, Oyo State was razed. Then came a ‘messiah’, Sunday Igboho who they saw as a freedom fighter even though some see him as a terrorist.
He led youths and women to protest insecurity and injustice in the land. The same groan of injustice from the Emir of Muri in Taraba and people of Agatu, Igede and Idoma in Benue. The voice of Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, is heard speaking for justice, fairness and equity.
The sleepless night is not only in Muri Kingdom; it is in Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina, Borno, Yobe, Niger and others. Hunger, as lamented by the emir, has spread to almost every household in the country.
When the emirs, the state governors and prominent citizens are issuing an ultimatum after weeping and wailing, leaders should be not seen feigning indifference particularly when those with power to destroy Nigerian Air Force planes are still being called bandits. Those that unsettle our unity are not seen as terrorists but good governance agitators are what we spend our time chasing. It means we have lost focus.
- Rauf Oyewole, raufoyewole01@gmail.com
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