President Muhammadu Buhari's broadcast to the nation on May 29, 2016, a day dedicated to the celebration of democracy in
*President Buhari and Emir Sanusi of Kano |
Many people around the world who listened to that broadcast would not understand why Mr. President would chose to keep silent at a time of tyranny of the Fulani Herdsmen. Questions and more questions would arise from the president’s action. Is he afraid of the Fulani Herdsmen? Is he deliberately refusing to speak against their nefarious activities because of tribal affiliation? Is his silence his own way of encouraging the domination of the Fulani oligarchy to subdue the whole country? Or is this the quickest means of taking Islamic religion across the Sahara desert of the North to the coast of the
Permit me to submit that these are not the Fulani Herdsmen who have been around with us in this country for the past one hundred years. I grew up in my village with good knowledge of those sweet and friendly Fulani men with their sticks over their shoulders and enjoying the hospitalities of their host communities. They never carried any dane gun, which every local hunter of those days possessed. They had with them only daggers, bow and arrows. No cutlasses and no swords.
They were at peace with every one and everyone was at peace with them. But today, the story is different as this new generation of Fulani Herdsmen are expert in both the usage and functionality of AK 47: a very sophisticated military weapon that is most deployed in every modern war because of its light flexibility, accuracy and rapidity in operation. This is what they carry about these days. Where did they get it from and who trained them to be so efficient in its usage?
By this revelation, Fulani Herdsmen are more dangerous than the newly resurrected militants of the Niger Delta, far more dangerous than the IPOB of the South/East. Any affiliate of Boko Haram shall always remain the greatest threat to the corporate existence of
Why is the President not confronting this group if he knows that it is as deadly as analysed above? The answer could be found in one or two reasons. One, a few days ago, the Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, revealed that Major General Muhammadu Buhari “led delegation of Cattle Owners Association of Nigeria to Ibadan in Oyo State, sometimes in the year 2000 to demand for explanation for the killing of a herdsman in that State”. Major General Buhari did this, according to the Governor, “in his capacity as Grand Patron of the Cattle Owners Association then”. If that allegation can be proved that the President went on that errand [he was a private citizen then anyway], then one would really be very curious when the same man, now as President of the country, will not say a word when the same Herdsmen he represented at a time are now killing, maiming, raping and even kidnapping innocent people all over Nigeria.
Let us not forget in hurry that Mr. President, while being sworn-in on 29th May, 2015, disclosed his resolve to tackle “cattle rustlers” without mentioning the “Herdsmen”. Going through that speech again raises one naughty question. Was it deliberate that the President mentioned “cattle rustlers” as against “cattle [Fulani] herdsmen”. Rustlers are thieves or armed robbers whose speciality is stealing cows. Mr. President knows the difference between the two. Yet, he chose, in that speech, to tackle the cow thief instead of the murderous herdsman.
Where is Mr.President’s loyalty – to his kinsmen, the Fulani Herdsmen, or to Nigerians?
*Mr. Etakibuebu, a veteran journalist, wrote from
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