One of the saddest realities in the ‘war’ with the herdsmen is that some people have nothing to lose; they simply love terror and they are unleashing it with impunity. These shifty, untrustworthy, unreliable and greedy elements amongst us are very dangerous. They are unreservedly dangerous that I had expected the government to step boldly into it and nip their activities in the bud. I am resting in the assurance that God is with us in the ‘war’ with the mystified herdsmen. The war is real and the fear is not exaggerated. Yes, I am waiting to let out a sigh of relief and I believe it is the same with you. There is so much in the war that is not apparent to the less discerning. Sometimes, it is not courage we lack to make decision but information. Good information can enliven our courage to make decisive decisions. But in Nigeria, I am convinced that we have both information and the required courage to take any required action. I guess we have failed because we have been making decisions in the darkness of ignorance and I expect this to be terrifying. One should be scared to make decisions with no information or with one that is sterile.
Herdsmen were very simple and peace loving. Everyone was comfortable with them. Their business was to tend livestock, especially cows and sheep and not to shoot down fellow human beings with AK 47 riffles without missing. No, not the herdsmen. I strongly believe that there are mercenaries hired by the wealthy livestock owners to escort the herdsmen and the livestock as they ‘wander ‘from one location to another. It is these mercenaries who are doing the havoc with every sense of loss of manhood and to the utter delight of their masters. The frightful cruelty unleashed on the innocent citizens is compounding the already bad situation of the hungry masses. The herdsmen in the classical sense of the word have nothing in common with the sour, sad-faced, mean and cruel mercenaries parading as herdsmen.
I would have expected the government to be passionately interested in resolving the sordid affair of the wanton killings of innocent civilians. I think this has been made impossible because we seem divided on who is superior – cows or human beings. For a long time to come, it would be difficult to comprehend the enormity of the crimes of these mercenaries and the magnitude of the associated miseries, the depth of degradation and the beastliness to which they have dragged the name of the country and the way stakeholders have kept silence shamelessly. Are we getting what we deserve, in which case there is no need to complain? This question is relevant because we seem to be doing too little to mitigate the crisis. This is a national disgrace whose colour appears not to be clear to us. I call on the President to handle the case with the greatest skill and endear himself to the Nigerian people in a manner that would be difficult to replicate in the history of Nigeria. The terror should progress no further. Does the President have the power and the will to do it? Yes, he has all it takes; including goodwill. He came into office very popular and Nigerians looked forward to a reign of progress and splendour. The activities of the mercenaries are making all of this look pliant and ulcerated to an appalling degree. It is, therefore, time for action. It is not the type of action cast in the mold of the reported Nigeria Police Broadcasting Service (NPBS) which was launched ostensibly to tackle herdsmen/farmers clashes and other criminal activities nationwide. There is no strong reason to disbelieve the capacity of the initiative to have a long run effect, but it would be impotent in dealing with the matter currently at issue. The immediate business of the Police should be to identify the mercenaries in our midst and withdraw the firearms they brandish from circulation. The warlike spirit of the mercenaries cannot be dealt with in any broadcasting house. It is good that we are serious given that law-abiding Nigerians have been restrained from evil by the great presence of mind.
Great efforts have been made and still being made to keep this country together and we must not sweep all that away. Nigerians are men and women of immense energy and endurance, but there is a limit to everything. The narratives on the vexed issue of the herdsmen should not be on absurdities or trading of blames. The sponsors of the mercenaries should note that nothing is secure in life except virtue, good behaviour and a notable sense of humour. The time for action is now or never. Nigerians should not be compelled to turn their faces to the wall and die of a broken heart.
Francis .O. Iyoha
