*Herdsmen attacks may lead to another civil war, Reps member warns
*As more opposition greets Grazing Reserves C’ttee
*Grazing reserves aimed at arm-twisting southern governors, says Ohanaeze
*We’ll approach court to stop violation of Land Use Act if need be – Ortom
By Williams Orji (Abuja), Zara Nwachinemere,( Abakaliki) and Pwanagba Agabus,(Jos)
As suspected Fulani terrorists continue to unleash bloodbaths on the people of southern Kaduna, Nigerians are alarmed at the level of insecurity and the inability of the security agencies to rein in the attackers or proactively preventing it. To this end, an obviously exasperated lawmaker has warned that herdsmen attack, may lead to another civil war.
This comes as many have expressed concern on President Muhammadu Buhari’s insistence to have cattle routes reviewed and to make provision for cows even when most state governors have raised their voices against it.
Suspected Fulani terrorists kill 15, injure three, burn houses in Southern Kaduna
As the orgy of killings continue to occur in Kaduna, the recent one which happened late Saturday night, as reported by Daily Post, the terrorists were reported to have attacked Ma-Dooh village in Atyap Chiefdom in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State and killed about 15 persons.
According to the paper, houses were burned down by the suspected Fulani terrorists and three persons are now in the hospital receiving treatment as a result of the attack.
A source from the village said the suspected Fulani militias stormed the village at about 11 pm and unleashed mayhem on the innocent people that were all asleep.
The source explained, “Most of us had to run for our dear lives hearing the kind of sound of sophisticated weapons that were used. I strongly believe the types of sophisticated weapons that the suspected Fulani militias used are not in the hands of our security personnel in the country.
“Most of us slept in unknown places last night in order to save our dear lives to be able to face the future. The type of sound of the weapons was so terrifying that no one can explain where these types of weapons come from.”
The source further explained that the military personnel in the morning have taken over the village to protect the people against any further attack.
He appealed to the federal and Kaduna State governments to immediately do something to save the lives of the people and the country as a whole from suspected Fulani militias freely attacking to kill maim and do all kinds of destruction that is not expected of a right thinking person.
He added, “The government of the day promised when they were taking their oath of office to strictly ensure the protection of all lives and properties in their constituencies for peace and progress of all Nigerians.”
However, in a reprisal attack, a Fulani settlement in Kankada, Madakiya District in Bajju Chiefdom of Zangon Kataf local government area, was completely burnt down Sunday morning.
Halima Haruna, a female resident of the torched settlement, who was rescued and taken to Zonkwa Divisional Police Station, told Daily Trust that the attackers surrounded their community in the early hours of Sunday.
A wife to the Ardo of Kankada, Haruna, said she saw two corpses, man and a woman, on her way to hide somewhere.
“We were forced to run and hide somewhere while some of our people ran to the bush for their safety.”
“We don’t know what happened to them as I am speaking with you now, we spent three hours before the security arrived and took us to the Police Station here in Zonkwa. Our houses were totally razed,” she said
She said the attackers told them that they want to take revenge of what happened to them Saturday night somewhere around Samaru Kataf, “which we know nothing about.”
In the past one week, four villages in Atyap chiefdom have come under separate attacks with scores killed, many injured and several houses burnt.
Confirming both the incidents to our reporter, the Police Public Relations Officer, Kaduna State, ASP Muhammed Jalige said Policemen have been deployed in the attacked community.
He called on the people Zangon Kataf in particular, and the people of southern Kaduna in general, to stop taking laws into their hands.
Herdsmen attacks may lead to another civil war, Rep member warns
The member representing Jos South/Jos East Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Dachung Musa Bagos has warned that if activities of terror herdsmen continue to go unchecked “another civil war may erupt or the taliban Afghanistan experience” will become the order of the day in the country.
Adding that, “terror herdsmen are now above the law. They seem untouchable and seemingly protected”.
The aforementioned warning by the Lawmaker is coming in the wake of an interception and arrest of Likita Abubakar a Fulani man in Akwanga, on Saturday 21st August, 2021 by the Joint Task Force of Police and Federal Road Safety Commission in Nasarawa State while transporting ammunitions to Jos, Plateau State is a clear evidence that war has been declared by terror herdsmen against the good people of Plateau.
Bagos disclosed this to journalists in Jos, the Plateau State Capital.
He said, “I strongly want to call on Plateau State Government and the security agencies to rise to their responsibility of protecting lives and properties and ensure the arrest of the remaining six Gangs and friends of Likita Abubakar a Fulani man who was arrested in Akwanga Saturday the 21st August, 2021 on his way to Jos with fully loaded arms.
“I want to also call on all Plateau people, especially youth to be united and ensure they are not taken unawares, they should protect their communities by preventing any further attacks.
According to him, “Section 33 (1) of the Nigerian Constitution provides that persons living in Nigeria, shall have a right to life and no one shall be deprived intentionally, of his life unless in execution of the sentence of a court of criminal office of which he has been found guilty, adding that, “This aspect of the constitution has been forgotten, there is killing everywhere; terror herdsmen are now above the law. They seem untouchable and seemingly protected. If their activities remain unchecked, another civil war may erupt or the Taliban Afghanistan experience.
“It is very sad that in the past few weeks Plateau villages have suffered several attacks and hundreds of innocent souls lost, but this didn’t attract the necessary required attention, rather grazing routes are been reviewed instead for approval of encouraging private ranches,” he decried.
“I call on the security agencies in Plateau State to take action like their colleagues in Nasarawa state to arrest the remaining six gangs who were on their way with loaded arms to Plateau State for another round deadly of attacks, ” Bagos admonished.
“Enough is enough, we will resist any attempt to continuously disrupt peace on the Plateau by forcefully taking over our ancestral farm lands in what so ever form,” he warned.
Bagos stress that, “Government should ensure the return of citizens that have been chased out of their communities.”
Grazing reserves aimed at arm-twisting southern governors, says Ohanaeze
Meanwhile, the recent pronouncement made by the Presidency which disclosed that President Buhari has set up committee, to review “with dispatch,” 368 grazing sites, across 25 states in the country, “to determine the levels of encroachment,” has continued to received resistance from concerned parties.
Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, Friday, hinted that the grazing reserves recently approved by President Mohammadu Buhari, was aimed at arm-twisting southern governors.
Engr. Chidi Ibeh, led Ohaneze, stated this in a release signed by the Secretary-General of the group, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro and made to journalists in Abakaliki.
President Buhari, this August approved a committee to review “with dispatch,” 368 grazing sites, across 25 states in the country, “to determine the levels of encroachment.”
The president’s directive followed his approval of the recommendations of a committee chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Gambari.
Isiguzoro, noted that with the approval, governors from the southern region will be victimized, stating that it may be federal government’s measure to checkmate the implementation of the ban on open grazing by southern Governors.
He said if any southern governor opposes the grazing reserves there is the possibility of federal government using the instruments of power to deny such governor some privileges.
The group urged the southern governors to maintain their stance on their ban on open grazing, adding: “No Governor will take the risks of donating land for grazing reserves in Igboland to Fulani herdsmen without facing the curses, excommunication, and its consequences as number one enemy of Ndigbo”.
“Ndigbo will not condone further obnoxious policies of the federal government aimed at helping the enemies especially the murderous herdsmen to erect a” TALIBAN STATE” in south-eastern Nigeria.
“Southeast Governors forum had in the past given the Ndigbo verdict that there are no available lands for grazing reserves or Ruga anywhere in the East, so we hope that no Igbo Governor will sabotage this verdict, as it won’t go without sanctions.
“All southern progressive Governors are put to the test, and traps are set for them with this obnoxious and anti-peoples policy. They should join the opposition party in the renunciation of these grazing reserves…as posterity will be fair to them who never betrayed the confidence of his citizens”.
He urged federal government to concentrate in the 19 Northern states where there is have enormous landmass as there is no available land for grazing in the southeast.
“Extending the grazing reserves beyond North has reinforced our suspicion that federal government is determined to destroy the implementation of open grazing ban in the South and Ndigbo will withstand it.”
We’ll approach court to stop violation of Land Use Act if need be – Ortom
The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, reacting to the setting up of the committee, stated that his administration will approach the law courts to stop violation of the Land Use Act should the Federal Government insist on creating grazing routes and grazing areas in the state.
He spoke on Sunday at the Makurdi Airport while interacting with journalists on his return from Delta State where he attended the burial of the father of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.
The governor stated that the Land Use Act is clear on the issue of land ownership and management, stressing that any attempt to subvert his right as a Governor through creation of nonexistent Cattle Routes would be resisted with a legal action.
He called on lieutenants of the President to advise him properly on issues so that things would work better for the country, pointing out that insisting on cattle routes in the 21st century when states are enacting ranching laws was retrogressive.
Governor Ortom stated that already, there is serious food crisis in the country due to insecurity and if nothing is done to curtail the trend, the situation would get worse in the coming years.
Fielding questions from journalists, the Governor said the abysmal performance of the All Progressives Congress, APC-led administration at the centre had provided an opportunity for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP as an alternative to provide purposeful leadership for Nigeria in 2023.
The Governor who also spoke on the issue of privatisation of government enterprises in the state said any of the advertised enterprises that is functional and its proposed sale is against the wishes of Benue people, he would go with public opinion.
