Armed banditry changes Nasarawa narrative

The peace in Nasarawa State is being threatened by the resurgence of armed banditry by alleged renegade Fulani youth against farmers and people of other ethnic groups. In some cases, fellow Fulani are not spared.   Literally, Nasarawa means successful while Lafia means peace, but armed banditry due to proliferation or arms is changing the […]

The peace in Nasarawa State is being threatened by the resurgence of armed banditry by alleged renegade Fulani youth against farmers and people of other ethnic groups. In some cases, fellow Fulani are not spared.

 

Literally, Nasarawa means successful while Lafia means peace, but armed banditry due to proliferation or arms is changing the narrative in the peaceful and naturally endowed state, as 16 people were gunned down in Numa-Kochu Village of Akwanga Local Government Area on April 14.

Fifty-year-old Ardo Ibrahim, who was born in Akwanga, is the Chief of Fulani in Akwanga Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. His father was a teenager when his grandfather brought him to the area.

He speaks the Eggon or Mada languages, interacts with the locals, pays homage to the traditional ruler of Mada, but his hopes for the future is being shattered as some youths of Fulani extraction have allegedly taken up arms and relocated to the bushes of Akwanga and other parts of the state and are unleashing mayhem on members of the society.

Few weeks ago, some Fulani youth allegedly raped a lady from the Mada ethnic group which led to her death in Andaha Town of Akwanga. The incident further led to the death of two people, twenty houses razed and five hundred people being displaced.

The military had on May 8, 2018 launched ‘Operation Whirl Stroke’ (OPWS) to curtail the resurgence of armed banditry in the Middle Belt, which covers Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba states. The mandate was to counter armed herdsmen and militia groups operating within the region.

Commander of the operation, Major General Adeyemi Yekini, said in Lafia at a press briefing that “OPWS undertook nine operations in the past five weeks from March 9 to April 17 this year in the state which covered four local governments of Doma, Toto, Obi and Awe, where 37 weapons were recovered.”

According to him, they weapons recovered are: four AK-47 riffles, two G3 riffles, one Clarion 5.56 Isreali Commando Assort Rifle, one Sub Machine Gun (SMG), 3 pistols twenty locally made pistols, 389 rounds of ammunition and one grenade.

Nasarawa State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Bola Longe, confirmed that on Sunday, about 200 Fulani attacked Maite and Ndem villages and burnt more than 20 houses.

The Nasarawa State branch Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN), Alhaji Muhammad Hussaini, said armed banditry by some Fulani youth which started with cattle rustling has turned to full blown kidnapping.

He explained that the miscreants were victims of robberies, cattle rustling and kidnapping, who have been persuaded to join the bandits for revenge, while noting that the rise in kidnappings in Nasarawa State recently is as a result of the influx of armed men dislodged in Zamfara, Katsina and Kaduna.

Alhaji Hussaini said “I want everybody to know that these armed Fulani youth do not have mercy on fellow Fulani, farmer, traveler, or any victim they kidnap. MACBAN has conducted a research and found out that the armed Fulani involved in rustling and who have turned to kidnapping are not full-fledged Fulani, but half-castes who were born due to illicit sexual affairs between Fulani milkmaids and men from other tribes like Hausa, Kanuri, Igbo, Yoruba, Jukun, Berom and so on. MACBAN has no control over them.”

It could be recalled that Governor Umaru Almakura had read the riot act for security agencies to investigate, track down and arrest the perpetrators of the dastardly act and to restore peace in the state.

Similarly, the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has ordered the deployment of a Tactical Team to provide additional support to the existing operatives in Nasarawa State.

It is the hope of many that peace would prevail in Nasarawa, as it is a state that links many states within the North.