Kogi: How kidnapping cripples pastoral life
The cycle of Kidnapping in Kogi State is not only impoverishing the nomads, it is eroding pastoral life, and triggering a wave of migration They slit his throat in the dead of night. Muhammad Bello, former Vice Chairman I, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Kogi State, was killed by a […]
The cycle of Kidnapping in Kogi State is not only impoverishing the nomads, it is eroding pastoral life, and triggering a wave of migration
They slit his throat in the dead of night. Muhammad Bello, former Vice Chairman I, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Kogi State, was killed by a group of armed Fulani youth. As chairman he had taken steps to check the ring of kidnappers, but the group fought back felling him in the presence of his wife. The cycle of kidnappings expressed as ‘Gujobe Himbe,’ Guika Himbe’ or ‘Nangobeduniya’ in Fulfulde, has grown and taken on new forms within the last 3 years unfolding in the area known as Kogi central which is made up of Adavi, Okehi, Okene, Ogori Magongo and Ajaokuta local governments.
Kidnapping is crippling the character of pastoral life, inspiring poverty and pain and weakening Pulaaku (a set of values) among the nomads. These values inspire the group towards deeds of honour and courage, and an assassination or kidnap by the nomads is then seen as a contradiction of Pulaaku. I. A Mukoshy in A Fulfulde English Dictionary defines the concept “it denotes a bunch of loaded values and expectations; it gives a picture of Pullo as just, honest, prudent, modest, patient, courageous, self-denying, generous, humble and vigilant with fortitude, however, never greedy, panicky, or to express pain, pleasure, or behave in a disgraceful manner or interfere uninvited, express ferocity, excitement and anger, or any state of mind.” But every incident of kidnapping is the very opposite of what Pulaaku stands for, and Pulaaku has given the Fulani, courage and an inner dignity which is seen in the boldness of the male during the Sharo (a public test of male strength), as well as in the reluctance of the female to reveal any sign of pain at childbirth. Ibrahim Abubakar Jalido, Vice Chairman MACBAN, Kogi State chapter, thinks that adherence to Pulaaku by the Fulani has fallen “Pulaaku has completely declined. Someone who has Pulaaku won’t be a kidnapper. People are now leaving their cultures, and copying other peoples culture. Ordinarily, you won’t find an average Fulani drinking or womanising. But this is happening today. He is somebody with a profound sense of shame. If you compare Pulaaku with the incidents of kidnapping, for instance, you will find that there is no link. A true Fulani is reluctant to do something that is bad, and somebody that has a sense of shame cannot commit a crime. Anyone who lacks shame cannot be Fulani.”
Pulaaku is virtually dead. The total essence of tolerating, living peacefully,and not to respond with aggression, to be noble in character is virtually dead,and this is a fallout of the ravages of rustling,and violence over the years,” says Mu’azu Maiwada of the department of English & Literary Studies, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Saleh Momale, Acting Director The Pastoral Resolve says that Pulaaku has been in a state of decline among the Fulbe for the past 20 years and that the repeated incidents of kidnapping have implications for the value system “The youths involved in kidnapping have lost Pulaaku, and for any families they have, the children will be brought up without an orientation based on Pulaaku. The families will also lose the economic backbone of Fulbe culture, which embodies Pulaaku and this is cattle rearing.”
In parts of Kogi State today, as well as in sections of Niger, Kaduna, Nasarawa states, for instance, the nomad has almost abandoned herding to become a full time kidnapper, marking a major turn from Pulaaku, and kidnapping is an activity which yields money quicker than years of herding could ever do, some say, but this point is debated by others. Money comes in quickly, the former add, and it is always provided in cash they soon point out. To do well in the field of abductions all you need are weapons, courage, an ability to identify a person of great material value, and a place to keep the abducted one. Yahaya Mogauri, Extension Officer, National Commission for Nomadic Education (NCNE)Kogi State adds “The nomads look at kidnapping as a simple way of making money. It is seen as being easier than herding. Even when they are interacting, they tell their friends “you are wasting your time trying to be a shepherd. There is a simple way to make money, and this is through kidnapping.” Kidnapping is not a normal feature of the life of a nomad. It belongs to the people they interact with in the city. It is city culture.” In a situation where rustlers have grabbed all the cows, or a communal crises has destroyed his livelihood, kidnapping or armed robbery suggest themselves to the nomad who becomes poor as soon as he loses his cows.
On the mode of operations of the kidnappers, one respondent says “They will make a cash demand, and this is in 2 ways: Sometimes, they phone your number and say you should pay a certain amount of money within 2/3 days. If the money is not paid, then the family member is kidnapped. On the other hand they may just go to the family and kidnap an elderly man,and make a demand.” In this context he explains that illiteracy is a huge problem among the nomads “The kind of Fulani we have here in Kogi State find it difficult to report to the police. This is because of their low level of education,and this behaviour of theirs is also explained by the kind of treatment they have received over the years at the hands of the police.”
On the social status of their victims, he adds ‘They don’t kidnap someone who is poor.’ It has been suggested that nomads who lost their herds to diseases and rustling now turn on their brothers, and that this is what is manifesting in the spate of kidnappings which have reached mature form in Kogi State. Linked to this is “inter clan warfare, where one clan whose stocks are depleted owing to rustling and diseases, attack a more prosperous clan.” But Abdullahi Usman Maidara, Secretary MACBAN Kogi Central who is also the head of a vigilante outfit which has made some success in checking kidnappers, does not agree with the latter point, saying that the nomads are not fighting among themselves “we have different clans, but they are not fighting. There is no clash between the clans in Kogi State.”
Momale sheds light on issues affecting the nomad “If you look at the broader issues of insecurity, conflict, cattle rustling and kidnapping, the pastoralists are the major victims, and unfortunately they are being accused of being the perpetrators of these incidents. No doubt some children whose parents are pursuing pastoral life, are involved in cases of armed robbery, rustling and kidnapping, and other social vices, but that criminality should not be associated with the tradition of the parents. If you look at pastoral societies, not up to 1% of children from pastoral backgrounds are involved in cattle rustling, armed banditry and kidnapping.” He adds that Fulani society is facing a series of challenges, and that this has pushed the community to the brink “The Fulani traditional leadership has been deliberately neglected, and individuals of questionable character are mostly those who are appointed to leadership positions.”
He explains “most Fulani leaders who insist on discipline, fairness and the rule of law, have always been neglected, and sometimes deposed from their leadership positions. Thus many Ardos have been deposed across the whole country, because of their fairness and sense of justice.” The community requires a complete turnaround to get back on its feet, he implies. But many also doubt if the government in the state is seriously concerned about the welfare of the nomads. Maidara comments “We are involved in politics,and we make contributions, but it is as though the government here is not interested in the Fulani. It is only when elections come, that politicians rally round and look for us. The government is not interested in the Fulani and the problems we encounter every day.” Reacting, Zainab Okene, Kogi State Commissioner for Information, says “The government of Kogi state is doing everything within its capacity to provide infrastructure for the communities in the state, which include the nomads, but the revenue from the federation account is dwindling. If government has the capacity to make life easy for the people, it will do it. The fact that government has not done it, does not mean it is not interested. I expect that the Fulani community should articulate their needs and pay a visit to the governor. It is on record that the government has built schools for the nomads, in conjunction with missionaries from America.” She adds that plans are on the drawing board for the government to set up grazing reserves in the state for the Fulani.
Many nomads have been kidnapped in the last three years ,and in some places, kidnapping seems to be a daily event. Abdullahi Yamusa alias Rayi was also kidnapped. He was a onetime Chairman of MACBAN in the state. My source who prefers anonymity and is something of an encyclopedia on kidnappings in the state among the Fulani, says ‘When Shehu Musa Aljan came to Kogi state to tackle the menace of kidnapping, Abdullahi gave him a lot of support to raid criminals in his own area. But these criminals, whom Aljan arrested, were later freed and they were the ones who now kidnapped Abdullahi. All this happened towards the end of last year, and there was no ransom and no demand made.” Shuaibu Sule, another Chairman of MACBAN in the state was kidnapped 8 months ago.He took bold steps against the gang of kidnappers. A ransom of 7 million Naira was paid by his family to the kidnappers.” But nobody has seen Shuaibu Sule up till today and his body has not been found.
‘Defend the camp’
But the living have started to arm themselves. Daily Trust is told that some of the Fulani camps in the state are well armed,and that the kidnappers who are Fulani youths between the ages of 24 and 30 , “are aware of this and do not go to these settlements either to make a threat or to kidnap anyone. They leave the camps alone. This is a well known fact.” The youths who engage in kidnapping are armed, and their potential targets among the Fulani are now busy arming themselves. This does not bode well for the state, Sagir Suleiman, a herder, says, arguing that the ease with which groups acquire weapons today is disturbing. He adds “if a nomad is found with arms, it does not mean he is an armed robber. The fact is that the nomad lives in the rural areas where there are no security patrols. In these places rustlers can suddenly come to grab all your cattle, or they arrive to kidnap your aged father for a ransom. You now seek arms to defend your camp, and prevent any incident of kidnapping.”
The nomads are not armed robbers. The only option left to the nomads is for him to defend himself.” If anyone seeks to track the slow erosion of pastoral life in Nigeria, the collapse of Pulaaku, and the factors which combine to cripple the pastoral way of life, Kogi State may be the best place to visit. To an extent the herder there has metamorphosed into a kidnapper and over time he has formed or acquired all the weapons, technology, daring and skills which this new activity requires. These are talents which may have very little to do with pastoral life as well as Pulaaku, and it may be said that a new type of herder has emerged, one who intuits more on the funds which a kidnapped person could yield through the payment of a ransom, rather than the rearing of cattle which has taken place in West Africa over several millennia. The situation is a worrying one: the kidnappers have acquired weapons, and the nomads out of fear, are now acquiring arms, just like the kidnappers whose field of operation are the many rocks and forests of the state.
10m Naira ransom
The thick forests and rock masses of the state are the spots which the kidnappers use to keep their victims captive. But there is a twist here: the victims pay large ransoms and then become impoverished. They now join the ring of kidnappers. This shows that kidnapping has a way of reviving itself and of multiplying. Kidnapping possesses the seeds for its own rebirth in the sense that nomads earlier impoverished by the payment of ransoms, now join the activity. The payment of the ransom is a form of oxygen which also gives life to kidnapping. The ransom paid can range from 1m, 7m, 10m to 15m Naira and it can fall as low as 200,000 Naira. Daily Trust was told of a man who had to pay 15m Naira to his abductors. But he won’t grant an interview thinking that his abductors may go after him. There are many of such nomads who have been abducted at some time, but they won’t speak for fear of reprisals. The fear itself can be felt. The amount paid as ransom depends on the way a victim or a victim’s family begs, or it depends on the relative wealth of the family. For instance, the family of Shuaibu Sule whom Daily Trust visited in Kabba, say that they had to sell 50 of their cows to raise the 7m Naira ransom demanded by the kidnappers. The kidnappers phoned Sule Idris, Shuaibu’s elder brother 2 weeks ago and threatened that they will kidnap him too if he doesn’t make a payment of 5m Naira. Sule Idris, who is dressed in a white gown and matching turban, tells Daily Trust “Let them come. Let them come and kidnap me. I am fed up. I won’t run anywhere.” A son of Sule Idris was also kidnapped 3 months ago, and 3m Naira was paid as ransom. Saleh Salihu Ardo also had to pay a 3m Naira ransom, when he was kidnapped in the Aiyetoro forest and held for 6 days. Ahmadu Danda was kidnapped by young nomads for the sum of 700,000 Naira in 2007, which shows that the history of demanding huge ransoms in the state by nomads, goes back some 8 years or even earlier. Ardo Samaila, a herder in Adogo, was kidnapped and had to pay 500,000 Naira before he was released.Another herder in Asunwen was kidnapped thrice within the last one year. Ibrahim Saidu was kidnapped about 2 months ago “I was taken to a forest and beaten to the point of death, when my family refused to pay the ransom. My captors left me alone when they thought that I had died. Then I rose and went home.” Fair complexioned Abubakar Isah lost 147 cows to the kidnappers who came to abduct him, but he had gone out just before they visited. So they took his cows “I have only 1 cow left and I have a wife and many children to look after,” he tells Daily Trust, with a hint of a smile on his face.Kidnapped 4 months ago in Asunwen, Abubakar Haruna had to pay a 300,000 Naira ransom. His words “I was with them for 4 days. They said they will kill me if I didn’t pay the money” The kidnappers also operate in the month of Ramadan. A good example of this is the story told by Abdullahi Adamu, whose uncle Mohammed Usman, was kidnapped for 11 days during the holy month. A ransom of 1 m Naira was paid before he was released. In the last few years these incidents have soared in terms of the ransom demanded, the sophistication of weapons used as well as the numbers of those abducted. On the impact of kidnapping, Mogauri says “As a result of kidnapping, many nomads have become wretched and on the other hand the kidnappers have become rich.”
Sola Collins Adebayo, PPRO Kogi State adds “It’s true that the Fulani are also involved in kidnapping, but indigenes are also involved. Some arrests have been made ,and we have a large number of kidnappers who are Fulani. The commissioner of police here has employed a different strategy which encourages the good Fulani to form a vigilante unit to assist us. There is also an effort to encourage community heads in Kogi central to work with us. We are also trying to sensitise the people on the need to ensure peace,and we have a system of community policing.By this we mean that for us to achieve adequate security and peace in the community,it is essential to involve the people who live there.” Mr. Adebayo responds to the charge by some nomads that the police in Kogi State is not really interested in being useful to the Fulani community “That person is not telling the truth, and he is trying to mislead the public. The police here set up a committee to settle issues of rustling and kidnapping among the Fulani. We also sought their assistance to establish a vigilante association in order to arrest kidnappers. Every single day, we meet with one of their ward heads, and we always act when they come to us with information.”
Threats
A girl who has been abducted may be raped, if her father refuses to pay a ransom for her release. There is one example from an extensive camp within Ajaokuta local government, where a girl was kidnapped and taken to a cave and raped when her father refused to pay the ransom. Threats are another tool to force the hand of an unwilling person. A kidnapper could go to any of the numerous camps of the nomadic Fulani in the state, and threaten a family by saying that if 10m Naira is not produced in 4 days time and placed in a bag and dumped at a spot in a forest, then a member of the family would be kidnapped. The forests of Kogi have become huge green banking halls where cash lodgements are made at the foot of massive trees. Kidnappers also adopt technology to facilitate their work. They make use of mobile phones to communicate with the victims family, and this method is also deployed to guide the family members to the spot where the money is to be left. Many families of the nomads in the state have phone numbers which the kidnappers have used to communicate with them. Some of these numbers have been forwarded to the police, Daily Trust is told. The inhabitants of the camp usually pay the amount requested. If they fail to do this, then a member of the family is kidnapped by the date earlier indicated by the kidnappers.
There is another turn in the saga of kidnapping: this is the fact that an elder in a community can step forward to go and negotiate with the kidnappers who are well known. He will receive money from the nomadic Fulani for acting as a go-between. But this same elder will go and receive a bribe of 1m Naira from the kidnappers, which will help shield the latter from arrest. Having been paid he makes sure that the kidnappers are not arrested. The inhabitants of one of the camps in the FFN forest, Ajaokuta which this reporter visited, have had this experience. On this Mogauri tells Daily Trust “Some Fulani leaders will intervene in the matter without the knowledge of the police, and extort money from the kidnapper. This is another level of corruption which is going on.”
To be continued