‘Where is Katsina?’: Nomads who don’t know where north is

‘Some Fulani were born in Ondo. If people say they should leave the state, the truth is that some of them won’t know where to go because they don’t know which town they hail from in the north. Such demand will cause a lot of problems for many of them who were born in and […]

‘Some Fulani were born in Ondo. If people say they should leave the state, the truth is that some of them won’t know where to go because they don’t know which town they hail from in the north. Such demand will cause a lot of problems for many of them who were born in and already see Ondo as home. Many speak only Yoruba and Fulfulde, and little or no Hausa.”
Bello Garba, Chairman, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) in Ondo state is speaking on the plight of  thousands of nomads in the state, in the unlikely event that they are asked to go back to the north. “I was sad when I heard about the recent call in one of the states in the south west that the nomads should leave. This is because, for instance, both me and my father were born here. I have children here and I don’t know where to flee to. I cannot take my cows to the north, since they are already used to the pasture here. My grandfather left Katsina a long time ago, and I only know Ondo and Edo states out of all the states in the country,” he says. “Ondo has since become home,” he explains, underlining  the dilemma many of the nomads may face.
On the other hand Shuaibu Musa speaks on the factors that inspired  his father to migrate to Ondo many years ago “Owing to the great human population in Kwara and Kogi states, this led my father to move to Ondo to look for pasture for his cows,and Ondo is famous for its fertile land.”

Musa, Vice Chairman MACBAN was born in Ondo, and cannot call any other state home. To him the state  is home in every sense of the word. He salutes the cordial relationship between groups in the state “The peaceful coexistence between herdsmen and the people of Ondo State is a thing to be happy about. There is also very good pasture here.” Ibrahim Mohammed has never been to Katsina, his hometown. His words “I haven’t been to Katsina, and I don’t know where it is.” On whether he is keen on letting his children get to travel there, he says “I won’t encourage my children to go to Katsina. I don’t know the place,so I won’t encourage them to go to a place I don’t know.” Hassan Mohammed is aware that he has roots in  Katsina “but I have never gone there,and I am not even thinking of sending my children there.”
Mohammed Usman, Secretary, MACBAN, and Special Adviser to the Ondo State Governor, gives an idea of the quality of the environment within which these nomads have flourished in the state “As Special Adviser, I am a link between the government and the  communities in the state. If government has anything to do with a community in the place where they are located, then I will let the community know, and the government will then fix a date for a meeting.”
The position of Special Adviser is one recently created by the state governor to provide a link with many communities in the state. Usman says that the Fulani in Ondo number some 10,000, and he points to seasonal changes as an explanation for the rising numbers “There has been a long dry season in the north, and many nomads have moved from the north to Ondo State.”
Another new strategy by the government is the recruitment of nomads to work as security men at flashpoints in the state. Usman adds “We advised the government to employ two people from the Fulani community, so that even from a distance if they see a cow in a farm, they would easily identify the owner. From that time there has not been any problem. I have also recommended this strategy to other neighbouring states such as Osun.” He also speaks on nomads  in Ondo who don’t know  where the north  is “There are many who don’t know the north. They don’t know where the north is.They were born here and only know Ondo and parts of the south west.”
Another herder, Umar Musa  usually  makes a rotational movement between Edo and Ondo states. On his roots, he says “I heard that my family hail from Funtua in Katsina state.I have never been there and I don’t want to travel there.”

He adds “I don’t know Funtua, so I cannot now start thinking of going.” On the other hand, he has ‘been to Edo many times and I enjoy the journey.’ He confesses “I like Ondo, and  I do not want my children to go to the north. You wont pray to go to a place you don’t know. “Isa   Musa has only been to Ondo, Edo and Ekiti states throughout his journeys as a herder. He says  that he doesn’t know how many states there are in Nigeria, but he doesn’t seem to be bothered about his ignorance in this respect. On Katsina, which he hails from, he confesses “I have never been to Katsina. If there is peace here in Ondo, I won’t need to go to Katsina. I heard that my grandfather came from the famous city, but as for me I am from Ondo State, for this is where I was born and this is the state I know.”
Mohammadu Musa prefers to stay in Ondo, rather than return to Katsina. He  won’t go back to the north, except “If they say all the northerners should return to the north.Thats only what would make me leave. But if they say I should leave now, I do not know how  I should go, since I do not know the route to Katsina.”