Rescuing Benue from murderous Fulani herdsmen

HABITUAL brutal killings by Fulani herdsmen in Benue State have created a major security quagmire. From the headline case in February, when the migratory herders murdered about 500 farmers in Agatu Local Government Area, to the reckless and frequent destruction of farmlands, Benue is one of the worst hit states in the North-Central zone. The barbaric narrative came out in bold relief again late in July: the herdsmen attacked Akombo, killing a school principal, Sam Wayo, his brother, Msugh Lim, and three other persons in a night raid. The bloodbath is sickening. In plain language, this is ethnic cleansing, a situation that calls for urgent attention.

It appears that the unstated motive of the Fulani campaign is to wipe out Benue communities and occupy their land, using cattle grazing rights and allegations of rustling as pretext. Once again, the Federal Government, which is in charge of security, has serially failed to meet the sensitive constitutional provision of securing lives and property. This is negligence on the part of the Muhammadu Buhari administration. By failing to take strong measures to rein in the callous herdsmen, he has provided fodder for those critics who say he is reluctant to act against the Fulani, his own ethnic group.

It is strange that Fulani herdsmen go about with rifles and assault weapons, with security men seemingly unconcerned. Yet, we want to remind Buhari that there is no special ethnic group in Nigeria. In the eyes of the law, all Nigerian lives matter. Benson Abounu, the Benue State deputy governor, said, “What we are passing through now is an emergency situation, which … may become a full-blown war. The Federal Government has not taken a definite step on the matter.” He is right to feel upset.

It is disturbing that, after the Agatu killings, the President has not personally visited the state, apart from issuing a belated message of condolence. This is not statesmanlike. Incidentally, he was in Zamfara State in July to personally launch a military operation against cattle-rustling with 1,000 troops grouped into a task force. By doing so, the President is giving the dangerous impression that the lives of cattle matter more than those of human beings. If protecting livestock earned such a strong response, how about human lives? Had he done the same in Benue, where herdsmen slaughtered 31 people in June in Vase, Ukum LGA and Dusa and Uzaar in Logo LGA, according to media reports, he would have sent out a salient message to the murderers. In all, almost 1,000 people have lost their lives to the Fulani in 2016 in Benue.