IN spite of 24 hours curfew imposed on three Kaduna State Local Government Areas of Jema’a, Kaura and Zango Kataf for security reasons, it was a bloody Christmas eve as Goska village in Kaninkon Chiefdom of Jema’a in Kaduna State was attacked on Saturday night , leaving 10 persons dead and several houses razed.
Police Public Relations Officer, Kaduna Police Command, ASP Aliyu Usman confirmed the attack, but said there was no casualty. He described it as ”attempted attack” on the community.
Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai has however condemned the attack, describing it as inhumane and handiwork of forces of darkness.
El-Rufai in a strong-worded statement empathised with the families that lost their loved ones and charged security agencies to redouble their efforts.
He said the attackers will not know peace as they will be chased to their hideouts and brought to justice.
A local in Goska Bulus James told The Nation that, “the Fulani herdsmen had earlier informed the community that they will launch an attack on it. We didn’t take it seriously until when they came at about 5pm on Saturday. They encircled the village and started shooting anybody at sight.
According to him, “that shooting continued through the night. They killed one of the daughters of two term member of Kaduna State House of Assembly and a one time Chairman of Jema’a local government, Gideon Yakubu Morik and burnt his house and several other houses. Only a very few houses are left. As I speak with you, we can still hear the gunshot.
“It was very pathetic. It was a serious attack. While that was ongoing, they released their cattle to feed on beans yet to be harvested. We tried to call security people around who were outskirt of the village but we discovered that they don’t have bullets. So, we are only in the hand of God”, the source said.
Tag: Fulani
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Bloody Christmas: 10 killed in fresh attack in Kaduna
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Indigenes, Fulani community meet over Kaduna killings
•‘Crisis fuelled by rumours’
Indigenous communities in Southern Kaduna and the Fulani community met at the weekend to find ways to end incessant attacks and killings.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting, convened by Air Commodore Emmanuel Jekada (rtd), at St. Thaddeus Science Academy, Madakiya, was attended by representatives of 87 wards of the eight councils making up Kaduna South, tribal heads and youth groups.
Jekada noted that the gesture was part of his “little contribution” to efforts by the Kaduna State government towards ending the attacks.
“As a concerned citizen, I am trying to support peace moves by the Kaduna State government and as a military man, I want youths to understand that war does not lead to peace. It only leads to more wars, as it is being experienced in Southern Sudan and the Middle East,” he said.
NAN reports that the meeting was divided into eight groups, according to local governments, with each given posers and questions on possible causes of violence and how best to address them.
According to the presentations by the groups, the causes of the violence include poverty, unemployment, drug abuse, religious and tribal sentiments, as well as perceived injustices.
Other causes include abandonment of culture and tradition, bad leadership, intolerance, bad teachings by some religious leaders, political manipulations and rumour peddling.
Also identified are destruction of farm produce and killing of cattle, unprovoked attacks and insincerity by the government and its agents.
The participants said security personnel deployed to restore law and order should be fair, insisting that suspects be prosecuted to deter others.
Individual Fulani contributors, however, exonerated resident herdsmen from the attacks, but blamed foreign herdsmen.
On their part, the natives alleged that the government was being misinformed on the true nature and causes of the crises. They advised the government to always insist on hearing from all sides to be well guided into taking informed decisions.
They also advised the Fulani communities to help the security personnel and the government by reporting strangers among them.
Jekada said the resolutions would be forwarded to the government to help its efforts in ending the bloodshed.
He advised the media to be more security-conscious in their reportage, and cautioned against sentiments that could worsen the bad situation.
Rumours and unsubstantiated claims have, however, been identified as factors responsible for the killings.
Convener of the Southern Kaduna Peace Initiative and President, Community for Peace and Corrupt-Free Society (CPCFS), Ahmed Zakari Nguroje, who spoke at the Southern Kaduna Peace Initiative interactive session in Kafanchan, at the weekend, said parties involved in the conflict acted on hearsay, only to regret their actions later.
“For the people of Southern Kaduna, I urge you to always confirm your information before acting. If someone runs to tell you that the Fulani are planning to attack you, confront the leader of the Fulani and ask him; that way, you will prevent the loss of life and property.
“And for the Fulani, if you hear any information about an attack, go to the village head or district head and relay what you heard,” he said.
Nguroje stressed that those spreading rumours were the real enemies of peace, not indigenes or Fulani herdsmen.
He advised herdsmen to fish out members whose cattle enter people’s farms to destroy crops, as it will build peaceful co-existence.
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Police hunt killers of Kogi’s Fulani chief
The Kogi State police command has said its personnel were still on the hunt for the killers of the state leader of Fulani group, Maiyati Allah, Alhaji Ibrahim Abubarkar Jalido.
Jalido, a former two-term Secretary of Maiyati Allah in Kogi, took office as chairman of the group last September following a heated election which took place at the state secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He was killed at his residence around 2am on Saturday by suspected assassins. His body was riddled with bullets and machete cuts.
The incident occurred at Road 3 of Peace Community along the Ganaja-Ajaokuta road in Lokoja.
The gunmen numbering about 10 may have used a detour to beat police operatives attached to C Division Lokoja, as they were said to have approached their victim’s house through an unfamiliar route, before gaining access into the resident.
A resident who spoke under the condition of anonymity pointed accusing at Fulani herdsmen.
A neighbour of the deceased said that he saw strange faces within the vicinity not knowing they had evil motive in that area.
He said the deceased who is survived by two wives and children, was shot and cut with a machete as the assailants gained access to one of his wives’ room, having forced the door open.
A doctor attached to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Lokoja, Sam Alhassan, who conducted autopsy on the deceased recounted what happened during the wee hours, since his house is close by to where the incident occurred.
He said, “I was in my room which is just steps away to his house and I started hearing gunshots. Then, I rose up from my bed and I began to look through the window. I saw a group of bandits in two lines. At least I saw eight people, and they started shooting. The next thing that I saw was that a bullet hit the overhead tank and water started draining down. Later, me and my family went quiet for a while, then wife of the deceased came out and said ‘they have killed my husband.”
“On saying that, my landlord, who is a security officer, went inside to go and ascertain this fact, that the man is actually dead. I went inside also, I saw Alhaji in a pool of blood, his body macheted”.
It was however unclear whether or not the assailants made away with any money or property, as relatives kept mum, when prodded.
The Kogi State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr William Aya, who confirmed the incident, said the command was investigating the dastardly act.
The deceased was buried same day according to Islamic rites.
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Bello urges calm after Fulani leader’s murder
•We’re investigating, says police
Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has condemned the murder of the leader of the Miyetti-Allah Cattle Breeders Association in the state, Ibrahim Abubakar Jalindo.
Jalindo, who was killed in his Lokoja residence on Saturday, was a two-term secretary of Miyetti-Allah.
Bello, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary Petra Akinti Onyegbule, said the government was working with security agencies to unravel Jalindo’s death.
He appealed for calm.
The statement reads: “I received with sadness, news of the death of Alhaji Ibrahim Abubakar Jalindo today. On behalf of the people, I express my condolences to the Miyetti-Allah Association.
“As painful as this must be, I enjoin all to be calm as the government is working with security agencies to fish out the perpetrators as soon as possible. They will also be made to face the consequences of their actions.
“May Allah grant Alhaji Ibrahim Abubakar Al-Jannah Firdaus.”
The police said they were investigating Jalindo’s death, spokesman William Aya has said.
Jalindo’s predecessor Shaibu was killed by kidnappers about four months ago. His family paid N5 million for his release.
But his body was later found by his family.
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Gunmen kill leader of Kogi’s Fulani
The Kogi State chairman of Maiyati Allah, Alhaji Ibrahim Abubarkar Jalido, was murdered in the early hours of yesterday by unknown assailants.
He was killed at his residence at about 2.05am by suspected assassins who riddled his body with bullets.
The incident occurred at Road 3 of Peace Community along the Ganaja-Ajaokuta road in Lokaja.
Fear-stricken residents of Peace community said the gunmen, numbering about 10, may have used a detour to beat police operatives attached to C Division Lokoja.
The gunmen, according to them, used an unfamiliar route to gain access to the residence.
A resident, who spoke under anonymity, pointed fingers at Fulani herdsmen.
A neighbour of the deceased said they saw strange faces within the vicinity earlier in the day, not knowing they had evil intentions.
He said the deceased, survived by two wives and children, was macheted severally and shot in different parts of his body.
A doctor attached to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Lokoja, Sam Alhassan, who conducted autopsy on the deceased recounted what happened during the wee hours.
The doctor, whose his house is close to the scene of the incident, said: “I was in my room, which is just steps away to his house and I started hearing gunshot.
“Then, I rose up from my bed and I began to look through the window. I saw a group of bandits in two lines.
“At least I saw eight people and they started shooting. The next thing that I saw was that a bullet hit the overhead tank and water started draining down.
“Later, my family and I went quiet for a while. Then one of the wives of the deceased came out and said ‘they have killed my husband’.
“On saying that, my landlord who is a security officer, went inside to ascertain the man was actually dead.
“I went inside also. I saw Alhaji in a pool of blood, his body matcheted”.
It was, however, unclear if the assailants made away with any money or property.
Relatives of the deceased kept mum when prodded if the gunmen made away with anything.
The Kogi State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), William Aya, who confirmed the incident, said the command was investigating the dastardly act.
The deceased, it was gathered, has been buried according to Islamic rites.
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How to end Fulani herdsmen attacks, by Ekweremadu
Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu yesterday frowned on incessant attacks in Igbo land and other parts of the country by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
He advised the affected states to pass legislations that would restrict cattle rearing to modern ranches. The senator also suggested the setting up of forest rangers to enforce such laws.
A statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Uche Anichukwu, said Ekweremadu noted that unless Nigeria was restructured to make it more efficient and productive, it would be difficult for the country to wriggle out of its security challenges, pervasive poverty and retarded growth.
The deputy senate president said successive leaders would only be dealing with the symptoms and not the root causes of a festering illness.
The statement said Ekweremadu spoke at the weekend in New York, the United States of America (U.S.A), during this year’s Convention of the World Igbo Congress (WIC).
The senator noted that while the country awaited the much-needed restructuring, the incessant havoc by suspected Fulani herdsmen was unacceptable because it had monumental socio-economic consequences on the nation.
He hailed various state governments for managing the humanitarian crisis resulting from the attacks and for ensuring that there was no breakdown of law and order.
Ekweremadu said every legitimate step should be taken to end the herdsmen menace and avoid a situation where the people would resort to self-help.
He said: “Governments of the various states in Igbo land and indeed other parts of the country should immediately consider enacting legislations that confine cattle-rearing to modern ranches, as obtainable in developed societies.
“In fact, our governments could go a step further to invest in constructing and leasing out modern ranches.
“This will produce healthier animals, give better produce, provide employment, added value to the farm produce and help in promoting peaceful co-existence as well as sifting armed bandits and terrorists from real farmers doing legitimate business.”
Ekweremadu warned that the enforcement of such measures should not be left to federal security agencies alone.
He said: “Sadly, when you enact laws to checkmate the menace, as Ekiti State has commendably done, you will still rely on the same security institutions to enforce them. This is the dilemma.
“Therefore, our state governments should take further steps by ensuring that such legislations provide for enforcement bodies, such as Forest Rangers, which will consistently comb the forests to ensure that those who run foul of the laws are arrested and speedily prosecuted to serve as deterrent to others.”
The deputy Senate president regretted that “successive military regimes reneged on the core ingredients of a federal structure agreed upon by our founding fathers at various constitutional conferences leading up to independence, as the basis of the Nigerian union”.
He added: “Over the years, we have moved from a strong and viable three-regional federal structure to a weak, spendthrift and unwieldy 36-state structure. We moved from a decentralised police system that allowed the federating units to take greater charge of security of life and property in their territories to a centralised police system in which one man at the centre pretends to be in full charge of security of lives and property in the creeks of the Niger Delta, the cocoa farms of the Southwest, the expansive land mass of the North and the hinterlands of the Southeast.
“We also moved from fiscal federalism, which encouraged productivity and competitive development to a feeding bottle federalism that runs on free oil money, encouraging indolence, corruption and lack of creativity in governance.
“Now, you can see why the cost of governance is so high; why states can no longer pay salaries; why neither the Federal Government nor the federating units cared to invest, but lived off their allocations like lottery proceeds over the years; why it is difficult for a state governor to sack rampaging suspected herdsmen and why those who have the authority to call the security agencies to action to stop the menace may not be quick in their response.”
Ekweremadu urged the Ndigbo in the Diaspora to join the current debate on Nigeria’s restructuring because “it is at the heart of the forward-movement”.
The senator regretted that efforts and calls to restructure the country had always fallen on deaf ears because some people felt favoured by the current arrangement.
He insisted that the message should be continually passed that “he who pins another to the floor is also detaining himself”.
Ekweremadu said: “With good faith and realistic restructuring, every part of Nigeria, Igbo land inclusive, will explode in prosperity, the expected initial challenges notwithstanding. The good thing is that we can set a timeline and adopt an incremental approach to allay unfounded fears and misgivings that have held us down.”
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Four killed in reprisal attack
A reprisal attack between Fulanis and farmers have left four people dead and many others injured in Barakuta village in Bosso local government of Niger state.
Many houses, four cars and 17 motorcycles were burnt during the attack.
Investigation revealed that the crises began last Thursday when Fulanis killed a Gwari man who prevented them from raping a girl during the sallah celebration.
In a revenge attack, the Gwaris gathered together and killed some fulanis which led to the reprisal attack on the villagers.
The Niger State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Bala Elkana confirmed the incident saying that four people died during the attack while many houses and valuables were burnt down.
Elkana stated that police and military joint forces have been deployed to the village to bring the situation under control.
He urged the people of the community should remained calm as security agencies were on top of the situation. -
Curbing the terror of Fulani herdsmen
For many years, Nigeria has contended with more than enough societal infractions, all of which relate with threats to peace, security and most unfortunately life of innocent citizens.
Most notorious of these has been the Boko Haram insurgency which has become a part of a world-wide terrorism that confronts many nations today, not even sparing the hitherto “impregnable” nations like the United States, Britain, France et al! The others include militancy, local militias, armed robbery, communal land conflicts, clueless assassinations, kidnappings and lately, in a fast tempo but worsening dimensions, Fulani herdsmen hostilities.
To the glory of God, and also thanks to President Muhammadu Buhari’s initiatives since the ruling All Progressives Congress federal government came to power mid-2015, the Boko Haram arrogance and embarrassment is fast becoming a thing of the past.
On the other hand, the festering Fulani herdsmen hostility has assumed such an increasing dimension that kid-gloves would be unable to halt it.
Historically, the Fulani race are predominantly nomadic, a culture that perfectly fits into their tradition of cattle rearing, which they know how to do better than other tribes.
Since Nigeria was amalgamated in 1914, this culture had never brought them into conflict with their host communities in other parts of Nigeria, the way that we now experience it, which is very unfortunate.
This writer recalls with nostalgia how in those days, he and other young school children would visit the Fulani abodes in their communities to view cows at close range, especially when they were being milked in gaas (Fulani settlements). Such young “tourist” visitors were usually entertained with fura (boiled coagulated cow milk). We were never attacked by the Fulani hosts in those days! Neither did our parents and our ancestors confront them in their trade, because there was mutual respect in the prevailing symbiotic hegemony. In those days, the herdsmen would herd their cattle around for daily grazing far away from the gaas, painstakingly avoiding the farms and farmsteads of their host communities!
Today, this conviviality is no longer the case. Instead, it’s been gory tales galore from one community to another. Numerous reports now abound of Fulani herdsmen’s invasion of communities in the dead of the night, burning houses, and unleashing gunfire from sophisticated weapons to maim and kill defenseless Nigerians as a “reprisal” for the latter’s challenge of cattle eating crops that they had laboured to cultivate for a living!
In the pre- and early post-independence times, the herdsman would go about with only anchored arrows, sheathed swords and double-faced knives as defensive arms against rustlers and attackers. Nowadays, these crude arms have been replaced with sophisticated weapons like AK-47 rifles and pump action guns, as well as petrol in jerry cans, not for defence but for assault and arson! Where herders whose cattle destroyed farms were arrested and made to pay compensation, the herders soon staged reprisals by kidnapping such victims to extort multiples of fines as compensation. We have even had a case of elite kidnapping where a former Finance Minister and Secretary to the Federal Government was kidnapped on his farm in Ondo State but later released after a ransom was obtained by his Fulani captors!
It is a well-known fact nationwide that numerous lives had been lost and countless houses touched on account of the escapades of Fulani herdsmen. The latest of these happened at Ukpabi – Nimbo, Enugu State when about 50 people were reportedly killed when their village was invaded in the night of Sunday April 24. In earlier multiple assaults on the Agatu community in Benue State, the number of lives lost reportedly ran into hundreds.
Some common things in these attacks are the elements of reprisal, surprise and mostly nocturnal timing against unsuspecting citizens who in most cases were sleeping.
This style obviously qualifies the attacks for classification as terrorism, which Nigeria cannot afford again. As current military efforts are taking Nigeria out of Boko Haram insurgency, we must do everything possible to ensure that terrorism by herdsmen (or any other group) is completely eliminated from our geographical space.
The nation requires a double-prone attack to bring further attacks under speedy control (short-term solution), and ultimately eliminate them (long-term solution).
The short-term solution is partly what the President has already directed, that both the military and the police establish presence in all the affected communities under attack. This is in addition to on-going pacification and reconciliation efforts by different arms and tiers of government.
Good as these may look, they have an apparent inherent weakness, because only communities that had once been attacked would qualify for protection, and mediation.
In a situation where the herdsmen act like terrorists, this approach could be both ineffective and inefficient, unless every Nigerian community would be simultaneously covered. Experiences of the inadequacy of this approach in Plateau State lend credence to this reservation, because this writer does not believe that we have the security manpower to cope with simultaneous protection of all the Nigerian communities. Moreover, if it is true that the attackers are herdsmen from outside Nigeria, efforts at mediation between presumed Nigerian Fulanis and the Nigerian victims would have been wrongly directed!
The long-term, but obviously more effective and efficient approach is multi- pronged.
First, which the federal government has announced, is to establish expansive cattle ranches, albeit compatmentalised in every state of the federation. Herdsmen settlements should be built within each ranch in the traditional patterns and styles of the Fulani. Nomadism should be allowed only within the confines of each ranch. Movement of cattle into and out of the ranches, and also to the markets across the nation shall be in trucks only. Physically driving cattle in the age-old nomadic way should be outlawed. Reason is that the practice is archaic and its continued practice would accentuate inter-ethnic disharmony over struggles for farming land and grazing territory.
No state particularly in the south should losesleep over the establishment of cattle ranches because state ranches would principally complement each state government’s efforts in feeding its people. This would be in addition to being a veritable way to achieving self-sufficiency by the country. We must not perennially rely on trans-saharan supply of cattle to feed Nigeria.
The additional benefits of this to the nation would be the possibility of introducing of research-based cattle feeds for faster cow growth, healthier beef and more nutritious and more abundant milk production. These would be complimented with the establishment of research centres and hospitals for the herdsmen and families as well as the herds’ in each ranch.
In addition, modern city facilities like schools, recreation centres etc. could be provided to encourage the herdsmen and families to make a living there.
Second, a programme should be established to encourage the Fulani herdsmen to ease out of nomadism, because that culture or tradition no longer has a place in modern times anywhere in the world. Nigeria currently imports a lot of our dairy requirements from other parts of the world where ranches are the centres of production. So, we also should change for this optimal approach.
Third, it is important to mention that ranches developed as proposed here could, sooner than later, also become additional centres of development in Nigeria. The government through the research centres would be helped greatly in the development of improved varieties of cows to produce protein-rich beef and milk for the nation.
Once established, and with an enabling law, trans-border herding of cattle by non-Nigerians could be eliminated for good. This would enable the country to keep away from our territory those non-Nigerian battle-armed Fulani herdsmen that herd their cattle along the West African belt under the ECOWAS trade protocol that is being currently abused and exploited.
It is hoped that other West African, nay other African nations would take a cue from these innovations because of their potentials for economic growth and peaceful co-existence.
- Chief Ologunde is chieftain of All Progressives Congress, (APC), Lagos State.
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Nimbo, Fulani communities deny fresh attack
The Nimbo community and the Fulani community in Enugu State have dispelled stories that there was a fresh herdsmen attack in the area.
The report said women were allegedly raped during the attack.
Traditional ruler of Nimbo Igwe John Akor, as well as President and Secretary of the Fulani Community, Ardo Basso and Bala Ardo, said no such attack occurred.
Igwe Akor said: “There are no Fulanis in my community again. Since the attack in April, they all fled. As I am talking to you now, normalcy has returned to Nimbo; the people are back on their farms. The story is a figment of the imagination of the writer. No woman was raped and I didn’t speak to any reporter.”
Ardo insisted that no such renewed attack occurred in Nimbo, adding that as a leader of the Fulani community in Enugu State, he was not aware of such attack.
“Publishing this kind of false information is not good; coming just after the April attack, which is still fresh in our memory, it will do more harm than good regarding the cordial relationship between our people and Enugu indigenes,” he said.
He insisted that the April attack was allegedly carried out by outsiders and not Fulani residents in Enugu.
“We have lived in Enugu for years. What happened in Nimbo in April was masterminded by pastoralists from outside Enugu. I appeal to the Enugu State government to calm frayed nerves in Nimbo and other communities by enlightening them that they were not the ones that attacked Nimbo but pastoralists from outside the state.”
The Fulani community leader also appealed to Nimbo residents to inform their leaders whenever they sight any pastoralist in the community.
Chairman of Uzo Uwani Local Government Area Cornell Onwubuya, as well as police spokesman, Ebere Amaraizu, a Superintendent of Police (SP), denied the attacks.
The council chairman described it as false and mischievous, saying “it is on record that peace has returned to Nimbo since the April attack. The government has taken necessary measures to tighten security to protect lives and property in the area.”
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Demolish Fulani settlement in your barracks, Ohafia Traditional Council tells Army
The Ohafia traditional council in Umuahia, Abia State, has asked the Army to demolish the “illegal” Fulani settlement situated within their barracks.
The monarchs said their demand was not negotiable because the land was given to the Army but Fulani herdsmen have taken over part of it.
A statement by the Chairman Prof. Umeh Imaga said the settlement is believed to be a flash point for conflicts between the herdsmen and the Ohafia people.
The statement reads: “The military authorities are hereby warned to remove this illegal settlement because Ohafia people see it as a flashpoint for conflict, and will not condone anything that will put the people in fear.
“We remain resolute in our determination and age-long tradition of protecting the 26 villages and land of Ohafia, including our border communities.
“We view with grave concern, the deteriorating state of our security nationwide and the serious threat to Ohafia, its people, and residents in particular.
“The council is concerned with the activities and provocative actions of Fulani Herdsmen in the country, including the establishment of their settlement within the military barracks in Ohafia.
“The council again reiterates the uncompromising need for a synergy among security agencies and therefore, urges Nde Offia (hunters), Vigilance groups to work in tandem to achieve results.
“Security operatives must be screened and liable to the Ezieogo-in-council of each village/Community, who in turn must ensure a seamless security network throughout Ohafia Ancient kingdom.”