The heinous killing of 16 Fulani hunters in Uromi, Esan North LGA, Edo State, in late March is unacceptable.
The PUNCH Editorial Board condemns it in its totality. This is reprehensible. No decent society should condone mob justice or jungle justice, also known as vigilante justice. The criminals must be identified scientifically and punished.
However, the Uromi killings are a symptom of a broken security and justice system. The federal and state governments should ensure that Nigerians are treated equally irrespective of their ethnic, tribal, and religious colouration.
In a fragile country, the overt deployment of double standards is destructive and leads to unintended outcomes.
The tragedy in Uromi unfolded when a mob set upon 16 Fulani hunters travelling through the community.
Accused of being complicit in the serial security breaches that have rendered local farmers morose, the hunters were dragged from their vehicles, lynched, and their bodies desecrated.
The gruesome incident, captured in harrowing viral videos, has ignited fierce debates on security, ethnic tensions, and the government’s inability to protect citizens from rampant violence and retaliation.
The Edo State Government and the security agencies must activate mechanisms to identify the culprits of the dastardly act. They must be brought before a court of competent jurisdiction and tried justly.
The caveat: the security agencies should do their work with tact and not become an army of occupation terrorising innocent members of the Uromi community.
As the outrage deepens, with the police, military and other security agencies invading Uromi, Nigeria is missing one crucial point. There is a clear precursor to the killing of the Uromi 16: the provocative bloodshed by Fulani herders across Nigeria.
In February, Edo witnessed the death of 27 farmers. Initially, the state government reported 22 deaths. The casualty figure jumped to 27 by the end of the month. Governor Monday Okpebholo did not move into action then or offer to pay compensation to the victims’ families.
Beyond Edo, Nigerians have been constantly inundated by the rapine of Fulani herdsmen, with little respite from the state and federal governments.
Farmers are under siege and unable to go to their farms in Plateau, Benue, Ekiti, Ondo, Nasarawa, Ogun, and many other states.
Farmers are under siege, unable to go to their farms in Plateau, Benue, Ekiti, Ondo, Nasarawa, Ogun, and many other states.
Many farmers are paying tribute to Islamic terrorists. Fulani herdsmen, with a sense of gross entitlement, encroach on farmlands and kill farmers for preventing them from violating their livelihoods. Massacres, arson, rape, and killings have become the norm for these violent Fulani herdsmen.
In 2014, the Global Terrorism Index listed Fulani herdsmen among the four most dangerous terrorist groups in the world because of their killing sprees in Nigeria.
On New Year’s Day in 2018, Fulani herdsmen slaughtered 72 persons in Benue State. President Muhammadu Buhari feigned ignorance about the massacre.
The bloodthirsty herdsmen murdered over 40 people in Ukpabi Nimbo, Enugu State, in 2016. The Federal Government has not prosecuted any of the perpetrators.
In December 2023, Fulani herdsmen continued their atrocities in Plateau State, killing over 140 residents in 62 villages during the Christmas period.
The outrage simmered down shortly thereafter without the arrest or prosecution of any invader.
So, the hypocrisy of the Federal Government and security forces in handling such incidents is glaring.
This selective justice raises troubling questions about the value placed on the life of a Southern Nigerian and a Northern Nigerian.
When an Adamawa State farmer, Sunday Jackson, killed a Fulani intruder on his farm in self-defence in 2015, the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence against him, even though he should have been tried for manslaughter.
Yet, when Fulani herdsmen carry out mass killings across the country, the government feigns ignorance, remains silent, or reacts tepidly.
However, the criminals who killed the Fulani men in Uromi must be brought to justice, just as those responsible for previous attacks on farmers and civilians must also face the law.
Until Nigeria embraces the rule of law and discards partiality in the dispensation of justice, the cycle of violence will persist.
Herders should adopt the ranching option instead of trampling roughshod on farming communities.
The Tinubu government has established a Ministry of Livestock to encourage ranching: Livestock farmers should take advantage of it instead of practising the divisive and outdated open herding system.
They should leverage the ministry, making Nigeria a globally competitive livestock production country, as is the practice in the Netherlands and Brazil.
It is not only Fulani herdsmen.
Islamic extremists have been responsible for numerous killings. The 2016 murder of Eunice Olawale, a Christian preacher in Abuja, attracted no outrage in Northern Nigeria and among the security forces that have now trooped to Edo State.
In 2007, the pupils of Toyin Oluwasesin murdered her on the untenable accusation of abusing the Koran. None of the 16 pupils were brought to justice by the Gombe State Government or the Federal Government.
In Sokoto State, the colleagues of Deborah Samuel lynched her on flimsy grounds of writing against Islam; the 2022 case has died down with no justice for the victim.
The Federal Government practically ignored the brutal killing of Funke Olakunrin, the daughter of Afenifere leader, Reuben Fasoranti by Fulani herdsmen in 2019 in Ondo State.
When violence is met with indifference, it emboldens criminals to act with impunity.
International observers have repeatedly warned about the unchecked violence of Fulani herdsmen. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have documented the widespread attacks and government inaction.
Some estimates suggest that Fulani militias have killed over 3,600 people since 2015, making them one of the deadliest non-state armed groups in Africa.
The solution lies in a comprehensive security overhaul. The Nigerian Police Force is understaffed and ill-equipped to handle the country’s security challenges.
Therefore, Nigeria should decentralise policing and allow for the creation of state police to enable governors to protect their domains effectively.
Security agencies must leverage intelligence to prevent attacks rather than merely reacting after the fact.
Farmers must be protected, and perpetrators of violence must be prosecuted to serve as deterrents. Without true federalism, Nigeria is doomed.
So far, the Western Nigeria Security Network and other vigilante groups have been instrumental in securing minimal peace, arresting criminals, and defending communities.
Therefore, Okpebholo, who has threatened to ban the vigilante group in Uromi, should not do so. He should critically examine the situation and equip them to engage intruders within civic guardrails.
State policing and various similitudes of local policing should not be disbanded but rather reformed and regulated.
The governor must strike a balance between enforcing justice and ensuring that citizens feel safe enough to return to their farms, work, and life without fear of reprisal attacks.
The Federal Government should rise above ethnic biases and ensure that every Nigerian life is valued equally.
Selective justice and political correctness have eroded trust in the state’s ability to protect its people.
Likewise, political, cultural, and civic leaders in the South should be vocal in the face of these atrocities and find the courage to defend their communities through robust and actionable security policies.
The continued silence only perpetuates the false dominance of one group over the others.
There are fears that Fulani herdsmen may retaliate by launching further attacks on Uromi communities. The government must prevent this by deploying adequate security forces to the region.
Furthermore, these security forces must carry out thorough investigations and intelligence gathering without undue high-handedness and violation of human rights.
Reports stated that some police officers in Uromi have begun harassing and extorting citizens under the guise of investigating the killings. This must be swiftly addressed, and errant officers should be prosecuted.
Any government that cannot provide security has failed in its primary duty. The Federal Government must take decisive action to curb violence and ensure justice for all, irrespective of ethnicity. The culture of impunity and partiality must end.