Herdsmen, victim or culprits?

THE intractable conflict between Fulani herdsmen and farmers has reached a dangerous dimension. Of great concern are the series of coordinating attacks and counter attacks witnessed in some communities of Zamfara, Benue, Taraba and Adamawa states believed to have launched by some armed Fulani mercenaries. These attacks have led to the death of hundreds of people and generated mixed reactions across the country.

Many Nigerians have expressed their divergent views; some blame the Fulani as culprits others have ethicized the conflict. Farmers/herders crises is as old as the world itself, Fulani hardly stay in one place; they use sticks to control their cattle and matchet to cut up tree leaves. Today, Fulani herdsmen have become more hostile and violent which is alien to their nomadic tradition or culture.

The furore generated by the recent attack by the suspected Fulani herdsmen on Benue communities necessitate asking some questions; whether Fulani are the culprits or victims of the incessant conflict in the country? It seemed there was a conspiracy of silence in what many described as holocaust or ethnic cleansing perpetrated by militias in Adamawa and Taraba states in recent times.

For instance, over eight hundred Fulani mostly women, children and aged were massacred or hacked to death by bachama ethnic militias in Adamawa state. The mambila genocide is still fresh in the mind of Nigerians. Fulani herdsmen are also victims of attacks in southern Kaduna, Nasarawa and Zamfara where they got killed and their cattle rustled with impunity. Sadly, all these atrocities committed against them are not reported by many Nigerian media, neither the perpetrators apprehended and prosecuted by the constituted authority.

Fulani herdsmen were caught at the crossroad; first, there is the problem of population explosion coupled with urbanization that has taken their grazing land. Secondly, global warming has forced many of them to migrate from Sahel to arid Savannah where there is availability of pastures.

The menace of cattle rustling has posed great challenges and made lives more difficult for them. They are being daily threatened by armed and international cattle rustlers. They are being silently killed by criminals in their host communities. The anti-grazing law enacted by some states governors has also exacerbated the boiled tension.

Besides trampled upon their right to free movement as enshrined in chapter 4 of 1999 constitution, the laws are meant to drive them out from their business.

• Ibrahim Mustapha Pambegua, Kaduna State.