Fulani Herdsmen Have Declared A War On Nigeria – Eastern Mandate Union (EMU)

Communiqué Issued By The Eastern Mandate Union (EMU) On The Level Of Insecurity And Menace Of Fulani Herdsmen In Nigeria

 

*Dr. Arthur Nwankwo,
Chancellor, Eastern Mandate Union   

*Background to the Communiqué:
Following the recent carnage by Fulani herdsmen in Plateau State in which over 200 persons were slaughtered in cold blood; and growing level of insecurity in the country, the Eastern Mandate Union convoked an emergency meeting last Monday, July 2, 2018, to review the state of the country and the ethnic cleansing and jihad that is currently sweeping across the Middle Belt region of the country.

We have on several occasions pointed out that Nigeria is an aberration created by a colonial fiat to feed its insatiable economic appetite. Regrettably, since political independence, Nigeria has failed to weave a nation out of the welter of ethnicities that make up Nigeria to the extent that today Nigeria has become emblematic of a failed state capacious only in the wastage of human life. Today in Nigeria, human life has been subordinated to the life of a cow. 

Like never before in Nigeria, Fulani nation has mobilized itself under the umbrella of killer herdsmen to pursue the agenda of islamization with a tacit support by the Buhari administration. Evidences of gross violation of people’s fundamental rights exist alongside barefaced injustices and outright official support for bestiality by the Fulani herdsmen. We are aware that Global Terrorism Index ranks the Fulani herdsmen as the 4th deadliest terrorist group in the world. But while it is convenient for the government to quickly label other non-militant groups as terrorist groups, the government has not raised a finger against these killer Fulani herdsmen.

The result has been a sustained decimation of indigenous ethnic communities in the Middle Belt and Southern Kaduna that are predominantly Christians by the Fulani in a futile attempt to seize ancestral lands belonging to these indigenous ethnic communities for grazing purposes. Resistance by these communities has been met with brutal reprisal attacks by the Fulani herdsmen in fashions reminiscent of Muslim janjaweed in Darfur. 

*Our Observations
After exhaustive deliberations, the meeting made the following observations:
a) What happened in Plateau State and happening in other parts of the Middle Belt, Southern Kaduna, Southern Zaria and some parts of the southeast is a deliberate act of genocide perpetrated by the Fulani and driven by an agenda of islamization

b) That there is official collusion with these Fulani herdsmen to continue these acts of genocide essentially because the present Nigeria government has demonstrated embarrassing irresponsibility in tackling this menace.

c) That Nigeria has become a barbaric country; a country noted for the infamy of mass killings of its citizens and burying them in mass graves

d) That Nigeria is in a state of war declared on it by Fulani herdsmen and with the tacit support of the Buhari government. This is true considering the fact that up till now President Buhari is yet to say a word of condolence or regret on these killings. 

e) That as grand patron of Miyetti Allah, President Buhari is guilty of conflict of interest in relation to his constitutional role as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and to that extent unfit to hold the office of the President.

f) That Buhari’s conflict of interest could be gleaned from his description of the blood bath in Plateau State as "herdsmen-farmers" clashes and in further making a case for Miyetti Allah that about one hundred cattle had been rustled by a community in Plateau State and that some herdsmen were killed in the process. There is no better way of establishing conflict of interest here. 

g) That it is a mark of insensitivity on the part of President Muhammadu Buhari to describe protesting residents of Plateau State as mere “thugs” and importing the blame game theory of “desperate people” trying to cause instability and chaos, as defense to the atrocities of Fulani herdsmen terrorists 

h) That the claim by the Chairman of North Central zone of Miyetti Allah, Danladi Ciroma that the coordinated attacks by the Fulani herdsmen were a retaliation for the loss of three hundred cows is misleading because it tends to mask the true intent of the attacks which is ethnic cleansing and islamization. 

i) That in Nigeria the life of a cow is now more valuable than human life. In Igbo culture cows are used to bury people but it appears that in the Fulani culture human beings are used to bury cows. We consider this not only absurd but atavistic in the 21st century

Our Position on the State of the Country
Based on the foregoing observations we took the following Resolutions:
a) That given President Buhari’s manifest conflict of interest, he lacks the moral authority and political will to rein in the Fulani herdsmen terrorists and to that extent he should abdicate his office as President and Commander-in-chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

b) That Ndigbo will resist in all its ramifications any attempt to turn our political space into a river of blood. In 1966, our people were subjected to genocidal pogrom in which over three million Igbos were slaughtered. Today is not 1966. As a people we have sworn that never again shall such macabre dance be choreographed on the tombs of our people.

c) That Ndigbo reject in its entirety the idea of establishing cattle ranches in Igboland or the use of our commonwealth in funding cattle ranches. Cattle rearing are a private business just as selling motor spare parts or frying bean cake on the road side is a private business.

d) That we stand firmly on our position that Nigeria must be restructured along the line of true fiscal federalism. This position is borne out of our belief that it is the only safety valve for Nigeria. Establishment of grazing colonies or cattle ranches is not part of fiscal restructuring. Rejecting this call is an express invitation for anarchy. This is our position.

Signed

*Dr. Arthur Agwuncha Nwankwo 

Chancellor, Eastern Mandate Union (EMU)

*Prof Edward Oparoji
Chiarman, Eastern Mandate Union (EMU)

*Bekee Osuagwu
Director of Publicity, Eastern Mandate Union (EMU)