Femi-Fani-Kayode
In 1994 almost one million Tutsis were murdered in cold blood in the space of one month by members of the ruling Hutu tribe in Kigali, Rwanda.
The genocide that occurred in Rwanda around then ranks as one if the most shameful parts of African history and it should never be permitted to happen anyplace again on our continent.
Sadly we do not appear to have learnt the lessons of Kigali in our country probably because most Nigerians have no knowledge of history because it is not taught in our schools.
That solitary failing and absence of comprehension and knowledge may well lead to our final undoing as a country in light of the fact that the parallels and indications of what prompted the butchery and catastrophe that happened in Rwanda are gradually unfurling here today. The dark clouds of blood are gathering but sadly most of our people cannot even see them.
They appear to be entirely unable to see the writings on the wall. This is my most noteworthy concern. Our kin are acting like turkeys that are celebrating the comming of christmas and like rams that are celebrating on the day preceding sallah.
That in itself is a tragedy of monumental proportions and the implications and consequences of our collective indifference, amnesia and naivity are calamitous and far-reaching.
The title of this essay owes an intellectual debt of gratitude to my friend and brother Chief Dele Momodu who happens to be one of the most engaging writers and columnists in Nigeria today.
“Bobby Dee”, as Dele is better known to his numerous fans and close friends, was a strong supporter of the June 12 struggle and something of a protege of the late and great Chief MKO Abiola, the winner of the June 12th presidential election in 1993.
He wrote an essay at that time and during the heady and dangerous days of NADECO and General Sani Abacha, in which he used this title. It was a brilliant essay and the title has stuck with me ever since because it really captured the moment.
I believe that we are back on the road to Kigali again in Nigeria and I pray that Dele will forgive me for using the same title as he did approximately twenty years ago. Now to the point.
The number of Igbos slaughtered by Fulani militants in Enugu on 25th April 2016 has gone up to 100. Many churches and homes have been burnt to the ground. When will President Muhammadu Buhari appreciate the fact that NON-FULANI LIVES MATTER?
In reaction to this horrific situation, Mr. Babatunde O. Gbadamosi, a highly respected Lagos-based businessman, wrote the following on Facebook:
“Scores slaughtered by #FulaniTerrorists in Enugu, but the Fulani President, Muhammadu Buhari, his Fulani senior security commanders and government functionaries are more interested in pipeline vandals that are killing no one!
“Nigerians, if you don’t arm yourselves and fight back, na una sabi. Those of you Yoruba APC zombies that think you are special, when they finish with the Middle Belt, the South-South and the South East, you will be next, and there will be no one left to defend you.
“I am referring to you, my Muslim uncles and aunties, who think the Fulanis will see you as kindred spirits and spare you. They will not.
“Just as they are fake Muslims in the eyes of the Arabs, you are also fake Muslims in their eyes, only useful to help subjugate your people under their rule, then you will see pepper.
“Kill Afonjaism now, and stand for something, or your children will one day curse the day you were born”.
Mr. Gbadamosi’s insight and understanding of the situation is second to none. His counsel is as priceless as it is timely. Let us hope that someone is listening.
In his own contribution to the debate on Facebook Mr. Lere Olayinka added the following: “In this April alone, Buhari’s Fulani herdsmen killed almost 200 Nigerians, but Buhari’s headache is Niger Delta”.
On his part, Mr. Charles Ogbu, an obviously intelligent and gifted young man, wrote the following on his Facebook wall.
“The Fulani vampires are at it again. Today, Enugu, my state is their target. Dozens of people have been reportedly killed and hundreds displaced with buildings including a catholic church burnt.
This murderous group killed hundreds in #Agatu and occupied their land. The Fulani president did nothing. The Fulani headed DSS did nothing.
They went to Anioma in Delta state, abducted and executed their King. The fulani president did nothing. The Fulani headed DSS did nothing.
They went to Awgu community in Enugu state, executed handfuls and kidnaped dozens. The Fulani president did nothing. The Fulani headed DSS did nothing.
Just the police and the armed force accomplished something this time: they captured 78 indigenes of Awgu who are the casualties and dumped them in jail and denied them bail on the claim that they anticipated assaulting the fulanis. In the mean time, the culprits were permitted to move around freely
It took a #hashtag campaign on social media for the #Awgu78 to be released.
Today, these vultures are back again, visiting death and destruction on defenseless Uzo-uwani people of Enugu state for no just cause.
The president won't say anything in regards to this. The DSS won't say anything. The police will depict it as an insignificant misconception amongst farmers and herders. They will barely affirm that anybody was murdered neither will they capture or indict any of those attacking fulani vultures.
The governor head of Enugu state called Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi will neither say nor do anything in regards to this.
The religious criminal called Father Mbaka … the person who swore that Buhari is the Lord's anointed… won't talk. Fundamentally, the residents are left with no choice than to protect themselves by any means necessary.
You either die fighting to defend your honour, your family, your land and your dignity as a human person or you die cowering in fear like some coward. Either way, you stand little chance.
Permit me to point out one fact here: The Fulanis are not powerful (undefeatable) on the grounds that they have sort of exceptional fighting ability. No! Not in the slightest degree.
These fulanis are strong on the grounds that they get the support/cover/insurance of govt in their murderous exercises. The impunity with which these folks operate is state-sponsored.
This is a fact, not only my supposition. Deep down, you know it. I know it. President Buhari has an established obligation to protect the lives and properties of all Nigerians. He vowed to do this and he is being paid to do so.
He has intentionally picked not. He has put the enthusiasm of his Fulani brethren over the lives of blameless Nigerians. Buhari believes that his Fulani brethren are better than other Nigerians. This is the same as the mindset showed by Hitler which prompted the world war. We know how it finished.
The silence of President Buhari over the deadly exercises of his fulani brethren is an ethical catastrophe! This is the height of man's cruelty to man!
Trust it or not, it will get to a period that Nigerians will ascend in their numbers and stand up to the Fulani mammoths together with their patrons. There is a limit to what a man can take.
Let it be on record that Buhari is the one setting this country on the road once travelled by Rwandans in 1994”.
#GrazingBillMustDie; #SayNoToFulaniOccupation
On her own part, again on Facebook, Miss Santors Ugwuada Ezirigwe wrote: “Before now, the Fulani herdsman were generally a group of cattle herding nomads plying their trade with every sense of innocence.
“Then his dagger and sword was primarily for personal use and self-defense in the wilds.”
However, this narrative has changed since the recent past especially since after the election of President Buhari in 2015. The Fulani herdsmen have become pepetrators of violence, rape, kidnap, robbery, arson and murder.
They are professional and coordinated in their terrorist activities, an indication that it is an organic group with possibilities of hierarchical command structure. Little wonder they have morphed into the 4th most vicious terrorist group in the world.
Terrorism is the calculated use of violence (or the threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature; this is done through intimidation or coercion or instilling fear. And this has become the hallmark of Fulani herdsmen.
Some allege that they have the backing of top Fulani officials in government and security apparatus. Others allege that they are offshoots of Boko haram terrorists while some others allege that they were assembled by some elements in the North, trained and stationed to attack Nigerians in the South in the event that GEJ wins the 2015 elections.
GEJ conceded the election to their greatest surprise but the trained Fulani terrorists were never debriefed and disarmed, hence the surge in their terror acts since PMB took office as President.
Whatever be the case, one common denominator in these narratives is “the mission to terrorize”. We seem to be at war in Nigeria, though undeclared. Otherwise, why are there as many deaths from weapons of warfare?
Unfortunately, there are no indications of declining. What's more, the casualties of this undeclared war have nobody to run to for security and no hope of rescue.
Instead of make guaranteeing facts that will negate the Biafra narrative, President Buhari has more than any one else , through his continued hush to the exercises of his deadly siblings, among his other non-verbal communication of hatred and extreme intollerance of the Igbos, helped in creating Biafra.
His continued silence remains suspect. Such a behaviour from an assumed national leader sends the wrong flag to both the vanquished and the valorous.
To the vanquished casualty, the leader thinks less about his situation and dilemma. This as a result decreases his trust in such leadership.
To the atacker, the leader "understands". Furthermore, this as a result encourages him to raise the rod of terror against the victim. It is this loss of faith that has driven numerous to launch self-defence as a prompt and vital reaction to the activities of the lethal terrorist Fulani herders.
These without a doubt are unfortunate and grave in outcome. The Nigeria state apparatus have failed in her essential obligation to secure life and property of the casualties of the terrorist Fulani herders.
The federal government, under President Buhari’s watch, have done very little to inspire confidence and assure security of life and property in the face of the prevailing harvest of kidnaps, rape, armed robbery, violent attacks, arson and genocidal war by his brothers against indigenous peoples of Nigeria.
Agatu & co were the victims of the terrorist Fulani herdsmen yesterday; it is Nimbo, Uzo Uwani that is the victim today. Tomorrow will certainly produce more victims unless urgent steps are taken to nip this unfortunate trend.
In conceiving measures to counter these ravaging savage terrorists disguising as herdsmen, we should look past Nimbo, Uzo Uwani. We should create a regional strategy that will require the cooperation of the leaders and the people of the regions under attack.
Efforts ought to be made to mobilize through churches, Traditional rulers, Market and Town unions and Associations, and so forth, to enlighten people about the need to be vigilant. "Nkwucha aburo ujo" (caution is not cowardice).
We need to convene a regional assembly to articulate defensive and offensive measures to be taken to reduce our vulnerability to, and deter the terrorist acts of these terrorist Fulani herdsmen.
We should also organize protest rallies across the region to renounce the activities of the terrorist Fulani herdsmen and attract global attention to our predicament or we be deceitfully named as terrorists by their sponsors if we take to self-defence before putting the world on notice.
MASSOB and other local vigilante groups should be mobilized to counter the terrorist herdsmen in view of the suspicious disposition of the conventional security apparatus of the federal government.
Governors of South East states and Governors of other states (Benue, kogi, Taraba, Delta, Edo, Ondo, Platue) so far affected by the activities of these terrorist herdsmen should mobilize and send a strong warning to The Presidency that, never again shall they sit hopelessly and watch as the lives and property of their subjects are destroyed by the terrorist Fulani herdsmen.
These are transient measures for rebuilding of rational soundness. The answer for this security challenge if we should keep on staying together as a united Nigeria, is to rebuild our alliance and permit the establishment of state police with full powers to keep peace inside the states".
These are powerful words and insights from these young contributors. As they say there is fire on the mountain and many are concerned.
When one considers every one of the realities one can just arrive at one conclusion: this is Yugoslavia downloading. This is the road to Kigali. This is Rwanda unfolding right in front of us.
A couple of months earlier I wrote an article in my section with the New Telegraph Newspaper, DailyPost, Pointblank News, The Trent, The Signal, Premium Times, Breaking Times and The Sun Newspaper about the atrocities of the Fulani militants titled 'The Herdsmen From Hell'.
In that write-up I referred to the murderous militants as “vampires, cockroaches and tsetse flies”. In additon to that last week I wrote another essay for the same columns and various other media houses titled “The National Grazing Reserve Bill: The Greatest Evil Of All”.
In that contribution I pointed out the grave dangers posed by the diabolical activities of the Fulani militants and the long-term expansionist agenda of their backers and sponsors.
One week before then I wrote yet another article on the same topic and in the same mediums titled “The Murder Of The Fulani: Yugoslavia Unfolding” in which I stated clearly that Nigeria was toying with a massive conflagration in the not too distant future if the Buhari government did not find the will and cultivate the courage to stop the activities of the Fulani militants and if they refused to stop supporting them.
Consequently for these contributions I got the usual abuse from shortsighted Nigerians who have always assume that the perfect approach to contain hatred is to endure it, bow before it, acknowledge it and welcome it with open arms. It appears that I have now been vindicated and my worries have turned out to be genuine.
The very same people that condemned me and called me “‘a Fulani-hating racist”, “a purveyor of hate speech”, “a hater of Muslims” and “a loud-mouthed and paranoid alarmist” just a few months ago are now saying that I was right.
sadly it is too late. The vampires are presently in control and they have tasted blood. The Nigerian Janjaweed are on the roll and they are resolved to vanquish new lands for the Caliphate.
Worse still they have the clandestine support and unofficial endorsement of the state. They won't stop now and neither will they withdraw.
However they are in for a shocker. Unless there is divine intercession, what lies ahead for this nation is struggle, terror, gore, war and at last an extremely untidy and violent division.
It disheartens me to say as much yet that is the biting truth. That is the thing that "chanji" has brought upon us.