Govts not sincere on Fulani, farmers’ crisis —Stakeholders

JOHNSON BABAJIDE speaks with some stakeholders on why it is difficult for government to tame the activities of Fulani herdsmen in the country and the failure of security agents to prosecute anyone to serve as deterrent for others.

COMMENTING on the development, Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, said that the activities of Fulani herdsmen in the country were becoming worrisome, explaining that some of the criminal herders in the state had been arrested and being prosecuted.

Ortom, who was speaking on the killings allegedly orchestrated by Fulani herdsmen in the country, said: “Well, it calls for concern but if I will narrow it down to my state here, as I am talking to you, we have arrested some herdsmen and they are being prosecuted.”

The governor said that his administration would go hard on armed herders and the youths causing problems between farmers and herdsmen.

According to him, “there are some youths causing this problem and there are herdsmen whose aim is to kill. This administration will not rest on its oars to apprehend any criminal in the state be it our youths or herders.

Also commenting, the Majority Leader of the Benue State House of Assembly, Honourable Sule Audu, expressed deep concern over non-prosecution of herdsmen in the country, which he said has caused the situation to go out of hand.

He explained that if many herdsmen had been arrested and jailed if found guilty by competent courts in the country, it would have served as a deterrent to others.

“I am disturbed by the incessant attacks by Fulani herdsmen across the country, particularly in Agatu. Since the last year attack on Agatu, I have not seen anyone prosecuted despite the destruction of Agatu land.”

He was of the opinion that the herdsmen must have strong and influential persons in government that could have made the attackers to go without being prosecuted, expressing fear that if government does not treat every part of the country equally, “there is likelihood that we are heading toward anarchy.”

Equally, a traditional ruler and scholar, Chief Daniel Abomtse, decried the continuous Fulani attacks on Nigeria farmers, adducing it to the insincerity on the part of government at all levels.

Abomtse, who is the Ter Nagi, lamented the activities of the herders, saying that government officials were part of the conspiracy against harmless Nigerians, who voted them in office.

He said that government at all levels had deviated from their constitutional responsibility to protect lives and properties but had been playing the ostrich.

He asked why government has not shown serious concern towards prosecuting anyone or deploying the necessary military operations to combat armed Fulani herdsmen as is being done against Boko Haram in the North-East.

According to him, “governments at all levels are not sincere in combating the clashes between Nigerian farmers and Fulani herdsmen or else; what prevented them from having these people apprehended and prosecuted in the court of law?

“Each time government makes pronouncement concerning Fulani and farmers’ clashes, you see traces of insincerity; it is all fake. Why is it that the Federal Government has not mounted military surveillance to track down these people? In a nut shell, it is a conspiracy, or you ask are the herdsmen imaginary that you cannot get them? Why is it that the government has not been able to declare them terrorists and treat them as such?

He stated further that the “the primary responsibility of governments at all levels is to protect lives and properties of the citizens,” asking but why the government had not been taking proactive measures to prevent the clashes.

“In a way, it is corruption; because as the matter degenerates, government apparatus like the security agencies get fabulous allowances from government,” he said, suggesting that government should, henceforth, stop the deployment of personnel with vested interests in the flash points across the country.