Between Herdsmen And Boko Haram

Nobody knows exactly what their grudges are with communities, whether in the North, or Southern part of Nigeria. But everybody is worried by the increasing devastation by herdsmen. They have become synonymous with death and sorrow, the twin human calamity they visit on societies daily. Attacks by herdsmen have become one recurring negative index that does not give a good to the nation’s image. Agreed, that it is not a new phenomenon, as we have been dealing with these tendencies over the years,this new wave of their onslaught is getting quite embarrassing, even to those who share the same same descent and history with herdsmen. Their activities of late have left unprecedented havoc yet to be recorded in the nation’s history of ethnic criminality. Where they are not in the Middle-Belt killing innocent villagers, they find convenience in the East killing and maiming. It has been reported of instances that they rape women and girls, and yet in others steal from their victims. While Parts of the north may be familiar with their atrocities, this barbaric disposition is quite strange to others, yet one may agree with us that it becoming a national calamity. Media reports are awash with killings across the land by herdsmen who have now become ubiquitous. We are averse to the recent killing of a clergyman by alleged herdsmen who allegedly dismembered his body in Nassarawa State. The said Reverend Zakariya was killed in his farm while trying add up to his stipend as pastor with the Ecwa Church. We commiserate with the family of Pastor Zakariya who may just be one the most unfortunate among the many human losses hacked down by these senseless herdsmen whose unwarranted killings has called for urgent government attention. natioanlTRAIL recalls the once painful kwanta kwanta days believed to have been perpetrated by so-called mercenaries then, believed to be herdsmen and mostly nationals from neighbouring Chad and Niger. They were largely believed to be Fulani. While we see them as a national threat, even as a small group, we urge government not to allow them grow into an unmanageable team of monsters, hence the need to be proactive by forcing these elements into line. A group with one phony identity cannot just rise up and hold the whole country to ransom while pretending to be working for a collective national interest. We urge Nigerians to be more adjusted to personal safety, while forcing down the elements of distrust, because we somewhat informed that insiders are the immediate problem.
The recent motive of a fresh Niger Delta agitators are equally not clear and it appears more persons are trying to assume that the country is worst level of economic and political woes and try to take advantage of same. Given his pedigree, President Muhammadu Buhari does have the magic wand to solve the problems militating against the foundation of Nigeria. Those around him, must however purge themselves of certain selfish tendencies that tie national issues to fragile ethno religious sentiments. It would however be anathema if the Buhari regime wastes the total confidence Nigerians have reposed in him. Already, he is being accused of lopsided handling of as equally weighty as the Boko Haram insurgency. We think he must treat all forms of insurgency with similar attitude, in order to effectively counter the insinuation that he has decidedly avoided a forceful push against the herdsmen who are devastating parts of nation because he is part of them. The herdsmen are not monsters or intractable individuals, as we hold that their identity is obvious and traceable because it is now clear that external forces are working to distabilise the Country against all odds. Accusing fingers point at various directions as to where these attackers are coming from. A stitch in time, it said saves nine and it is time to take the bull by the horns. We urge for a comprehensive review of the recent grazing reserve policy of the government as that may be the immediate answer to the herdsmen invasion. Genuine herdsmen have been around for a while we accept that skirmishes were never ruled out between them and their host communities but the magnitude of these current insurrection suggests something untoward that must be repelled immediately.