The war against the Benue people

One trouble with Nigeria is that we find a convenient nomenclature for everything and then accept it as part of our national life, irrespective of the threat that thing pose on our existence. For long, the Benue people and other Christian ethnic groups in North Central Nigeria have been under attack by ethnic warriors on their own land without any justification. Typical of Nigeria, instead of President Goodluck Jonathan and his security agencies to do something about it and provide security for these people, who are being butchered, they accepted in their complacency the theory that these are clashes between Fulani herdsmen in search of pastures for their cattle and rural dwellers.

I have not seen anywhere else where there is so many disregards for human life like in the geopolitical space called Nigeria. Even if we accept for convenience sake or in our usual life of living in denial, that these invaders are herdsmen, does being a cattleman give anybody the right to kill other people, especially people who are dwelling on their inheritance? What kind of a country is Nigeria? How could an ethnic group be constantly under attack and the government at the center carries on business as usual as if nothing is happening?

Jonathan and his security agencies failed in their constitutional duties, which first of all, is to secure lives and properties. Because they failed or refused to do their job, the attack on the Benue people and other non-Hausa-Fulani communities in Southern Kaduna by the so called Fulani herdsmen has been upgraded, both in sophistication and intensity. What beats my imagination is how hired mercenary warriors could lay siege on a village and kill hundreds for over four hours and yet there was no response from either the police or military. Yes, on the one hand, it confirms Nigeria`s status as a cassava republic. But on the other hand, it tends to suggest that some elements in our security agencies are part of this grand design to make the country ungovernable.

We are a people who detest telling ourselves the truth, but whether we like it or not, the situation on ground is nothing less than a war against a people by another race driven insane by the delusion that they are superior and that these people could be  enslaved and their land taken.

What we have on our hands has nothing to do with mere herdsmen. We are dealing here with mercenaries, who have been recruited for the agenda I have said above. The attack on the convoy of Benue State governor, Dr Gabriel Suswam, clearly buttresses this fact.  For over one hour the so-called herdsmen exchanged gunshots with Suswam’s security details. It was even reported in that the herdsmen had superior firepower. This kind of sophistication is alien to cattle men. To attack the Chief Security officer of a state is a bold statement by the invaders that they plan to take over the place after months of systematic attacks and encroachment.

The attackers are part of the plan to destabilize the country. They are working for those who are disgruntled with the present political status-quo in the country. Their ultimate goal is to cause confusion in the country. I will continue to wonder what the State Security Services do, in spite of the huge budget allocated to them. Do they simply sit around and chat on Facebook?  A serious security service should have long detected that these are not ordinary herdsmen. How come they failed to uncover this grand design to destabilize the North? A serious secret service would have by now uncovered those backing these Fulani herdsmen.

For the avoidance of doubt, Benue people are no cowards. The Tivs are historically renowned for being great warriors. They played a pivotal role in the defeat of Biafra during the civil war. They have the ability to defend themselves. As an Ibo man, the greatest humiliation a man could suffer is to be in his homestead and get insulted or assaulted without provocation. The Benue people have, up till now, swallowed the arrogance of their attackers for the interest of national unity. Suswam and other Benue leaders had tried their best to deescalate the situation, in their hope that those in charge at Abuja would do the right thing. Unfortunately, their hopes have not materialized.

Since the civil war, many insults and injustices have been taken all in the interest of national unity. Enough is enough! Unity must be affordable; it must not be at all costs. Suswam was right when he told the people at Gbajimba to return to their homes and defend their land. “Do not allow anybody to make you slaves in your home land.”  He could not have told them to stand by and watch their sons and daughters being massacred in the interest of national unity.  The people must defend themselves since the security operatives have failed to do so. Patriotism has nothing to do with standing by and watching your children get killed by marauders. In fact it is insanity to do nothing in the face of life threatening aggression.
Jonathan, protect the people now before they take laws into their hands.