S.O.S ALIEME

Recently, there was a video circulating round in Oyo State that members of the dreaded Boko Haram group are now in Oyo State.  But to debunk the rumour, the Oyo State Police Command in a statement, stated that the trending video claiming that Boko Haram invaded Oyo Town is misleading. According to a statement signed by Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, the video is a recycled material by mischief makers. The statement went further to say that it was a deliberate attempt by certain individuals with malicious intent, seeking to spread falsehoods and incite fear and unrest within the community. Despite the assurance given by the Police Command, residents in Oyo State should not sleep with their two eyes closed instead they should brace up and defend themselves as first aid before the government could do the needful.

The spate of killings in Nigeria these days is alarming and it seems nobody is safe.   If the Army is finding it difficult to curtail insurgencies in Nigeria, then who can stand? Oyo State can be described as one of the most peaceful state in the federation. And any attempt by Boko Haram to gain ground in this state will spell doom for the inhabitants.  It appears the federal government is not paying sufficient attention to the issue of these killers and their tyrannical tendencies all over the country. The situa­tion is getting grimmer by the day, it could result in an ex­pansive conflagration that might be difficult to curtail. 

There is no question about the fact that this is becoming a monster of sorts. I have had cause likewise majority of Nigerians to express views on this on many occasions and it is like the calls are being ignored.  The menace is gradually moving towards a precipice and something must be done about it as early as possible. It is getting dangerous and the audacity is very disturbing.  These insurgencies must be curbed. These wanton destructions, au­dacious incursions into other people’s territory should not continue for too long. Some villagers have been turned to perpetual debtors be­cause trading and services could no longer thrive successfully in their areas as a result of these incursions. These days, from community to community, killers strike, triggering deaths and wreaking massive misery and havoc on villages and villag­ers. They sack entire communities and rape both young and old women.  Clashes between killers and local communities are no recent developments.

Another enemy fighting Nigerians is the issue of Fulani herdsmen. Over the years, farm­ers and cattlemen have engaged in bloody feuds in many communities across the various states in the coun­try. The herdsmen have been accused of leading their cows to graze on farmlands, totally devastating crops and people’s means of livelihoods. And at the slightest resistance, the herdsmen would go on the rampage, killing farmers, burning farms, houses and pil­laging entire communities. I think if the government does not do anything about the activities of these killers, this will degenerate into some villages going into extinction. It is a major challenge and unarguably the President and all major stakeholders should take this as a very serious challenge.  The Fulani cattlemen have always left a gory trail of tears, sorrow and blood across the country after each bloody engagement with local farmers. Their atrocities have attained unprecedented in­famy and provoked global outrage when they attacked communities and villages. Villagers are crudely jostled out of their early morning slumber as gunshots pierced the ears and hot bul­lets pierced the hearts of men, women and children. Fulani fighters, armed with guns, machetes and charms, among other weapons of war, invade communities, killing and maiming and unleashing an orgy of violence. After murdering as many as they could and sacking the entire com­munities, the invaders set fire to houses, virtually razing everywhere.

Till date, no one has been able to give the exact number of those that have being killed; this violence on innocent people is unacceptable.  The level of destruction is very shocking. This is a clear violence targeted at people, and this must stop forthwith.  The scarce regard for the sanctity of human life, as callously exhibited by the spate of senseless killings of defenseless people by rampaging fully armed bandits in the country diminishes us as a nation, and as a people.

Yet, it did not all start today. From Plateau through Taraba to Benue, the blood-thirsty marauders masquerading as pastoralists, but driven more by an expansionist agenda have wasted thousands of innocent lives. With impunity as their wielding stick, they still walk our streets as free men because in Nigeria, we are not equal before the laws of the land. That is just part of the pain.

The other is the obvious utter negligence of duty, or at best the lukewarm attitude of security personnel to the wanton wasting of the priceless lives of fellow citizens.  It is expected that policing should ordinarily embrace the culture of sensitive information gathering, identifying potentially volatile areas of conflict and deploying well-trained personnel there to forestall such issues from exploding to unmanageable conflagration.  Taking proactive measures would have saved thousands of lives.  Prevention, as the wise ones say is not only cheaper but wiser than cure.  Did these gory tales take place in the 21st century Nigeria? One may be compelled to ask.  Yes of course. Worse still, no one was brought to book, to pay for the priceless lives lost.  That again, shows us, just how equal we really are before the law. Many farmers have found themselves haunted by the spectre of armed pastoralists laying claim to lands they do not own.  They behave as if their cows are more important than the cash crops they trample on or turn to foodstuff or the irreplaceable lives of the owners they waste.  These killers have been a pain in our communities. There’s no State or region that would say they have not had their own bitter tales with them bothering on land disputes and grazing issues.

Indeed, the frequency and gravity of the killing spree should inform us that we are greatly under-secured.  It also shows that the current centralized security system, just like that of our political power structure is antithetical to the dictates of an enduring democratic culture.  We need more of community security, in a similar way that we deserve a diffusion of power from the bloated federal centre.  Impunity must be done away with. 

Above all, Nigerians must be treated as equals before the law. Martin Luther king Jnr once said “The deepest part of hell is reserved for those leaders who kept silent in the face of evil”.

God Bless Nigeria!!!