Fact: Kidnapping, banditry and allied violent crimes have spiked in Nigeria’s South West, with the native Yoruba crying blue murder — and just as well.
But what isn’t so clear is where the perpetrators of these dastardly crimes come from, beyond the fact that they are basically non-natives — and that the most perilous paths, in the kidnapping route, are the Ibadan-lkire-Ife expressway, Ilesa-Akure expressway, Ijebu-jesa-Efon road, linking Osun and Ekiti states, and the Akure-Owo expressway, linking Ondo with Edo State.
Even on the non-native criminals, the narratives are changing. First, it was the tale of criminal Fulani, herdsmen, criminals and allied gun men, come to capture Yoruba forests and boasting about it — bragging: no force under the sun could sack them from their new forested empires of crime.
Then, came claims that though those criminals could indeed be Fulani, they were likely of foreign hues; as some of them spoke French and seemed to have come from Chad, Niger, Sudan and even Libya!
That appeared to punch holes in the claim of a pan-Nigeria Fulani criminal commune bent on sacking Yoruba land, even as it raised questions how such foreign criminals penetrated deep into the country.
Then, came further narratives, from a kidnap at Okada, on the Sagamu-Benin expressway. The victim, a teacher, could have sworn, at the point of kidnap, after 7 pm on the day, that his captors were the wicked and heartless Fulani, so dressed in fake Police gears.
But at the point of release, after his family had parted with some N2 million ransom money, he realized they were what looked like Edo-speaking criminals, committing crime — and grossing millions — on the Fulani’s behalf!
The take even spoke of a near-rescue from the much-loathed and cursed “Fulani herdsmen”, in some twisted lore of Fulani herdsmen as undisputed helmsmen of Yoruba/Edo forest kidnapping. In this case, the “Fulani” impostors had to stay still and pretend to merge with the vegetation in the dark, to escape the probing glare of the herdsmen’s searchlight.
Then: a worrying tale of the use of IT-powered tracking device, speaking of a possible local police collusion in the racket.
Then, came a kidnap, on the Akure-Owo-Ifon road, by four hefty men, just gone viral on social media.
A man, self-identified as Adenrele, on Twitter, revealed how four hefty men, kidnapped him and his uncle, at about 7 am and marched them into the bush.
Three hours later, he saw a tattered herds boy, who just passed by in the forest, near a stream, where the captives were tied up. The boy had tracked them to their kidnappers’ den; and would, some hours later, emerge with seven herdsmen to the captives’ rescue.
So, something good can come from the much maligned Fulani herdsmen and kidnappers’ company, eh?
The moral is clear. Inasmuch as there are some Fulani kidnappers, this crime has become an all-comers’ business. So, folks should stop chasing shadows. Tackle the kidnappers and leave the sweet distraction, of where they come from.
On this score, President Muhammadu Buhari has his job cut out for him. He must act — and fast too. Meanwhile, enough of distracting tales.
Kidnappers are our clear are present danger. Wherever they come from is immaterial!
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