By Moses Akarhan
There is a saying in my dialect that, “When a slave is beaten, no one cares but when a child is touched, everybody will know”. This is exactly what is going on between farmers and herders in Nigeria.
After a careful study of the open letter sent to Mr. President by pastoralists which is signed by their prominent personalities, I drew a conclusion that this is a declaration of war on Benue.
This is very disturbing but more worrisome to me is the recurring mention and reference to Naka, Gwer-West headquarters, as the transit camp of cattle rustling.
The letter which is titled: “The Akwanaja massacre and other related killings of Pastoralists in Benue and Nasarawa States”, is highlighted thus:
“With sorrow and pain, we write this open letter to yet again bring to your notice another barbarous act of killing innocent Nigerian pastoralists at Akpanaja, Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, by drones of Nigerian Airforce on Tuesday 24th January 2023.
“The notorious Benue State Livestock Guards is suspected to be linked to the massacre as since their formation the killing of pastoralists has become common in Benue State and across the border in the neighbouring communities of Nasarawa State.
“While the Benue State Governor has not hidden his genocidal intentions and actions against Fulani pastoralists using the Livestock Guard militia which he armed with military grade weapons, the unabated involvement of armed security agents of the Federal Government in the killings and human right abuses is the most shocking.
“In the preceding five days, members of the armed Benue State Livestock Guards organized another of its now regular raids in Nasarawa-Benue border communities, this time in Rukubi ward of Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State where a total of 1,254 cows were confiscated.
“As per its practice, the cattle so brazenly kidnapped were trucked to Naka, headquarters of Gwer East (sic) LGA of Benue State, one of the holding points for livestock kidnapped by the Guards. As usual, the herders went there to pay the ransom imposed by the government.
“The herders who were not permitted to move the cattle on foot back to Rukubi or use the State Government’s vehicles regularly deployed for the purpose started by renting 9 commercial trucks from Makurdi. The 9 trucks were loaded at about noon on Tuesday 24th January 2023 from Naka and headed to Akwanaja. The trucks arrived Akwanaja at 4:50pm same Tuesday and offloading started. While this was happening, survivors narrated that they saw a fighter jet hovering over the area for several minutes.
“Things, however, took a turn for the worst. As the offloading the first truck was completed, survivors and neighboring communities reported hearing a loud explosion and what sounded like repeated gunfire.
“The Fulbe herders in Benue and neighbouring states have been pushed to the wall. They have been murdered, their property confiscated with reckless abandon, their homes burnt and razed to the ground, their basic rights trampled upon by the agents of both Benue State Government and the Federal Government.
“We fear that failure of government to act responsibly will leave the survivors of these crimes with no option than to one day exercise their right of self-defense by whatever means available”.
The group is actually concerned and embittered by the killings in Akwanaja, Nasarawa State. Well, it is really unfortunate anyway, I have however observed that we in Benue and Gwer-west in particular have not been doing enough to inform Nigerians and the world at large of the evil meted out to our people by the herders. It is therefore obvious that this group is not aware or has refused to be aware.
For instance, the people of Mbakpa, larger than some local government areas in the country and part of Raav in Gwer-West have been displaced. The people are now clustered in Naka and Agagbe towns. Some have been butchered like animals and many have been gunned down. The people that were getting economic emancipation from farming activities have become severely impoverished. Children are no longer going to school while many are perishing from various diseases because there is no money to access health facilities.
This group claims that the Fulani might be pushed to the wall. The Tiv and the Idoma have already been pushed to the river. By what we are seeing, hearing and experiencing and from what this group has written, war has been declared against the Benue people.
Curiously, the signatories have appended signatures to a write up that has lavishly painted the Benue humanitarian situation and her victims while claiming it for Fulani in Benue State. It is true that many Benue communities have been ransacked by armed Fulani herdsmen and many inhabitants killed and many others displaced. This cannot be said of any Fulani settlement anywhere in Benue State.
While we cannot celebrate nor be indifferent to the killing of innocent people of any ethnic group or religion, the resort by elderly personalities to delve into their deep rooted prejudices and launch forth premeditated and wholly unfounded positions on the Benue State Livestock Guard, is beneath their state-manly status. The Benue State Livestock Guard shall continue to enforce the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law of the Benue State Government. Her responsibility to protect cattle from being rustled and farm lands from being encroached upon by any animal shall continue to be discharged faithfully in accordance with the law.
We shall continue with peace efforts between and amongst our people. The security of lives and of property shall remain paramount and all laws enacted to better the peaceful co-existence of our people shall be executed for that purpose-peace. All men of goodwill must commit to being law abiding as in its absence; anarchy looms large and protects no one.
Let us not be intimidated by the signatories of this letter. We also have professors, doctors and alhajis in our area. We too are not in support of the happenings. Let there be respect for human life.
It is indeed thought provoking. The Fulani’s have obviously declared war against us even before writing that hurtful letter to the president. But rationally, how are our locals responsible for the air strike that killed their people at Akpanaja?
Now, our people are killed in their numbers on daily basis yet no one even reports it anywhere. Are we not humans and deserve the right to be protected by government? Everyone knows the kind of weapons used by herders but no one dare talk to them including the Army, except our people who are quickly apprehended if seen with anything close to such kinds possessed by the Fulani terrorists.
There is every need to give the entire world a clear picture of what we are facing in the hands of President Buhari’s kinsmen, the pastoralists.
It is unfortunate that our three representatives at the National Assembly (Gwer/Gwer-West, Makurdi/Guma and the North West Senatorial District have not channelled their energies to this challenge we are facing. Though Mark Gbillah attempted once at floor of the House of Representatives to voice out to Nigerians, and to the whole world about the continuous unleashing of terror and killings perpetrated on Tiv people. I expected that he should have joined forces with his brother, Benjamin Mzondu and the Senator of Zone B, Orkev Jev to come up with solutions.
Benue people should as a matter of urgency write an open letter to the President and complain of the killings and atrocities being perpetrated on Tyoshin nation and Benue people at large. A World Press Conference should be organized to condemn the murder of the DPO at Naka, SP Mamud Abubakar and killings of hundreds of Tyoshin people.
There is need for Benue people to be on alert and unite in facing our foe than the primitive acrimony and political squabbling that has become the order of the day in Benue State today. There is no time for political differences. What is important is unity of purpose.