Thread by @HisKnowledgeabl

TWO KEYS TO SOLVING THE FULANI HERDSMEN/FARMERS CONFLICT IN NIGERIA

Since Feb 2019, today is the first time I would follow a program on any of Nigeria's tv stations. It was #PoliticsToday which featured my man, @seunokin's interview with notable Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi.

2/ It is saddening to see the Fulani Herdsmen menace snowballing into a war across Nigeria's 6 geo-political zones over the last 6years, under the watch of President Muhammadu Buhari & Vice President Yemi Osinbajo- @ProfOsinbajo, as if there are no intelligent persons in Nigeria.

3/ American writer, Max Ehrmann, in his 1927 poem- Desiderata wrote "...Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story."

For this reason, let us critically examine Sheikh Gumi's interview with @seunokin.

4/ Like Max Erhmann wrote in 1927, Sheikh Gumi argued that the Fulani Herdsmen also have their story:

- They are not criminals & killers.
- They are negatively stereotyped wherever they go.
- Soldiers who are meant to tackle rustlers of their herds of cattle end up killing them.

5/ - Men of @PoliceNG, other security agencies, vigilante groups across communities, as well as govt agents extort them in their day-to-day movement with their herds of cattle.

KIDNAPPING

These issues of perceived neglect & oppression, forced them into kidnapping for ransoms.

6/ RANSACKING VILLAGES

While Sheikh Gumi argued that Fulani Herdsmen do not kill but only kidnap for ransom, @seunokin interjected, saying they ransack villages: razing them down into ashes, killing men, women, children, animals and anybody in sight.

7/ Like Erhmann wrote in 1927, Gumi again argued that the Fulani Herdsmen also have their story for invading villages, alongside their compatriots from neighbouring countries:

- They are revenge missions if Fulani Herdsmen or their cattle were killed by villagers in any village.

8/ MY ENCOUNTER

In 2002, I spent some 3months in Shendam, Plateau State, where I encountered the most primitive of Fulani Herdsmen.

With or without their herds of cattle, they roved with their stick in hand, machetes & a gigantic radio set hanging across their shoulders.

9/ I recall vividly, whenever these Fulani Herdsmen & their wives return into the city centre (Shendam), from the bush market in Langtang, they storm the shops of Ndigbo to buy 'kulikuli pants' for their kids, among other wares.

I also recall their traditional stick combats...

10/ 19years ago, with or without their cattle, the Fulani Herdsmen only roved with their sticks in hand, machetes & a gigantic radio set hanging across their shoulders.

What has changed that they now rove with Avtomat Kalashnikova (AK-47), RPGs among other sophisticated weapons?

11/ Like Max Ehrmann wrote in his 1927 poem, Yours Truly has listened to the Fulani Herdsmen story as told by the notable Sheikh Gumi.

Agreeing but not conceding to all his claims in that interview with @seunokin, you'll agree with @conumah when he wrote, "WE ARE ALL BIAFRANS."

12/ Like or hate Sheikh Gumi, like every other Nigerian, the average Fulani Herdsman/men also suffer grave injustices from the Nigerian System.

Howbeit, the Fulani Herdsmen through their actions & inactions themselves are culprits to the wanton killings across the country.

13/ Before d 1994 Constitutional Conference, Alex Ekiotenne of RIERPO argued: "The first question we must answer is if the diverse groups feel this federation (Nig) is no longer beneficial, then, we should dissolve peacefully without bloodshed like Czechoslovakia & Soviet Union."

14/ WAY OUT: If Nigerians from across the 6 geo-political zones, feel this Federation is still beneficial, I urge @NigeriaGov, @NGRSenate, @HouseNGR, @kfayemi-led @NGFSecretariat to urgently do the needful to contain the Fulani Herdsmen menace snowballing into another civil war.

15/ 2 KEY SOLUTIONS

1. BAN OPEN GRAZING: The 36 States, including FCT Abuja should ban the archaic & outdated open grazing, since encroachments of farmlands by herds of cattle belonging to Fulani Herdsmen cause all/most of the major conflicts they've with farming communities.

16/ - Cattle Rearing is a private business. A Fulani Herdsman should be ready to acquire small/large acres of land in any part of Nigeria to build a ranch for his cattle herds, as it operates in other climes.

This madness of herds of cattle roving into people's farms must stop.

17/ - Tied to this, I expect the Ministries of Agriculture across Nigeria's 36 States to ensure all Fulani Herdsmen doing cattle business in their States are registered with the relevant agric agencies. The world over, business operators apply for operational licenses from govt.

18/ - With these operational licenses to be renewed annually, including tax remittances after sales, there must be no reason for men of @PoliceNG, other security agencies, state & non-state actors to continue to harrass/extort the Fulani Herdsman going about his legal businesses.

19/ 2. A DECENTRALISED POLICING SYSTEM: I advocate for @PoliceNG to be decentralised into 37 Independent State Police & 774 Local Police Departments.

The contentious issue of cattle rustling attacks on Fulani communities will be ameliorated with a decentralised policing system.

20/ END- If @NigeriaGov, @nassnigeria & the @kfayemi-led @NGFSecretariat feel the abovementioned solutions won't contain the Fulani Herdsmen menace ravaging Nigeria, then, like the U.S., there is need for Nigeria to have the 2ND AMENDMENT (legal right to bear arms).

Namaste @threadreaderapp, please unroll.