My People;
I wish to make a few observations, comments and suggestions on this vexing matter;
- Not all criminals in Ekiti State are Fulani. Not all Fulani are criminals. Not all Fulani are herdsmen. Not all herdsmen are criminals. Not all herdsmen are Fulani. No criminal is desirable in society, Fulani of not herdsman or not. These maxims are irrefutable.
- The identity of all Ekiti citizens, down to the ward level, must be ascertained and documented. This has both planning and security advantages. This way, nobody will say that we are asking for documentation of just one ethnic group and not of another. We can claim equal treatment and protection under the law.
- There are 16 LGs , 131 towns and maybe 330 Communities in Ekiti State. Those entities that border other states, and particularly that border the North where herdsmen enter, should be given special attention.
- There are ten Forest Reserves in Ekiti State. Those towns and communities in and around them should be identified and given special attention.
- All the Serikis/Sarkis of Hausa and Fulani citizend in the communities in question must be identified and tasked to ensure obedience to the law and restriction to influx of unknown and undocumented persons. In the time being, the granting of traditional Seriki titles as part of our Yoruba chietaincy tradition must stop.
- Our Muslim Yoruba citizens must decide whether the Umma principle of brotherhood is greater that the collective security of our Yoruba citizenry. Similarly, the Kabiyesis, top politicians and government functionaries who are said to own large heads of cattle, and who use these herdsmen to herd and multiply and secure their investments must measure their financial livelihoods against our threatened lives.
- We must enforce:
A. Our anti-trespass laws
B. Our anti-homicide laws
C. Our anti-thievery laws.
D. Our open and unlicensed arms-carrying laws
E. Our traffic ibstruction laws
It really does not matter whether it is Fulani or not rampaging our farms, eating our crops or murdering people. Laws already exist, and so we must de-ethnicize and demystify trade, publicize these laws and prosecute offenders.
Now, I also know that there are two tendencies that cloud all of these discussions:
- The political opposition – particularly the ardent anti-Buharists – who want to portray the ruling party as incompetent and even complicit. Buhari’s aides do not help matters.
- The Separatists – the “A-fe-pin’, Oodua Nation enthusiasts- who act as agent-provocateur – egged on episodically by pro-Biafrans – and who want to hype the matter so as to speed up the dissolution of the “marriage of inconvenience”.
Both tendencies are not helpful, but to the extent that they exist, cannot be ignored.
Finally, there are two other over-arching issues which have to be tackled over and above the points above:
- Sensitization about and financial incentivization with respect to modern nnimal husbandry. This puts the modernists of ranching against the traditionalists of itinerant grazing. The vctims of Farm Destruction, Rape and Murder and Land Grabbing must make a forceful case for cattle ranching and set some examples in our region. We must convince the Traditionalists about the modern practice and make their traditional practice less profitable until they give it up.
- Suspicion of itinerant hersdmen is seeking not just pasture, but rather that is a mere foil for territorial hegemonic political agenda. Then the victims must say it loud and clear that they know the real agenda – land grabbing – and use the force of law to prevent this, and cause the victimizers maximum penal pain.
There you have it for now.
Bolaji Aluko
January 24, 2021