S.O.S ALIEME

The alarming escalation of attacks across Benue state where gunmen have been on a killing spree with utter impunity calls for prayers. These attacks have been causing massive displacement and may affect food security as majority of the victims are farmers. At least over 100 people have been killed following an overnight attack by gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, terrorists, kidnappers, and Boko Haram sect.

The Nigerian authorities’ failure to stem the violence is costing people’s lives and livelihoods, and without immediate action many more lives may be lost, and in addition many people are still missing following the attack. The Middle Belt region is still part of Northern Nigeria, but unlike the far Northern States that are mostly Hausa Muslim, the Middle Belt is much more diverse. It’s a melting pot of ethno-religious groups that have long coexisted, and it’s where Christianity’s Northern presence is centred. The Fulani, a nomadic people group, are increasingly migrating Southward into Middle Belt states. It’s not a new migration route, but due to climate change, resources are becoming scarcer and competition more intense. Not all Fulani are militants, but an Islamist element has emerged, with targeted violence increasingly common and Christians are among those in the firing line.  The frequent attacks on the farmers and citizens of Nigeria especially Benue State these days are terribly alarming. Benue is known to be the food basket of Nigeria. Imagine what will happen to the production and supply of food to Nigerians. Previously the herdsmen were known to wreak havoc in certain communities in Nigeria, especially the Northern part, but now they have spread their activities to other parts of the country. This threatens the peace, security and unity of the nation as one geographical entity and will retard growth and development in all spheres of people’s lives.

Some factors have been considered to be responsible for many of the conflicts that happen between the farmers and Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria. Unauthorized encroachment into farmlands have led to serious conflicts between the farmers and herdsmen in recent times, because of the damage they cause to crops and fallow lands left to replenish the nutrients after long years of use. The herdsmen’s cows often stray into the farmlands of the farmers without permission and destroy crop nurseries or full-grown crops, which they hope to harvest and sell in the near future. This attitude, no doubt, provokes the farmers to go after their animals. It is revealed that the shrinking of ecological space and resorts creates an atmosphere of eco-scarcity, which raises the stakes and puts a premium on the available resources. In this context, therefore, conflict not only becomes inevitable; it simply becomes a matter of survival. 

Climate change is one of the causes of conflicts between farmers and herdsmen. This is so because when there is unfavourable weather the herdsmen will be compelled to leave their original habitation to another area for greener pastures. Climate change has been tipped as the greatest single factor to induce migration and population displacement.

It is an indisputable fact that the activities of the Fulani herdsmen against the farmers have resulted in a huge economic setback in Nigeria today. From what we know, anytime farmers are attacked they will run away from their farmlands and find it difficult to return for fear of being attacked again. This sometimes lasts for a long time, thereby hindering sowing and reaping. This undoubtedly creates an artificial scarcity of goods and services. In line with this, the Fulani’s frequent attacks on the farmers have led to the creation of an artificial scarcity of goods and services and, consequently, to inflation and devaluation of the naira.

Moreover, the daily output in goods and services is seriously affected. People can no longer move to their farms, shops and business centres freely as they wish. The incessant attacks by the Fulani herdsmen scare away foreigners who have come to Nigeria to do business. In the course of the attacks, lives and property, public companies, film-producing houses and industries are destroyed. When foreigners see these things happen, they get discouraged and withdraw their businesses and go back to their countries.  Anytime there is any nefarious attack on the citizens, houses are burnt and people are rendered homeless. Consequently, some of them who are not well-to-do cannot easily find themselves a home and, therefore, they are quartered in public buildings as IDPs. People are displaced from their houses as a result of arson by the Fulani herdsmen and they camp in public buildings. 

Politically, it makes for distraction in government programmes and a waste of time. Whenever there is a violent attack by the herdsmen, government attention is required. It leaves whatever it is doing to address the herdsmen issue and spends time addressing it. The government is truly distracted in times of crisis of this sort.  In a very serious attack the government is required to provide relief materials like foodstuffs, clothes and medicines, to mention but a few, for victims of the attacks. These activities lead to closure of primary and secondary schools and tertiary institutions in the area. When the schools are closed the school timetable of events is adjusted, thereby prolonging the students’ duration of study. 

People living in areas experiencing frequent attacks usually relocate to areas not prone to attacks. It is common knowledge that whenever herdsmen carry out an attack, people are killed in the tens, hundreds or thousands and property worth hundreds of naira is destroyed. During the pastoral attacks people are killed or maimed. Those who are maimed may no longer be able to do what they hitherto did themselves because of impairment. And they may resort to begging as a means of livelihood, thereby increasing the number of beggars on the streets of our towns and cities.

War no doubt increases the number of physically challenged people in the society because of the use of offensive weapons during riots that give people deep cuts and all forms of deformities. In some cases the government may decide to declare hours of curfew or a dawn to dusk curfew. This is an infringement on the statutory freedom of movement of the citizen. The herdsmen’s conflict, like other conflicts in Nigeria, such as the Maitatsine religious conflict, OIC conflict, Sharia conflict and Boko-Haram terroristic activity, have adversely affected economic and religious activities such as vigils, midweek services, Sunday services and open-field crusade, particularly vigils, which was believed was one of the most powerful means of attacking Satan, evil spirits, witches and wizards and occult men and women.

There should be legislation guiding the activity and the relationships of the Fulani herdsmen with farmers and other Nigerian citizens at large. The rule of law should be applied to all defaulters, meaning that there should be no sacred cow. Furthermore, there is need for change of behaviour. The Fulani herdsmen should be ordered by government to surrender the guns and live ammunition in their possession to government. Thereafter, they should be banned from carrying such weapons. This, no doubt, will help to stop cases of nefarious activities like highway robbery, kidnapping and indiscriminate killings in which they engage these days. The government should be more proactive in their action rather than being reactive. Government’s quick response to early signs and warnings of impending crisis is highly advocated.

God Bless Nigeria!!!