VIVIAN OKEJEME, in this report, x-rays the quest for justice by Benue communities after the killing and destruction of their farmlands allegedly by Fulani herdsmen.
In April 2016, the Movement Against Fulani Occupation (MAFO), instituted a suit at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice, claiming the sum of N500 billion compensation for the killings, displacement, and other related damages, allegedly caused by Fulani herdsmen in numerous invasions of Benue communities.
The movement, according to the handlers, is a non-governmental, non-partisan and a pan ethnic collection of Nigerians who share the passion for security of lives and properties, threatened by violent Fulani herdsmen, particularly in Benue State.
The suit was filed on behalf of Rev. Fr. Solomon Mfa, and 11 others, representing the victims of attacks by herdsmen in Benue state. They are asking for an order directing the defendants to pay them compensation for unlawful violation of their rights.
They are praying the court to direct the defendants to pay the sum of N25 million as cost of prosecuting this suit. MAFO also wants the court to direct the first and second defendants to set up an investigative panel to investigate attacks committed by herdsmen over the years and implement its findings.
Joined in the suit are: Federal Government of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, then Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase and the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai as first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth defendants respectively.
In the suit, MAFO accused the herdsmen of carrying out more than 50 major incessant attacks on Benue communities within the last three years consequent upon which more than 1000 people had been killed; hundreds of thousands displaced and living in deplorable make shift camps and properties worth billions of naira were destroyed from attacks by herdsmen in 2016 alone.
To MAFO, most prominent attacks were carried out in 15 out of 23 local government areas of the state and communities where these attacks were carried out, had become desolate and devastated due to wanton destruction of lives and property.
The court presided over by Justice Friday Nwoke, last Monday adjourned hearing in the case till November 9 following a motion on notice for an extension of time filed by the defendants.
When the case came up at the last adjourned date, counsel to the plaintiffs, Barr. Terence Terfa Vembe, told the court, “we have to approach the ECOWAS court because in all these, the federal government of Nigeria is not taking steps at all. It is the federal government that has the might. They have the army, the police and all others security apparatus. We ought to be given protection. For instance, there is a guarantee of right to life but they are killing our kith and kins like chicken. We don’t have to wait until all of us die. But the federal government is not doing anything at all. We are entitled to security of our persons but we are not given that.”
MAFO had also petitioned the National Human Rights Commission, (NHRC) over the killing. In the petition, MAFO wondered why the location of Fulani herdsmen that allegedly attack their communities are well known to agencies of the federal government, but they have refused to accost them and prevent further attacks but are rather given seeming tacit approval to the large concentration of these Fulani militia in neighbouring communities particularly, Nasarawa State, which allegedly allows passage routes and has created safe havens for attackers of Benue communities at the border especially coastal areas.
The federal government has come under criticism for acknowledging that the Fulani herdsmen who have persistently unleashed mayhem on Benue communities and kinsmen, are not Nigerians but migrants from neighbouring countries like Chad and Mali who gain entrance into Nigeria with their herds as foreign nomads, due to porous borders.
The group said the same government has not taken any step whatsoever to protect and defend the country from foreign aggression.
As for Miyetti Allah (umbrella organization of Fulani cattle rearers in Nigeria) MAFO told NHRC that the herders body have openly confessed to carrying out these dastardly acts on Benue communities but the security agencies have never apprehended or arrested and prosecuted them.
“On Friday 4th day of March, 2016 when one Ardo Boderi claiming to be a leader of the Fulani herdsmen, in the presence of the then Inspector General of Police (IGP) Solomon Araase at a stakeholders meeting organised by the IGP and in Makurdi, claimed that over 10,000 cattle belonging to the Fulani marauders were allegedly killed by people of Agatu and that was why he and his members were attacking and killing people of the Agatu community. Despite this open admission of commission of crime in full glare of the public the IGP never arrested or ordered the arrest of the said Ardo Boderi or caused enquiry or investigation of any kind to be made into this bizarre claim”, MAFO claimed.
Moreover, in the wake of the Fulani herdsmen’s dastardly attacks on Agatu communities, the President and his Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Danbazzau (Rtd). broke their silence a week after over 500 people were killed and 10 villages razed in Agatu LGA announced they had set up an investigative panel to enquire into the atrocities committed against the community, but curiously up till today, the said panel purportedly instituted to enquire into the attacks has not been made public or inaugurated.
On the reverse, there is a deployment of as special squad for protection of cows above human lives. Therefore, MAFO is calling on the commission to cause the federal government to deploy with immediate effect troops to the affected areas to forestall further attacks.
MAFO also wants NHRC to cause with immediate effect the arrest and prosecution of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) perpetrating the act of barbaric killing in a frivolous claim of retaliation for the killing or rustling of their cows and such other things necessary to be done to cushion the effect of the attacks on communities.
As the days draw closer for resumed hearing on the matter, hope have been raised that justice would be served in the matter in this court especially as the plaintiffs and petitioners have expressed loss of confidence from the national judicial arrangement.
