‘Fulani living in fear for our lives, property’

Unidentified gunmen recently killed over one hundred villagers in Kaura Local Government area. As a livestock farmer, what is your view?The attack and killing of villagers in the area was unfortunate and any sensible human being will not approve of such barbaric acts. It is not acceptable. However, even more worrisome is when the regional […]

Unidentified gunmen recently killed over one hundred villagers in Kaura Local Government area. As a livestock farmer, what is your view?
The attack and killing of villagers in the area was unfortunate and any sensible human being will not approve of such barbaric acts. It is not acceptable. However, even more worrisome is when the regional association, Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), started spreading rumors accusing Fulani of being behind the attacks and declaring war on the people in the area. It was unfair for any group to raise accusing fingers against us because the Fulani know nothing about it.
People should know that the Fulani are facing a lot of life-threatening challenges in their settlements, especially in the Southern part of Kaduna and Birnin Gwari areas, thereby living in fear. It is on record that Fulani pastoralists are being attacked and in some cases killed with their families.  As I speak to you now, two Fulani herders have disappeared and we cannot determine whether they were abducted or killed. Two others who sustained several bullet wounds in an attack were taken to a hospital in Kachia by a police patrol team who met them unconscious after the attack, and no suspect was arrested. They were attacked in Kagoro area.
You can see the plight of the Fulani people. Ironically, we aren’t nor pointing fingers at anyone, because there are dozens of tribes in the area. Until authorities conduct investigations into the attacks, we have no right to suspect anybody. So, the question I would like to ask is why are Fulani being accused of carrying out attacks? I think, if there is no evidence to support the allegations, then there is no justification whatsoever for the accusations.
In fact, as we speak now, there is no Fulani settlement in Kaura. They have all migrated long before the attack. The herders can’t even move their cattle along the routes in the area for fear of being attacked. The cattle route that passes through Kaura to Bukur, Plateau State is a no-go area for Fulani herders.
Did your Association carry out any investigation?
No investigation reveals that a Fulani man was behind the attack and no one was arrested as far as I know. Of cause there were rumors about the arrest of Fulani men. If it is true that a Fulani man was arrested, his identity and motives should be revealed for us to take necessary action.
In the past, what was the relationship between Fulani pastoralists and farmers in the area like?
The pastoralist-farmer relationship in the area was remarkable before recent attacks. I am sure you are aware that some Fulani settlements were torched and a number of people including women were killed last month in the border areas between Kaduna and Plateau states, which was later resolved. The pastoralists move round with their cattle in search of pasture and avoid driving their herd into farms and towns. The relationship between the Fulani and other tribes in the state as far as I know is cordial and we always try to maintain such rapport.
What is the situation now?
The situation now is that Fulani communities in Southern Kaduna are living in fear and some are even confused. I just got a report that unidentified men have attacked a herder and stole his cattle. There are other cases, too. I will like to appeal to authorities including traditional and tribal leaders in the area to meet and work out conflict resolution mechanisms as well as strengthen relations between the various communities living there.
Did you inform the security forces and state authorities about the allegations against the Fulani?
We resolved that we are going to institute legal action against the SOKAPU so that the court can determine the validity or otherwise of the claim. Apart from that, the Fulani community will not bear grudges against anybody and we shall continue to promote peace in the area. The pastoralists must look for grazing lands for their animals because there is no way they can keep them in an enclosure and feed them. And we have alerted security forces on every attack that took place because we are confident that they will probe the cases and find the perpetrators.
Most of the traditional leaders in the area are against violence and have been doing their best to ensure peaceful coexistence. There is a traditional leader in Zangon Kataf, who allowed Fulani to take refuge in his house when some hoodlums wanted to attack them. He resolved the matter immediately and warned all his subjects to avoid violence.
What is your take on livestock rustling in the area?
Rustling is occurring at an alarming rate in the area and almost on a daily basis but the local vigilante groups have taken measures to address the menace. They even arrested some rustlers yesterday. We have also recovered stolen cattle, about 78 in number last week Friday at Marmara in conjunction with soldiers. The cattle and thief were handed over to the soldiers.