“I will advocate that persons in danger of being attacked or have been attacked should get ready and put measures on ground to defend themselves from being killed like goats and chickens. These people should do all to defend themselves on the spot as this would repel unwarranted attack and reduced the killing.”
Interview by Omo Eweka
When the Reggae Icon, late Lucky Dube released his ever green album titled “One People,” he foresaw the world set against itself, as nations fights themselves, terrorism on the rise, racial discrimination becoming a daily affair, with human killing now a normal experience in our daily lives.
Hardly is there any nation without crises in the world as at today. Terrorism has become the order of the day, with Nigeria sharing from this cankerworm that has eaten deep into the fabric of the nation, threatening to destroy the unity, peace and the once enduring love enjoyed by the people.
Nigeria is now an embarrassing focus of the international community as the rate of violence, killing and bombing is now a cause for concern to not only the leaders but also to the entire citizens whose fate now hangs in the balance.
Despite the concerted efforts of past and present governments to bring the Boko Haram insurgency to an end by repelling the terrorists, with the ultimate goal to recover the nation’s territorial and geographical locations under their control, the carnage still continues unabated.
Another spate of killings has re-surfaced in Southern Kaduna where people have been killed on daily basis. The people in the area now live in fear – sleeping with their eyes open.
The recent mayhem in Kaduna state, perpetrated by Fulani herdsmen has continued to attract reactions from various quarters.
Former Chairman of the Youth Wing of Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN), Dr. Dale Oluwatade recently x-rayed the killings which have claimed no fewer than 300 lives in the wake of fresh attacks.
Dr. Oluwatade frowned at the destructions of lives and properties in that part of the country, describing the killings as a Fulani multinational hostility.
He said a whole lot of noise is being made now just like it happened during the Niger Delta crisis and that commendation should be given to the boldness of victims who now refused to be oppressed but rather make noise for the nation and probably the world to know what they are going through in the hands of these murderers.
“The killing can be classified as Fulani Multinational hostility perpetrated by Fulani herdsmen either local or imported using their cows as a point of contact to reach other nationalities.
Their hostilities are over bearing as they are hostile to their host communities in the length and breadth of this nation, excluding the sharia north.”
According to him, there are two reasons for this hostility; firstly, their action can be traced to the superiority complex they carry as ethnic nationality in Nigeria; secondly, they are radical Islamic Forces which form part of global terrorism.
He noted that the situation will get worse, depending on how wise the hosts are. If the hosts are complacent and hospitable, these people will continue to be hostile until they overrun the entire people of Southern Kaduna.
Commenting on the success recorded so far by these Fulani herdsmen, Dr. Oluwatade said they are succeeding because they have a structured hierarchy of what I call deregulated youths.
“They are deregulated youths because they have little or no educational background. It is only their kings and leaders that have meaningful education. Those doing the fighting are very poor members of the ethnic youths. They were brought up with hostility in their heart against anyone who does not share their religious belief and they have this born-to-rule superiority complex. These two elements fertilized and gave birth to the ethnic supremacy tendencies that they have and their religious inclination encourages them to go on.”
On whether they can be prevailed upon to stop the killing, Dr. Oluwatade said they are following instructions from their leaders.
“I believe that before any youth rises up to fight putting his or her own life at risk his or her life must have been insured and financial gratification awaits the families left behind.”
He therefore urged the government to beam its searchlight on their leaders who may be directly responsible for the killings.
“Their leaders display I don’t care attitude because they parade well trained youths who may be classified as militant military youths,” he said.
Asking the victims to defend themselves, according to him, is not a crime but a necessary measure to stop the carnage.
He wondered how some of the Fulani leaders are accusing those that call victims to defend themselves with hate and insightful speech knowing that the strength of the victims’ success lies on their ability to defend themselves without waiting for security agents.
“I will advocate that persons in danger of being attacked or have been attacked should get ready and put measures on ground to defend themselves from being killed like goats and chickens. These people should do all to defend themselves on the spot as this would repel unwarranted attack and reduced the killing.”
Wondering whether these killers have hidden identity, Dr. Oluwatade said the governor of Kaduna State, Mallam El-Rufae will have a lot to tell Nigerians regarding the identity of the people because he was recently reported to have met with and negotiated with Fulani leaders to stop the killings.
This, according to him, shows that the governor knows them and has their dossier from where he can furnish security operatives with their statistics.
“So he has a lot to answer in the hostility going on in Southern Kaduna. The governor owes the people of southern Kaduna a security duty to prevent them from being killed,” Dr. Oluwatade asserted.
He said the situation became worst for the victims because of the curfew imposed on the town by the government as the people had nowhere to run to as they were killed like goats and chickens.
He said the people suffered double attacks and were at a disadvantage. He said the killing in Kaduna is not a conflict but a multinational genocide because Southern Kaduna does not consist of just one tribe but many nationalities.
Dr. Oluwatade called on other state governors to emulate Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State who mobilized his people to expel the Fulani herdsmen out of the state, making it possible for the state to be in relative peace.
