A former Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, and spokesperson
of the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, Prof. Ango Abdullahi has defended
the incessant killings by Fulani herdsmen across the country.
In an
interview with Vanguard, Ango said the herdsmen crisis is politically
motivated by the South to disrupt the politically united North ahead of
the 2019 general elections.
Ango opined that Boko Haram was introduced
during Goodluck Jonathan’s government which led to his failure in the
2015 polls.
Justifying the killings, the Professor said the herdsmen are killing
members of their host communities in order to defend themselves, adding
that the herders were free to take the cattle to any part of the country
the same way an Igbo man does his business.
“I have been involved in debates against some respected people
from the southern part of this country who believe that this country is
not balanced because the North is too big; because the North is too
politically united, so there must be a way of disrupting this unity, and
this is what we are seeing on ground today, and the elements that are
being used are the Fulani herdsmen. This matter would be looked at
properly; political alliances and so on are welcome. You don’t need to
lose blood, or property to engage in political alliance or whatever you
want, or still, you don’t need to introduce excuses that will lead to
loss of lives. We saw this when the Boko Haram was on ground; they said
northerners created the sect to disrupt former President Goodluck
Jonathan’s government, which led to his failure in the last election,
and so on. Now that Boko Haram is out of the way, the new excuse is the
Fulani herdsmen. This is what is happening in other places except in
areas that you are talking. We have seen what they called a new
handshake across the Niger; it is political, and we have seen the
mourning that has taken place in Benue and other places to show that the
monolithic North is not in tandem with the Middle Belt; it is all
politics. Our Middle Belters don’t need to take the agenda that appears
to be a thing of distrust. We are not going to force anybody into a
relationship politically or otherwise. We see this as a political
agenda”.
On whether or not it is true the herdsmen are not the ones committing the murders, the Northern group spokesperson said
“The truth is, if you want to kill me and I have a chance first, I
will kill you, or you do want people to be killed and not defend
themselves? By your reporting, you have denied them justice and
government also has denied them justice by not going to arrest those
that are killing them. So, they defend themselves”
On the herdsmen that kidnapped, raided and Chief Olu Falae’s farm ablaze, he said,
“My uncle was kidnapped last week in Kaduna, my cousin’s children
were also kidnapped and they had to go and find N2.5 million to pay.
Why is Olu Falae case different? Because he was Secretary to the Federal
Government? He is a Nigerian just like my uncle and my cousin whose
children were kidnapped. The right of every citizen is important under
the law. Why is he so special? What about the impunity of the people
killing herdsmen? The herdsmen in Nigeria are reacting to the injustice
meted out daily to them? You people, you Nigerians, including you who
are biased, who are not prepared to protect the rights and interests of
herdsmen. They are killed but not reported, that is not
acceptable. Herdsmen operate in these places you mentioned because the
country has denied them the traditional routes which the British created
for them IN 1914 when they occupied this country because they realised
that, like cars require tracks, herdsmen also require tracks they can
use to graze and drink water. The British provided it for them and
gazetted it but people have denied them these routes. So, where do you
expect the animals to follow? They have to follow somewhere and the easy
road is the one other people are using. We are all living in Nigeria”
He went on to justify the attacks being carried out by herdsmen
I am justifying it very strongly because herdsmen are being
unjustly treated in this country. They are businessmen just like the
farmers whose crops are being destroyed. They should invest in their
business; buy ranches like the farmers bought their parcels of land.
They are businessmen. If an Igbo man could go to my state and set up a
shop, why shouldn’t herdsmen operate elsewhere? Or are you the one who
planted the grass the animals are feeding on? Are you the one who
created the water they drink? The land belongs to Nigerians and herdsmen
are Nigerians. If an Igbo man can go to the North and set up a
business, why won’t herdsmen go to the South, including your village, to
graze their cattle? Where we come from, you don’t pay for land, you
only ask for permission to use it. That is why I said you people are
biased against other people and that is why the peace of this country
will be very difficult.”