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Opinion!!! Understanding Afenifere, Herders And FGN From Security Perspective
By Yusufu Aminu Idegu
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One issue in the Nigerian society that leaders at all level often seek collaboration efforts of citizens to tackle is the issue of security. The complexity and sophistication of crime in Nigeria in the last decade has, without doubt, overwhelmed the federal government whose primary responsibility is to ensure security of lives and properties of citizens. The state governments that is saddled with the same responsibility in their respective state have also became handicapped in securing lives and properties and has often seek collaboration of its citizens to subdue criminals that have been making life difficult for citizens.
It is never in doubt, that from the inception of President Buhari administration, the poor state of security it inherited from past administration in 2015 has not improved. In fact, the tempo of criminal activities like kidnapping, insurgency, killings and banditry has tripled, forcing the federal government to fall back on citizens for help with credible intelligent information in the fight against criminality across the country.
One fact which remains undisputable about security in Nigeria is that the criminality particularly kidnapping and banditry does not spare any part of the country. Ironically, one ethnic group has featured prominently in these aspects of crime: Fulani herdsmen. The Benue state government under Gov. Samuel Ortom had to invoke anti-grazing law to curtail incessant and deadly attacks by armed herdsmen. The leadership of Miyeti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has often made fruitless efforts to justify why its members bear arms while grazing. MACBAN may have good base for its claim, but the puzzle stakeholders in the security sector has to address is how to differentiate between armed Fulani herdsmen and armed bandits that rove around in the forest in Ondo, South West, North East, North West or any other parts of the country.
Only last week, the governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, issued a seven-day ultimatum to herdsmen to vacate the reserved forest in the state as a measure to put an end to activities of gunmen in the state and its environs. Hear him, “All Forest Reserves in the state are to be vacated by herdsmen within the next seven days with effect from Monday 18th January 2021. The administration will not fold its arms and allow a few individuals to turn the state into a haven of dare-devil criminals.
Akeredolu
He stated further, “The security reports and debriefings from victims of kidnap cases pointed in one direction traceable to some bad elements masquerading as herdsmen. As the Chief Law and Security Officer of the state, it is my constitutional obligation to do everything lawful to protect the lives and property of all residents of the State. This meeting, therefore, is convened to address the issues of insecurity with the ultimate aim of attaining the goal of a safe environment.
“Recent security trends attest that these times require all hands to be on deck as the difficulties we face are dire. The challenges are quite enormous but we are determined to confront them head-on. We decided that all the criminal elements, who hide under various guises to aid the destruction of farmlands as well as perpetrate other violent crimes such as kidnapping, drug peddling and other nefarious activities, must be stamped out of our dear state. I wish to reassure the residents that the State Security Council, under my leadership, shall not relent in tackling these challenges pragmatically. We shall remove all threats in no distant future.
“We have cases of several attacks on our people by these mindless elements. You will recall the gruesome murder of one of the members of Ondo State Traditional Council who was caught in the web of the devious plans of these workers of evil on his way back to his domain. While we were still grieving, other kidnap attempts were made on the lives of road users across the state, especially along our boundaries and hinterland.”
In giving the ultimatum, governor Akeredolu appeared to have spoken on behalf of the South-West geo-political zone being the chairman South West Governors Forum. Of course, criminal activities of herdsmen are not limited to Ondo state alone but include all the five states within the zone. Ekohotblog can recall that one human rights activist, Sunday Adeyemo had called for herdsmen to vacate Oyo state, alleging that they are responsible for the upsurge of killings and kidnapping of Yoruba people in the state in recent times.
It is not in doubt that people of the zone had to launch a security outfit known as Amotekun in response to growing insecurity in the zone for which government security agencies proved handicapped to handle. All these are pointers to the fact that the security challenges in the South-West zone is growing in scale and everything needed to be done to curtail it is highly desirable to citizens and government at all levels.
However, the federal government which often advocate collective efforts to tackle criminalities in the country appeared uncomfortable with the seven-day ultimatum order issued by Gov Akeredolu in Ondo state. Hence, in a swift reaction, the Presidency declared that Governor Akeredolu lacks the constitutional powers to issue such quit notice to the herders. The Presidency in a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, stated that as a lawyer, Governor Akeredolu will be going contrary to the constitution of the country if he should unilaterally oust Fulani herders in the state while tackling insecurity.
The statement said, “The Presidency has been keenly monitoring events occurring in Ondo State and the “orders” by the government of the state, asking herders to vacate the forests in seven days. What is clearly emerging, is a lack of consistency in messaging which in turn leads to various contradictions regarding accuracy and the intent behind the message. There is little to be said other than to call for restraint on both sides and urge the state government and the leadership of the Fulani communities to continue their dialogue for a good understanding that will bring to an urgent end, the nightmarish security challenges facing the state.
“Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, a seasoned lawyer, Senior Advocate of Nigeria and indeed, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has fought crime in his state with passion and commitment, greater sensitivity and compassion for the four years he has run its affairs and, in our view, will be the least expected to unilaterally oust thousands of herders who have lived all their lives in the state on account of the infiltration of the forests by criminal. If this were to be the case, rights groups will be right in expressing worries that the action could set off a chain of events which the makers of our constitution foresaw and tried to guard against.
“We want to make it clear that kidnapping, banditry and rustling are crimes, no matter the motive or who is involved. But, to define crime from the nameplates, as a number of commentators have erroneously done- which group they belong to, the language they speak, their geographical location or their faith is atavistic and cruel. We need to delink terrorism and crimes from ethnicity, geographical origins and religion—to isolate the criminals who use this interchange of arguments to hinder law enforcement efforts as the only way to deal effectively with them.
“The President, who swore to defend the constitution has spoken against the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in asking citizens of Northern origin to leave; he did not spare the group based in Sokoto, ‘Muslim Solidarity Forum,’ which asked the Bishop of Sokoto to leave and is prepared to do all that the law permits to protect citizens all over the country in their choice of where they wished to reside and are treated as equal citizens. “The government of Ondo, and all the 35 others across the federation must draw clear lines between the criminals and the law-abiding citizens who must equally be saved from the infiltrators. Beyond law and order, the fight against crime is also a fight for human values which are fundamental to our country“ said the Presidency.
MACBAN, whose members are mostly affected by the 7-day ultimatum informed Gov Akeredolu at the meeting that they will return home and pass the order to their people, discuss and get back to him. “The association will meet on the directives of the governor and come out with a position.” Said, Alhaji Bello Garuba, chairman MACBAN in Ondo State. But before MACBAN could meet and digest the governor’s ultimatum, the Presidency has reacted the way they did, and the presidency position sounded like a morale booster and back up to the occupants of the reserved forest of Ondo state. Herders in the said forest have already gotten reason why they will never heed the governor’s order, at least a presidential order is superior to that of governor Akeredolu. Meanwhile, lives and properties remained under security threats in Ondo state and South-West generally.
Shocked over the statement from Aso Rock, the pan Yoruba socio-cultural organisation Afenifere noted that no responsible state governor will sit down and watch his state been invaded by daredevil criminals. “No responsible government will tolerate what the herdsmen are doing in Ondo state” similarly, Chairman, Western States Security Network, codenamed: Amotekun in Oyo State, Gen. Kunle Togun (retd), raised the alarm that most commercial motorcyclists in the state were spies for kidnappers and bandits, who infiltrated the South West through the porous borders of the country—Oyo Amotekun commandant
In the raging war of words over Gov Akeredolu order, former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, condemned Gabar Shehu’s intervention, noting that quit notice cannot be given to law-abiding citizens in any part of Nigeria, but can be given to those that kill, steal and seek to destroy the lives of others. Femi, who via his Facebook handle, condemned the Presidency, urging other South Western Governors to issue similar ultimatum in their respective state to herdsmen. Femi said, “The assertion by presidential spokesman Mallam Shehu Garba that a bunch of murderous thugs, psychopathic vagabonds, barbaric rapists, merciless ritualists and vicious killers have a right to reside in the forests of Ondo and the South West and continue to slaughter and rob our people is insulting, provocative, asinine and absurd.
“Quit notices cannot be given to law-abiding citizens in any part of Nigeria and I have always opposed such notices. However, they can and must be given to those that kill, steal and seek to destroy the lives of others. “Murderous terrorists and bloodthirsty and evil men that hide in the forest to ambush, kidnap, kill and destroy innocent and hardworking men and women have no constitutional rights. “It is the duty of Government to not only flush them out from whichever hole they are hiding but also to dispatch them to hell where they belong. Akeredolu has done and said the right thing and I urge every single South-Western Governor to do the same. “Fulanis, Hausas, Igbos, Ijaws and ALL Nigerians are welcome in the South West but terrorists, bandits, killers and unhinged, blood-lusting and bloodthirsty psychopaths and sociopaths are not. “President Buhari, your job is to and stop the killings. Stop turning a blind eye simply because they came from your tribe. Stop brushing this under the carpet and stop treating them with kids glove. Stop protecting them and stop encouraging them. “Stop sacrificing the people of the South West on the altar of solidarity with the herdsmen and Miyetti Allah. Treat ALL Nigerians equal and defend them all”
Ekohotblog is not concerned about who is right or who is wrong, it is more concerned with the security of lives and properties of citizens anywhere in the country. At the end of this war of words among stakeholders, it is our interest that citizens of Nigerians will be able to sleep with their two eyes closed. The growing insecurity has no doubt taken away the freedom citizens deserved and enjoyed over the century, citizens now live in perpetual fear in their motherland and have no option than to live in fear. How long can we continue with this prevailing state of affairs in Nigeria? The confusion in the minds of many Nigerians is who take charge of security of lives and properties at the state and local government, the state governors or the presidency. Where is the dividing line between the power of the state governors and the presidency as chief security officers and commander-in-chief? Maybe the judiciary will have to come in and interpret to Nigerians who is responsible for what between state governors and presidency.
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