Herdsmen, Avengers, kidnappers on the prowl

• Buhari: Defeating Boko Haram, but…

Before President Muhammadu Buhari took over the mantle of Nigerian leadership, myriad of security challenges had been plaguing the country. 

These security challenges were; the Boko Haram terrorism, Biafra agitation, kidnapping, robberies and other pocket of crimes. One of the factors that ushered Buhari into Aso rock was the insecurity in Nigeria.
Since Boko Haram started unleashing terror in Nigeria, in 2009; it has killed at least 20,000 and displaced 2.3m from their homes. According to the Global Terrorism Index in 2015, Boko Haram was ranked the world’s deadliest terror group. When Buhari started his political campaign, he latched onto the insecurity in the country. He knew Nigerians were disenchanted with the security situation and made internal security a
nd wiping out of Boko Haram, one of the cardinal points of his campaign. Many Nigerians saw the incumbent Goodluck Jonathan’s government as not able to fight the insurgency.
The insurgency led to the abduction of 276 schoolgirls on April 2014 by Boko Haram members. The girls were abducted in their school, in Chibok, Borno State. Buhari promised to bring back the Chibok girls if elected. He further promised that the Nigerian military would wipe out Boko Haram by December 2015.
Immediately he won the election, he directed the Nigerian Army to withdraw soldiers from military check-points and concentrate more on ending the Boko Haram insurgency.
He changed all the Service Chiefs, except the Inspector-General-of Police, Solomon Arase. The war against Boko Haram took a new turn, with Nigerian Forces suddenly recording successes.
The brave and persisted attacks by the Nigerian Forces, witnessed a reduction in bombings and mass killings of Nigerians by the sect. The rescue of the Chibok girls remained elusive, with Buhari finally admitting that he hadn’t received any intelligence report on their whereabouts. The Buhari led administration also admitted in 2015, that contrary to the promise that it would wipe out Boko Haram by December of 2015, it wouldn’t be able to meet the deadline.
Thus, the fight against terrorism strides into 2016. For long, some Nigerians have argued that the abduction of the Chikbok girls, was a scam, cooked up to oust Jonathan out of the Presidential Villa. But on May 17, 2016, one of the Chibok girls, Amina Ali Darsha Nkeki, was rescued by soldiers.
She disclosed that six among the Chibok girl swere dead, others married off to Boko Haram Commanders and held captive in Sambisa Forest. Buhari’s administration also confronted the persistent issue of Nnamdi Kanu, demanding autonomy for the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). On September 5, 2015, Kanu was a guest speaker at the World Igbo Congress which was held in Los Angeles, California, there he demanded for guns and bullets. Many criticised his demands. On October 18, 2015, Kanu was arrested by DSS.
The news of his arrest generated mass protests across some parts of Nigeria. Some people died in these protests and many were injured. The unrest, caused by Kanu’s demands and arrest, were railed in by Buhari’s administration. To keep him quiet, Kanu was locked up. Just as Nigerians were beginning to applaud Buhari and the Nigerian Forces on stemming the tide of the Boko Haram onslaughts, the terrorism of the Fulani Cattle Herdsmen emerged.
The Fulani herdsmen, known to be peace loving and only keen in feeding their cows, suddenly became blood thirsty, slaughtering Nigerians at the slightest provocation. Stories of attacks of Fulani herdsmen had been on for a while, but in 2016, the attacks became more sinister. The Fulani herdsmen attack of Agatu, Benue State, shook Nigeria to its foundation.
The attack made security agencies and indeed Nigerians to realise they were no longer dealing with the ordinary Fulani herdsmen, who move around the country with their cows and shepherd sticks. Today’s Fulani herdsmen, move around with AK47 rifles, daggers and machetes. On February 24, 2016, suspected Fulani herdsmen swept into Agatu, killing anything that moved.
The incident left more than 300 dead, among which were more women and children. These bloody fights, always occurred whenever indigenous farmers, kicked against Fulani herdsmen allowing their cows to roam farmlands. Another bloody Fulani herdsmen attack took place at Ukpabi Nimbo, Enugu State on April, 25, 2016. The attack left Nigerians gasping in outrage. It was alleged that over 30 people were killed and houses, including churches destroyed.
There is tension today in Nigeria, as various ethnic groups threatened reprisal over the perennial killings by Fulani herdsmen. Some people have argued that the solution to the lingering herdsmen/farmers crisis was creation of ranches. When Buhari finally spoke on the killings, he argued that the killers were not Fulani herdsmen or Nigerians. While Buhari and his security top men were brainstorming on how to check the Fulani herdsmen killings, the Niger Delta region, which had been silent for years, suddenly roared back to life.
This time around, they called themselves, the Niger-Delta Avengers. Nigerians today are asking, who are these unknown militants avenging? The Niger-Delta Avengers are basically blowing up all oil facilities in their region, further plunging the already distressed economy of Nigeria into near comatose. One Colonel Mudoch Agbinibo, spokesman for the group, said: “Some are asking, “Who are you avenging?”
Some called us empty heads. Ex-agitators had been condemning us on daily basis. As for our critics from other parts of the country; we don’t have anything to tell you because you clearly don’t know how life is in our region. To our critics from the region, we want you to know you are all cowards. “To ex-agitators of the likes of Tompolo, we know why you people are after us.
Our agitation is more civilize than yours. The Niger Delta Avengers is more concerned with people of Niger Delta unlike you (ex-agitators) that were into kidnapping, killing of Nigerian soldiers, sea piracy and hijacking of tankers. But we were able to carry out all our operations without killing a fly.
We have sophisticated arms far better than what you used to have during your kidnapping days. “After the amnesty, you (exagitators) have been enjoying patronage from the government and royalty from multinational oil companies. While we (Avengers) have been strategizing on how the voice of the Niger Delta could be heard. Let’s make it clear; to you our elder brothers (ex-agitators), we are not begging you to join this agitation.
When we achieve our goal, which is a sovereign state of Niger Delta, you’ll be proud of us.” Federal government declared war on the Niger Delta Avengers, with the military vowing to smoke them out.
Buhari warned the group that they wouldn’t get fresh amnesty from his administration. Another major security challenge in Nigeria till date is kidnapping. Buhari’s administration appeared not to be looking at this trending crime, which had become a permanent feature in the country. Kidnapping has become so embedded in the everyday life of Nigeria, that Nigerians no longer see it as an issue.
There’s no heat in the fight against kidnapping. Kidnapping remains, constant and breathing; and appeared to be occurring at every hour of every day. Security experts are however divided in the appraisal of Buhari administration’s performances in the last one year.
The Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Intelligence and Security Solutions, Mr. Ethelbert Onuoha Oney insisted that the war on Boko Haram remains the same as in Jonathan’s administration, stressing there were still pockets of suicide bombings. He said: “In terrorism situation, you can only say the war has been won if there’s no presence of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) and bombing. In our situation, if truth be told, there are pockets of suicide bombers. This means our society is not free from Boko Haram threat. When Buhari came into power, he said within six weeks Boko Haram would be wiped out, but I told Nigerians, that it was a joke.
“You can’t put a time frame on terrorism situation. The security situation now and during Jonathan’s Government has not changed. Nothing has changed. We now have the new Boko Haram, which is the Fulani herdsmen.” Oney explained that the government was going about checking terrorism in the wrong way.
His words: “In a terrorism situation, offensive solution is never the solution. It can’t work. Unless we have a round table discussion with the Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen, these security challenges will continue. The Boko Haram is the Fulani herdsmen. It’s a fact. The real Fulani herdsmen are not violent. Most of us grew up with them. It was after the Boko Haram members were dispersed from the Sambisa Forest that we started hearing that the Fulani herdsmen were attacking here and there.
They carried their bandwagons to the east. They want to spread their killings and spread the economic sabotage. We can’t stop the Fulani herdsmen, without dealing with the Boko Haram.
They are the same people.” Retired Assistant-Inspector- General of Police, Iroham Donald, said that although Buhari’s administration did well in the fight against Boko Haram, it was however mishandling the situation of the Niger Delta Avengers and IPOB. Iroham said: “Let’s start with the Boko Haram. The administration came with a flourish that it would wipe out Boko Haram within weeks.
Even though they didn’t meet up with the deadline, we know there had been improvement and impact. Boko Haram from all indications had been routed. Iroham said the government seemed not to have a road map on how to tackle some security challenges. “It’s either the federal government lacks the will to tackle these issues or is dancing around them,” Iroham noted.
He noted that majority of Nigerians were disenchanted over the security challenges, especially the Fulani herdsmen attacks. He said the government has failed woefully in that aspect. He added: “The economy is tied to security of a country.
This brings me to the Niger Delta Avengers. The government is a little bit highhanded on that. I expected FG to dialogue with these boys, so that peace will reign in that region and the economy will pick up again. If there’s no peace in the Niger Delta, it will have a snowballing effect on the economy, security and welfare of the people. “If government can’t pay salaries of workers, that’s part of insecurity. People are bound to take to the streets and resist the government. MASSOB, IPOB are issues government should tackle.
These issues can be resolved without firing a shot. You don’t kill a fly with a sledge hammer.” A former Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, applauded Buhari’s administration on security, adding that the issue of Fulani herdsmen should be tackle decisively. His words: “Buhari has done much to reduce the insurgency threats. The bombings have reduced.
The security situation is better now, than under Jonathan. The bombings of oil facilities is another issue that is of great concern. People are misinterpreting the issue of the Fulani herdsmen. Rustlers are the people causing these problems. There are a lot of people who go about, stealing Fulani herdsmen cows. They steal and cause problems for the Fulani herdsmen.
The rustlers take the cows to people’s farms and trouble starts. The same rustlers would attack. I’m saying this because I had been involved. Unless the government stands up and deals with these cattle rustlers, the situation will grow worse.”
Tsav said that the solution was to ranch the cattle. Speaking on the Niger Delta Avengers, Tsav said: “The Niger Delta people are simply trying to destroy their own environment by blowing up pipelines. If they blowup pipelines, any health hazard or fire incident, would be concentrated in their region. They should think before they do whatever they are doing.”
 http://newtelegraphonline.com/herdsmen-avengers-kidnappers-prowl/