It is
normal and commendable for people who feel they have been offended to
ask for justice. For if everyone in any society were to become law unto
themselves, there would be unspeakable anarchy in such a society.
Since 2011, farmers across the country have been under sustained attacks from Fulani herdsmen and their mercenaries. Mass-killing of anything human, and of even domestic animals in some cases, remains the modus operadi of the attackers. many villages in Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba, Plateau and the southern parts of Kaduna have been completed burnt down with thousands of human lives and properties worth billions of naira destroyed. Kogi and many other states across the country also had "doses" of Fulani herdsmen attacks. In all of this, the Fulanis have never pretended that they were never involved in the killings; officials of their cattle herders' unions have variously accepted responsibility and given reasons why their members attacked this or that community. Yet, none of such officials have been arrested.
For the attacks in Benue state, Alhaji Sale Bayyari, Ardo Boderi and Garus Gololo, all officials of the Fulani cattle unions, have boldly given reasons why their members attacked villagers in Agatu, Buruku and some other communities. These individuals are known!
In Nasarawa state, Alhaji Husseini, the then chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders' Association of Nigeria in the state (maybe he is still there), told newsmen sometimes in 2014 that they were killing Tiv of Nasarawa state "for inviting their kinsmen from Benue to steal our cows". Alhaji Husseini is known!
In Taraba state, near Dooshima village in Ibi local govt, some Fulanis who were accompanied by some soldiers to search for a missing Fulani man, sometimes in 2015, allegedly found the dead body of the man near a Tiv man's farm. After the body was taken away, Fulanis invaded all the nearby farms and murdered 13 Tiv farmers. There was not a single soldier available to save the farmers. The soldiers who accompanied the searchers of the missing man can be traced to produce the Fulani men they had accompanied to recover the dead man's body. They are known!
In Kaduna state, officials of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders' Association of Nigeria held a press conference in Kaduna and gave reasons for the recent killings in the southern part of the state. They claimed that the killings were reprisals for the killing of Hausa/Fulani people in the 2011 post-election violence. That was a clear admission of their knowledge of the reasons for the killings and of those who carried out the attacks. Those officials are known! ... There are many such instances across the country.
Therefore, we support the call for the arrest and prosecution of those who killed Fulanis on the Mambilla Plateaus, as well as the arrest and prosecution of the individuals mentioned in this write-up.
Chronologically, the federal govt is owing victims of these mindless killings "arrears" of justice. We suggest that these arrears be cleared in order of first come first served. There are tomes of documents to guide the exercise.
Signed:
William Ukor, for all the victims of Fulani herdsmen attacks in Nigeria.
Since 2011, farmers across the country have been under sustained attacks from Fulani herdsmen and their mercenaries. Mass-killing of anything human, and of even domestic animals in some cases, remains the modus operadi of the attackers. many villages in Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba, Plateau and the southern parts of Kaduna have been completed burnt down with thousands of human lives and properties worth billions of naira destroyed. Kogi and many other states across the country also had "doses" of Fulani herdsmen attacks. In all of this, the Fulanis have never pretended that they were never involved in the killings; officials of their cattle herders' unions have variously accepted responsibility and given reasons why their members attacked this or that community. Yet, none of such officials have been arrested.
For the attacks in Benue state, Alhaji Sale Bayyari, Ardo Boderi and Garus Gololo, all officials of the Fulani cattle unions, have boldly given reasons why their members attacked villagers in Agatu, Buruku and some other communities. These individuals are known!
In Nasarawa state, Alhaji Husseini, the then chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders' Association of Nigeria in the state (maybe he is still there), told newsmen sometimes in 2014 that they were killing Tiv of Nasarawa state "for inviting their kinsmen from Benue to steal our cows". Alhaji Husseini is known!
In Taraba state, near Dooshima village in Ibi local govt, some Fulanis who were accompanied by some soldiers to search for a missing Fulani man, sometimes in 2015, allegedly found the dead body of the man near a Tiv man's farm. After the body was taken away, Fulanis invaded all the nearby farms and murdered 13 Tiv farmers. There was not a single soldier available to save the farmers. The soldiers who accompanied the searchers of the missing man can be traced to produce the Fulani men they had accompanied to recover the dead man's body. They are known!
In Kaduna state, officials of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders' Association of Nigeria held a press conference in Kaduna and gave reasons for the recent killings in the southern part of the state. They claimed that the killings were reprisals for the killing of Hausa/Fulani people in the 2011 post-election violence. That was a clear admission of their knowledge of the reasons for the killings and of those who carried out the attacks. Those officials are known! ... There are many such instances across the country.
Therefore, we support the call for the arrest and prosecution of those who killed Fulanis on the Mambilla Plateaus, as well as the arrest and prosecution of the individuals mentioned in this write-up.
Chronologically, the federal govt is owing victims of these mindless killings "arrears" of justice. We suggest that these arrears be cleared in order of first come first served. There are tomes of documents to guide the exercise.
Signed:
William Ukor, for all the victims of Fulani herdsmen attacks in Nigeria.
