TRIBUTE TO UKPABI-NIMBO 48
On Monday, 26th April 2016, 500 rampaging cattle Fulani herdsmen invaded the seven villages of Ukpabi Nimbo in Uzo Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State, killing 48 and wounding several hundreds who have since been hospitalized and various discharged by now. Several residential homes and a church was burnt. Vehicles and motorcycles were destroyed and domestic animals killed. Thousands of the inhabitants of the seven villages of Ukpabi Nimbo, were forced to evacuate and flee their communities and are now IDPs in homes, hospitals, town halls, schools, offices stretching from Nsukka to Enugu. The 48 dead were innocent victims of a failed State - Nigeria.
Their forebears did not participate in the amalgamation negotiations of 1914; nor did they know anything about the enslaving concessions their pre-independence leaders made for one Nigeria, against separatist demands of the North and the West. They made no input in the convulsions of the 1960s, nor into the present politics of the defeated and enslaved. They took their neglect by the ruling elite with equanimity and without complaining against the Nigerian system, tilling the soil from year to year to eke out a living. The Fulani herdsmen descended from nowhere and disrupted their routine. The failure of the Nigerian system caught up with them as a volcanic eruption and they were gone.
If the living would realize how accepted enslavement accounted for their death, plan and defend themselves, a repeat could be avoided. But as it is usual in Nigeria, the right noises have been made, meetings held and until it happens again, everyone would be caught once again napping once again.
It is revealing that NIMBO people were attacked because a Fulani cattle trader, who suspected that the herdsmen were cheating on his stock under the charge of the herdsmen, came down from the North to reconcile figures, but ended up dead and his decomposing body found in a border village in Kogi State. He was obviously killed by his kinsmen who were cheating him but NIMBO people had to pay the price!
Why do Fulanis Kill, Maim, Rape And Drive Fellow Nigerians from their Ancestral Homes and Farmland?
The conquest of the Hausa in the Fulani wars of 1804-1810 byHausas; and the triumph of the Nigerian Army over Biafra in the 1967-70 un-civil war, established a supremacy syndrome over Nigeria, among the Fulanis of Nigeria.
As far back as October 12, 1960, Sir Ahmadu Bello, then Premier of the Northern Region and leader of the Northern People's Congress ( NPC), the north-based party that controlled the Federal Government at the time, articulated the mission of the Fulanis in one of his popular quotes.
“The new nation called Nigeria should be an estate from our great grand- father, Othman Dan Fodio. We must ruthlessly prevent a change of power. We must use the minorities in the North as willing tools, and the South as conquered territories and never allow them to have control of their future.”
The mission of the Cattle Fulani herdsmen in Southern Nigeria is to to subordinate the South as conquered territory and ensure that it is never allowed to control its future, now and for ever.
Threat to National Security: The dominion tendency of Cattle Fulani herdsmen heightened with the victory of the Federal forces in the 1967-70 “Civil War.” Armed with military assault weapons, they have now extended their sovereignty over the whole of Nigeria, North Central, South-West, South-South and South-East zones, killing, maiming and raping with impunity; sacking and taking over people's ancestral communities and farm lands, without any question whatsoever from Nigerian security agencies. Their activities are most ferocious in non-Moslem areas of Nigeria. Non-Moslems are regarded as infidels (unbelievers), and by their doctrinaire orientation, have no right to life, property and dignity of the human person.
Organized and registered as Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), their chief patron is reportedly the Sultan of Sokoto - the Sarki Musulumi (Commander of the Faithful) of Nigeria. It is reported that President Buhari was also their patron.The owners of the cattle ranging all over Nigeria are the most prominent and influential Fulanis – traditional and religious leaders, top political and administrative office holders, foremost security chiefs etc. The herdsmen are mere minders and therefore enjoy unlimited protection from the owners of their stock. They therefore obey no laws of Nigeria; and even refuse to attend peace meetings in communities they indiscriminately attack the security agencies generally look the other way and never arrest them; but instead rush to their aid whenever they are in danger. The Awgu 76 villagers arrested by the military and transported across state lines and extra- judicially charged to court at Abia State, is a solid illustration.
The Mission of Cattle Fulani Herdsmen Militants in Nigeria
After the 1974 World Islamic Organizations Mecca Conference resolutions on modalities for achieving their radical vision of a world under the political and religious authority of Allah and his prophet , in 1989, General Ibrahim Babangida's first Islam-in-Africa Conference in Abuja, ensued from the 1974 Mecca meeting.The Abuja Conference was precede by his unilateral enrollment of Nigeria as a member of the purely Islamic Organization - the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC). OIC was established on September 25, 1969
by Moslems countries to assist Palestine in retrieving from Israel, Islam's third holiest site - Al-Aqsa Mosque, captured by Israel in the 1967 Arab-Israel Six-Day June War.
Two of the key resolutions of the Abuja 1989 Islam-in-Africa Conference were:
(i)To support the establishment and application of the Shari'a to all Muslims; and (ii) To ensure the declaration of Nigeria (the 24th African and World member of the OIC) a Federal Islamic Sultanate at a convention on any day from 28th March 1990, with the Sultan of Sokoto enthroned the Sultan and Supreme Sovereign of Nigeria.
In furtherance of resolution (i) in year 2000, Sharia was proclaimed in twelve states of the North, thus setting the stage for the level of Islamic fundamentalism that engulfed the North-East and North-West and resulted in Nigeria giving the world, Islamic militant groups ranked first and fourth deadliest terrorist organizations (by number of deaths caused in terrorist attacks). By the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2015, Boko Haram is the world's deadliest terrorist organization with 6,644 killings in 2014; whereas Fulani Islamic Militants, the 4th, with 1,229 killings. The two terror organs rewarded Nigeria with ranking as the 3rd terrorism-ravaged country in the world.
Furthermore, Moslems are involved in 90% of all wars going on in the world today. And this is consistent with trends in the GTI 2015 - most of 78% of deaths resulting from terrorism, occurred in five countries of the world - Iraq, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Syria, four of them with 95-100% Moslems, and Nigeria with a little less than 50% Moslems, which manipulatively dominates its politics.
Consequently the Cattle-Fulani Herdsmen militants are merely the foot soldiers for the establishment of that 1989 Abuja conference resolution on Sultanate of Nigeria. The terrorism the militants spread is Jihad of the Sword. In Jihads, Jihadists kill, maim, capture and rape women as booty and occupy the conquered's home, farm or whatever in accordance Jihadist doctrine.
Mindset of Cattle Fulani Herdsmen
The mindset of the Cattle Fulani herdsmen is dominated by doctrinaire injunctions in the Quran, Hadith/Sunna.
“O ye who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors. They are but friends and protectors to each other. And he amongst you that turns to them (for friendship) is one of them . . .” (Surah 5;54).
“And fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevails justice and faith in Allah altogether and everywhere.” (Surah 8:39) "Those who die in holy war are guaranteed to go to Heaven. “The person who participates in Jihad (Holy Battles) in Allah’s cause and nothing compels him to do so except belief in Allah and His Apostle, will be recompensed by Allah either with a reward or booty (if he survives) or will be admitted to paradise (if he is killed).” Hadith Vol. 1:35 Killing in Jihad operations and looting victims’ property is authorized: “Whoever has killed an enemy and has proof of that, will possess his spoils.” The Hadith Vol. 4 no.370.
Rape of captive women in Jihad is sanctioned, “those captive whom your right hand possess” Surah 4:24. The Hadith in Mishkat II, page 440 also teaches: “Captive virgin girls in war were made lawful for the soldiers for copulation.”
The Subterfuge of Foreign Invaders - Typical Jihad of Deception
There have been spurious claims by Northern political/religious/traditional leaders and lately, the Federal Government of Nigeria, controlled by Islamic fundamentalists, that the militants who are terrorizing Nigeria are not Fulanis but invaders from outside Nigeria. This is another form of Jihad - Jihad of Deception. A Moslem fundamentalist leader must be adept in Jihad of Words and of Deception for him to lead at all.
On this cattle Fulani militancy they seem to have gone over-board in their efforts to deceive Nigeria. The Jihadists of the Sword might not be directly involved in the herding but, invariably invited or contracted by the herders and/or their Organization - Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN).
Northern States Governor' Forum: First, the Northern States Governors' Forum met on the 15th of April 2016 and outrightly denied that the murderous herdsmen are Fulani. They frowned against labelling perpetrators of crimes around the country as Fulani herdsmen, rather they should be referred to as criminals. The Governors displayed scant regards for the toll on lives, decency and property which the nefarious activities of their kinsmen are causing the nation. In their own words, it is an insult to label criminals as Fulani. They were not however able to explain how and why cattle Fulani herdsmen readily occupy 'conquered' territories with their families and cattle, immediately after each invasion.
Northern Senators Forum
On 29th April 2016 Northern Senators in their characteristic slave-masters' demeanor "warned governors, leaders and community heads in the country to desist from making inflammatory statements that could further overheat the polity". Perhaps killing, maiming and raping of citizens should be branded pampering; or otherwise victims and/or victims' families should keep mute in order to preserve their slave camp, Nigeria . Continuing, the Senators arrogantly promised they would soon come up with new laws as well as amend existing ones to help promote the interest of Northern Nigeria in particular and the country at large. They had nothing for victims who might lose their lives, property and honor/decency before the magic of the laws they are yet to make, begin to work.
Concluding, these Pharaohs warned that there would be no country called Nigeria, if other parts of the country asked Fulani herdsmen to leave their communities and states.
The warning of course means they will fight the rest of Nigeria in all nooks and crannies with Hausa-Fulanis now spread and now resident in almost all communities of Nigeria, perhaps clandestinely armed. It did not occur to these Nigerian Pharaohs that terrorists have no right whatsoever to share air and land space with normal humans in any civilized society, except perhaps in Stone Age.
The Federal Government of Nigeria declares Fulani Herdsmen Boko Haram Foreign Insurgents:
On 10th of May 2016, the Minister of State, Agriculture and Rural Development, Heineken Lokpobiri, whilst presenting the Federal Government position to the Public Hearing on perennial clashes between herdsmen and farmers, organized by the Senate Joint Committees on Agriculture and Rural Development and National Security and Intelligence, declared that those terrorists involved in clashes with farmers, killings and destruction of property, were not Fulanis, but another gang of Boko Haram. According to the government, the persons who have so far been arrested cannot speak any Fulani or any Nigerian language. He added that those tagged suspected Fulani were foreign terrorists from other countries.
Concluding he emphasized: “Available statistics to us in government show that contrary to media report that these violent herdsmen are the conventional Nigerian Fulanis, they are not, as none of those apprehended was able to speak any of the Nigerian languages. This gives strong credence to the possibility of the violent herdsmen to be another form of terrorists in the mode of Boko Haram."
The Minister did not tell Nigerians how foreign terrorists can penetrate into the heart, nooks and crannies of Nigeria unhindered; who invites them in; directs them to locations threatened before hand by Fulani herdsmen ( like in the Nimbo case) and why the Government of Nigeria still exerts sovereignty over areas of Nigeria it cannot defend.
I am not surprised that Chief Audu Ogbeh, the substantive Minister of Agriculture, whose home areas in Benue State is ravaged by these herdsmen militants and who had rightly called for total disarming of all herdsmen, did not allow himself to be used in dishing out the above outright falsehood as Federal Government statement.
PRESIDENT BUHARI'S ADDRESS IN KATSINA: WILL FIGHT ANY EXPULSION OF RAMPAGING HERDSMEN AND IS CONCERNED ONLY BY DESERT ENCROACHMENT
Speaking at the Emir of Katsina’s palace during his four-day official visit to his home state (6th to 10th May 2016), President Buhari declared, “I always say that the civil war was fought for the unity of Nigeria because then we had not even discovered oil, let alone enjoyed it. But two million people were killed. . . The way the Sahara (Desert) is advancing, with Boko Haram growing, and the number of people displaced and uncertainty over rainfall in a land where we fought a civil war leading to the deaths of about two million, for someone to just say he will chase us is not acceptable.”
"Not acceptable" to a retired General, former Military Head of State, now President with virtual unlimited powers granted by the country's ultra defective Constitution, sounds very much like the Northern Senators' warning "there would be no country called Nigeria, if other parts of the country asked Fulani herdsmen to leave their communities and states".
Perhaps the President is not aware that Saudi Arabia ( the citadel of Islam) which sits completely on desert (not encroachment), with average annual rain of 2.3 inches, as against Sokoto's average of 24 inches per annum, yet Saudi has several of the most successful ranches in the world feeding the Gulf Region with most of its milk; and with daily yield of 40 liters of milk per cow as against Fulani cattle miserable average of 0.74 liters per cow.
The President did not indicate any knowledge or concern that these troubled herders are taking Nigerians in areas they attack or organize to be attacked, back to pre- historic living in which might is right - killing, maiming, raping, arson and forceful conversion of other people's property.
Cattle Fulani Herdsmen are not from Space:
The fallacious deception that Cattle Fulani Herdsmen Militants land from space with their cattle, attack farms and communities and disappear into thin air, perhaps with their cattle, is baloney and intended to deceive only the ignorant and people of unsound minds.
Facts on ground and incidents expose the chicanery in these degenerate assertions.
1. Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), an association of cattle rearers of Nigeria, (almost all members Fulani) is duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission. Their highly influential trustees are known and that is why the Security Agencies of Nigeria are at their beck and call; and indeed condone; even assist in various atrocities committed by the herdsmen.
2. MACBAN has always represented these Cattle Fulani Herdsmen Militants whenever there is trouble. It even issues and executes threats on behalf of the herdsmen militants. Former Governor Suswan's experience with the herdsmen says it all.
On 24th February, 2014, MACBAN was audacious enough to write President Goodluck Jonathan a highly provocative letter titled, “Mr. President, Call Governor Suswan to Order Before It is Too Late” in which they not only threatened to deal with Governor Suswan of Benue State in his home State, for allegedly assisting the Tivs of the Middle Belt to limit the herdsmen’s murderous activities in the Middle Belt. They also reminded the President that their ranging across the country with their cattle is covered by Section 41, (1) of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of movement and settlement in all parts of Nigeria to all citizens. Cattle are no citizens of Nigeria and under no stretch of imagination can they be covered by a national Constitution. They are articles of trade which is within States' authority under the Constitution to regulate.
On10th March 2014, after an exchange of gun shots failed to get the Governor in a convoy which had only mobile Police, his military escorts, (perhaps with fore-knowledge) having unilaterally withdrawn, they attacked Mr. Suswan’s ancestral village, killed 25, and sacked the it, plus 29 other communities within 25 kilometres radius. With the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Alhaji M. D. Abubakar, an Hausa-Fulani, impliedly telling the Governor that he was not offering any assistance against the herdsmen invasion, the Governor ate the humble pie and negotiated peace with MACBAN which allowed the herders to graze their cattle anywhere in Benue but pay for any damages resulting from the free ranging of cattle!
So the Fulani leaders of MACBAN issued the threat letter to the President, provided the militants who wrecked havoc on the Governor and his state. What about the IGP who humbled the Governor? And finally what about the eventual triumphant ride of MACBAN leaders into Government House, Makurdi and signing of a one-sided peace accord? Apparently, peace of the graveyard reigned in Benue State until the AGATU massacre.
3. Early hours of Wednesday February 24, 2016, five villages of Aila, Ugboju, Akwu, Odugbeho and Enogaje of Agatu Local Government Area in Benue State, sharing common borders with Nasarawa State, were attacked by Cattle Fulani herdsmen. Three hundred lives were allegedly instantly lost and 7,000 persons displaced. Vanguard newspaper on 1st March 2016, confirmed that Benue State Police Commissioner, Paul Yakadi, said over 5,000 cows accompanied by armed Fulani herdsmen were occupying part of Agatu local government area of the state. On 3rd of March 2016, various media, including Premium Times and Daily Post, reported that a spokesman for the Fulani community in Benue State, Mr. Ado Aboderi, told the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Solomon Arase who was on a visit to Makurdi that the crisis started after 10,000 of cattle belonging to its members were killed by Agatu natives; and therefore that criminal elements on both sides escalated the crisis. The unanswered question is how were the 10,000 cows killed and their decomposing bodies disposed off, without causing an epidemic? Why was the killing of 10,000 cows not reported to Police? Who told Fulani herdsmen that in any sane society that the death of 10,000 cows (real or imagined) justifies the killing of one human being? Why did IGP Arase not promptly detain Mr. Aboderi for questioning, on what he knows about Agatu Massacre? Surprisingly, the IGP was unable to visit anywhere near Agatu during that his Benue trip.
4. Abubakar Auta, Bello Jannu, Umaru Ibarahim, Masahudu Muhammed, Idris Lawal were in October 2015, charged at Akure Judicial Division, Ondo State, for kidnapping, on September 21, 2015 at Kajola/Eyinala Community in Ondo State, with others at large, Chief Olu Falaye, former Secretary to the Goverment of the Federation and an Afenifere chieftain. The accused were all identified as Fulani. Before Falaye's kidnap, he had a running battle with identified Fulani herdsmen in his farm. Chief Falaye has identified in court three of the accused as his Fulani kidnappers.
In April 2016 over ten Fulani herdsmen once again attacked Chief Olu Falaye's farm, this time killing his security aid.
Definitely, if the killers and kidnappers are not Fulanis, they were hired by, and worked for the Fulani herdsmen who had repeatedly invaded Falaye's farm.
5. The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), on 3rd October 2015, condemned the Pan-Yoruba group's ( Afenifere) call on the federal government to abolish nomadic cattle rearing to stop alleged criminal activities by herdsmen in Yoruba land, failing "which the South-west people will have to defend themselves.” This statement was issued by Afenifere in reaction to the kidnap of Chief Falaye. ACF branded the Afenifere statement as not only reckless but unbecoming of a highly respected group like the Afenifere to choose to criminalize a whole race or tribe or region, instead of the individual criminals and threatening to arrogate to itself the powers to deal with suspected criminals in the midst of various legal provisions on how to deal with such suspects. It did not bother AREWA that the herdsmen were constituting themselves into a State within a State, illegally armed with military assault weapons, attacking and killing/maiming whomsoever they cared.
6. Nimbo in Enugu State happened on 26th April 2016. Despite a whole day's advance warning, briefing and financial mobilization by Enugu State Governor, estimated 500 marauders descended on Nimbo and had a field day with no security personnel in sight.
7. Friday, 13th May 2016 Fulani herdsmen once again invaded Tarfi village, Binnev Ward in Buruku Local Government area of Benue State killing over 60 natives. They had earlier killed over 60 in Buruku and another 50 in Gums - the State (Benue) Governor's ancestral village. The State Governor, Samuel Ortom branded the killings genocide wondering why security operatives stationed in the areas, failed in their duties to "arrest the herdsmen who perpetrated the heinous crime if it was not planned genocide".
8. On 16th May 2016, a Delta State High Court sitting in Asaba, sentenced two Fulani herdsmen, Hassan Abidu and Yakubu Salem, suspected to be members of a group of armed nomads terrorizing indigenes of Ibusa and its environs, especially farmers. to 20 years (10 years each) in jail with hard labour and without the option of fine, having found them guilty of illegal possession of firearms, punishable under Section 3(1) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provision) Act Cap R.II, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2010.
9. Southern Kaduna, Nassarawa, Taraba and Plateau are conquered and enslaved by cattle Fulani herdsmen . Security report by international agencies tell stories of people living as sub-humans in their own ancestral homes, whereas the invaders live in the homes of displaced indigenes as overlords. Indigenes reportedly live in refugee camps as IDPs.
10. Benue is under siege. As soon as Benue falls, Enugu, Anambra and Ebonyi will follow; then Imo, Abia and South-South. Nimbo, probably was a mere exploratory attack.
1 to 10 above ought to teach even the cynic that Nigeria is back to 2011 to 2013 when northern leaders, after complaining that General Ihejirika (an Igbo and then Chief of Staff, Nigerian Army) and the Nigerian Army was "killing their people", by which they meant insurgent Boko Haram, and called on the Federal Government (FG) to negotiate with Boko Haram. Military operations were compromised and sabotaged; and Boko Haram surprise strategic attacks on critical locations were initiated and executed.
FG was being deliberately distracted until a festering sore ballooned into an ulcer with so much devastations of lives, property and the Nigerian economy - the Boko Haram (BH), the world's deadliest terrorist organization. Same northern leaders turned around to brand FG's approach to the same BH as clueless. By 2014 Boko Haram graduated into the world deadliest organization; and began to attack Northern leaders for initiating half- hearted Sharia, for politics of expediency.
The difference this time is that Cattle Fulani Herdsmen Militants, classified by the world through the 2015 Global Terrorism Index 2015, as the World's 4th deadliest terrorist organization, are now in our homes; and if any zone fails to plan well, will suffer the faith of Bosnians in the hands of the Serbs during the dis-integration of Yugoslavia - over 100,000 Bosnians massacred and 2 million displaced, before the pretentious international community, through the UN, made peace to save the Bosnians with the emergence of the four million-member Republic of Bosnia- Herzegovina (1992-7).
The daily count of deaths due to Cattle Fulani herdsmen has exceeded 10, yet the Federal Government is still too busy planning to save the Fulani cattle with no meaningful plans of any kind to rescue besieged citizens. Instead Northern leaders spend their time defending the battered image of the Fulani and nomadism - an out-modded, primitive and uneconomic animal husbandry technique, long abandoned by the civilized world.
It baffles the world that Nigeria has a security problem with such monumental proportions, involving loss of hundreds of lives in hundreds of incidents in a year and the Head of State of Nigeria did not spare a sentence on the tragedy in his May 29, 2016 Democracy Day broadcast.
History is perhaps repeating itself. On October 1, 1966, whilst Igbo people were being hunted down in Nigeria and massacred in an organized genocide which took 27,939 Igbo lives with 1.129 million displaced back to their home region in the East, General Gowon, then Head of State, in his Independence Anniversary broadcast, made no mention of the atrocities; but instead found time to romanticize and celebrate that power was back in the hands of another Northerner, after he had murdered his benefactor, General Ironsi.
ACTION PLAN
Recognize Cattle Fulani Herdsmen militancy is not a problem that can be solved by playing Nigerian routine politics. The lives and freedoms of scores of millions of Nigerians are at stake. The Nigerian State is under siege and Cattle Fulani Herdsmen militants might be the catalysts for that end game.
Disarm all Herdsmen. If the Federal Government persists in its present apparent connivance with herdsmen, all States are advised to follow the Delta State example and dis-arm the herdsmen through the courts as detailed in number 8 above. I have called Elder Obaseki Okowa, my friend and kinsman, to congratulate him for giving Delta State a Governor with the right set of balls between his legs. Oppressors are morally bankrupt and listen to no pleas. The mission of the Fulanis in Nigeria is beyond the Fulanis herdsmen one sees in the various states. The oligarchy makes the decisions and fundamentalists never look back or roll back. A thousand meetings with Fulanis in any besieged state, will never change a mission now very close to complete accomplishment. If we accept that today, Nigeria is a Fulani slave camp, we will be able to work our way out of enslavement."The moment the slave resolves that he will no longer be a slave, his fetters fall. He frees himself and shows the way to others. Freedom and slavery are mental states." - the immortal words of Mahatma Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869 -1948), a realization that moved him to fight for Indian independence.
Communities Vigilante: The marauders, who are not supposed to belong to any civilized society are with us and their brothers who control the government of Nigeria insist they must remain with us and so far have not disarmed them, instead they plead alibis of foreign Boko Haram invaders, who they did not explain why they were allowed at all to invade Nigeria in the first instance. The first line of defense is therefore to arm the vigilante in every community. Former Governor Peter Obi's example in Anambra State should be a model : each community a patrol pick-up, a minimum number of personnel and Police licensed guns for small communities; and more for larger ones; ensured monthly salaries for all vigilantes; regular periodic provisions of fuel and bullets. Powerful security Committee to undertake fundraising in the State to augment subventions from the Governor's security vote.
Ban on all movement of Cattle on hoofs within each state like in all major cattle breeding nations of the world. With less than 15 million cattle, Nigeria is not by any stretch of imagination, a major cattle breeding nation. Major cattle breeding countries of the world, by 2009 figures have as high as 187,087,000 in Brazil; China 139,721,000; U.S.A. 96,669,000; EU 87,650,000,Argentina 51,062,000; Pakistan 38,300,000; Australia 29,202,000; Mexico 26,489,000. Cattle & breeders do not roam or molest citizens in any of the above nations. They are confined to ranches and Nigeria should confine all its cattle to ranches. Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has provided the leadership by restricting cattle movement in Ekiti State to privately owned ranches like in the civilized world and introduction of State Law to confiscate all free-ranging cattle.
Induce Cattle Fulani Herdsmen to go back to the Savana and leave civilized society for human beings, who have respect for human lives and Property:
(a) Pepper on grass or whatever stuff that will drive the cattle from farms and neighborhoods should be encouraged to be used by all communities invaded by Fulani cattle.
(b) Daily sales from Lokpanta Fulani settlement in Abia state is estimated at 500 to 700 heads at N100,000; for a six-day week sales, are estimated in a month to yield N1.2billion to N1.68billion, and for a year N14.4billion to N20.16billion. The sales from the other major Fulani settlement in Ugwuoba/Amansea, Enugu/Anambra should sell more than Lokpanta. Estimating Ugwuoba sales at Lokpanta volume, both add up to N28.8billion to N40.32billion (average say N34.06). Ebonyi State is not factored into above estimates; therefore add say N7billion and you have a total N41.06billion from South-East only. Southeast only, therefore contributes N41.06billion to the account of MACBAN and eventually AREWA without any respect whatsoever for the people of the South-East. Instead MACBAN and AREWA dish out abuses, massacre, rape and arson. As Nelson Mandela rightly asserted, Freedom without respect/dignity is no freedom at all.
Short-Term: boycott "Nama" totally for one month in memory of Nimbo 48 - My gut feeling is that if the South-East boycotts "Nama" totally for one month causing AREWA loss of over N3 billion, AREWA would negotiate peace subject to Southeastern terms. Besides, one month without "Nama" beef is not even enough mourning for the humiliation at Nimbo and various Southeast communities. For me all "Nama" are "Nimbo". Eating any"Nama" for me is like eating the flesh of any of the Nimbo 48.
Long-Term: Breed Your Muturu Cattle in the South:
Dr. Michael Okpara did breed Muturu breed (Efi Igbo) as premier of Eastern Region.
Saudi Arabia, with its dying stock of indigenous breeds of cattle, is doing it, using completely California, Irish and German breeds. Saudi is situated right inside a desert (not the escapist excuse of encroaching desert) but with huge dams and boreholes, is able to grow all the grass it needs and provide all the water for cows in its modernized ranches . Saudi has an average annual rainfall of just 2.3 inches (59mm); whereas Enugu for example has annual average of 66.7 inches and Sokoto - 24 inches. Industry experts say one cow must consume three liters of water a day to produce one liter of milk. For high-performing cattle, that equals 150 liters of water a day and Saudi provides that in its desert-situated ranches.
I take two sample ranches from Saudi Arabia.
(a) Almarai Al Kharj Ranch - The Californian model of livestock farming simply means that you don't have to grow all your grass and raise your own feed crops; you can farm out feed and water and all your input; and house a thousand head of dairy cattle on just 40 acres of land.
In 1977, Almarai began modestly with just 300 heads of cattle as part of a Saudi push to achieve food security through self-sufficiency -- a government response to the oil shocks of the 1970s.
Today with a total herd of 135,000 dairy cattle, Almarai's installation at Al Kharj 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of the capital Riyad, houses one of its largest herds of 67,000. The entire herd produces 2.5 million liters of milk a day -- an average of 40 liters per cow per day, roughly double the European average. 22,500 cows are currently under milk.
The secret to making a dairy farm successful in one of the world's most arid environments is to apply technology -- and a lot of it. Not to range cattle into dry bones and tendon all over the country!
Almarai'sAl Kharj ranch produces an average of 40 liters per day per cow, as against Nigerian Fulani cattle 0.74 litre average per day which amounts to a miserable 270.1 litres per annum, whose quality cannot be guaranteed.
(b). Almarai Al Badiah dairy farm: A desert land in Saudi Arabia with temperatures frequently of over 45 degrees Celsius is where you will find one of the largest and most impressive dairy operations in the world.
Almarai’s stunning Al Badiah farm, is home to 47,000 heads of dairy cattle. The farm is 6km long by 3km wide, with one third of the 2,200 hectares under buildings. Milk production is at the same rate as in (a) above.
BEEF VALUE:The beef value from the Saudi ranches is also over 40 times whatever is realizable from the scraggy Fulani Cattle which, at the end of over 1,000 kilometer trek, is but a bundle of tendon and bones, yielding little or no milk.
HEALTH HAZARD - Toxic Beef: What Fulani cattle eat or drink whilst roaming is unregulated. They ingest lots of toxic material (plastics and chemically polluted water) which could be part responsible for increasing rate of cancers and kidney failures in Nigeria. That beef/suya Nigerians commonly consume, could be part responsible for Nigeria's very low average life expectancy (longevity). Average world's life expectancy is 70 years whereas Nigeria is struggling with 53 years.
Ranches in the South
The "Mturu" (efi Igbo) is tsetse fly resistant and survives. A hybrid of the American or Brazilian/Argentinian or European high milk/beef yielding stock, with medium technology can give the zone enough milk and meat and plenty of extra to export. Imported semen can be used to impregnate local Mturu cow to produce that tsetse fly resistant but high-milk/beef-yielding high breed. Import of whole Bulls might be unnecessary.
Whenever Southern Nigeria produces enough beef and milk and can export, Cattle Fulani herdsmen would have no cause to stay in the tropics than go back to the Savana and learn to breed cattle with modern technology or perish their pastoralist live-stock breeding like Saudi indigenous cattle is becoming extinct.
URGENT NEED TO REVERSE WORLD CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE
A crisis way above Boko Haram in Nigeria is brewing and consuming Nigeria and the Nigerian government washes its hands of it like Herod. Failure of government to protect lives, like in NIMBO, is the worst type of governance failure, for what else is the purpose of governance, except the security and welfare of citizens. Instead the Nigerian government occupies itself in quixotic corruption fight whilst Nigerians are being massacred without question. The unanswered question is, preservation of citizens' lives and fighting corruption which one is more urgent? Can we have a society without citizens? Impossible, but there could be wild cattle. India has close to 300 million cattle in the wild, since Hindus do not eat beef.
Consequently, the greatest tribute South-East governments and peoples can do to NIMBO 48, is to elevate perception of Cattle Fulani Herdsmen Militant as Terrorists, which the Institute of Economics and Peace (IEP) has already done by classifying them as 4th deadliest terrorist organization in the world. What is left is to internationalize discussions on them. The quickest resort is to bring CNN and Al Jazira to do news, features, commentaries, etc on NIMBO 48. U.S. State Department must be made to categorize Cattle Fulani Militants as the terrorists they are.
At the end of the day, President Muhammad Buhari would need to answer questions on what he did whilst very deadly terrorists consumed Nigeria.
COMPENSATION FOR VICTIMS' FAMILIES
The families of NIMBO 48 deserve compensation from negligent Federal Government. Oppressors do not award damages because they are heartless. All tyrannies have no conscience. Therefore the Federal Government must be compelled to pay. Odi and Zaki Biam compelled the Federal Government and Billions of Naira were paid through court orders to Odi and Zaki Biam. These precedents should be followed and appeals to indifferent Abuja must stop. International suits are possible and can be organized for same
The present generation of Southern Nigerians must be reminded that today's massacres by the North is based on what Southerners accepted to take from the North in the interest of Nigerian unity.
The first recorded massacre in Nigeria took place in Jos. On June 22, 1945 over 200 people were slaughtered in Jos, and their property looted. The colonial authorities failed to institute a probe, and no justice was obtained for the victims. The Kano riots of 1953 took a toll of 150 lives and like in the 1953 riot, mainly Igbo people. No reaction whatsoever from survivors of victims.
In spite of these massacres and North's insistence that it was not interested in one Nigeria but would only participate if assured of dominating it, South-Eastern politicians led oppositions in 1947 and 1954, to a loose federation of regions, preferring a unitary set up; and further ensured that the provision for a right to self-determination for the federating units were not entrenched in the independence Constitution, contrary to the wishes of the Northern and Western Regions. In 1959, South-Eastern leaders ensured that Northerners had power handed over to them and the rest is now history.
LIABILITY BY STATE GOVERNMENTS:
On the Cattle Fulani Herdsmen terrorism, Governor Ayo Fayose has shown that if the States have the political will and courage, they can contain and defeat this monster; and thus protect and secure their citizens. The question is how many Governors in Nigeria can dare? Failure to dare however means dereliction of duty and governance failure. Such States as might fail to act to protect its citizens become liable before the law for loss of lives and property in their respective states.
PRESENT SLAVE/MASTER STRUCTURE OF NIGERIA:
The question is, does the present slave/master structure serve the best interests of the federating peoples of Nigeria and Nigeria?
If yes, forget about the above treatise.
Otherwise resolve that you will no longer be a slave and your fetters shall fall!
Prince Chukwuemeka I. Onyesoh
President,
Forum for Promotion of National Ethos and Values (FPNEV),
Enugu,
June 4, 2016.
