Dear Buhari, it's time to stop herdsmen from killing Nigerians

According to sundry reports, 50 persons lost their lives after gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen stormed Guma and Logo local governments in Benue State and turned the entire place into a killing field.

"The blood of those people killed by the Fulani herdsmen are on the hands of the federal government and if nothing is done, they will cry unto God”, said Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, in an emotion laden voice.

At the time of writing, protesters have taken to the streets of Benue to call for help and action from the authorities.

Commissioner of Police in Benue State, Bashir Makama, has sued for calm while announcing that eight herdsmenhave thus far been arrested in connection with the killings.

Anti-grazing law

Gov Ortom says the killers are herdsmen opposed to the State’s anti-grazing law.

According to Ortom; "You would recall that I made official reports to the federal government about the intended invasion of Benue State by these herdsmen who claimed that they would resist the (Anti-Grazing) law. I have never seen where people would come out with this level of impunity.

"This is unfortunate; we are living in a country that is presumed to be our own. Security agencies in this country had been aware of the impending attacks and what you are seeing here is just a tip of the iceberg.

"So many people have been killed, houses razed and some of those killed had their throats slit, eyes and private organs removed and killed like animals.

“You can imagine that innocent women and children and unarmed people were slaughtered in cold blood just for no reason at all because they want to be law abiding.

"I feel sad about all this. Is this how we are going to continue? The federal government and President Muhammadu Buhari must rise and give us protection to show that we are truly citizens of this country".

Cult killings

In Rivers State, 14 people who were returning from cross-over church service in Omoku in the early hours of January 1, 2018.

Twelve persons were also left badly injured.

Reports say the killers were cultists.

Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike, has promised a reward of N200M to anyone who can point him to the killers.

"We have placed a N200 million bounty for relevant information that will lead to the arrest of all those involved in this unfortunate act of violence”, Wike said.

The Governor added that; "Anybody who is connected to this crime in any way will have his/her houses forfeited to the government. This place has been peaceful before this unfortunate mayhem.

"You cannot shed innocent blood and go free. We are working with all the security agencies to do everything possible to arrest the perpetrators. They must pay for this”.

There have also been mass killings in Kaduna and elsewhere.

Everywhere you turn, it dawns on you that our nation has been reduced to a huge killing field by lawless brigands.

Beyond press statements

This week, President Muhammadu Buhari called for a stop to the killings.

“I received with dismay the reports of killings in Omoku, Rivers State and in Sango LGA of Kaduna State. This violence is unacceptable. Let me assure that security agencies are working to speedily bring the perpetrators to justice. May God comfort the families of the victims”, the president said in a statement.

He added that; “I appeal to the communities affected not to embark on reprisal attacks, but allow the security agencies to carry out comprehensive investigations so that the culprits can be identified and properly punished”.

In another press statement through his spokesperson Garba Shehu, Buhari described the killings in Benue as “callous and wicked”, while promising that the perpetrators will be made to face the full wrath of the law.

ALSO READ: President condemns "wicked" attacks by Fulani herdsmen in Benue

Beyond the press statements, however, the Buhari administration has got to treat this like the emergency that it is.

The federal government has to back States to rid the country of marauding Fulani herdsmen who have become a law onto themselves. These herdsmen have long abandoned the job of watching over cattle and have taken to killing humans with an impunity that riles and befuddles.

The full weight of federal and State laws should be deployed against the cultists in Rivers, the herdsmen in the north and killers across the country to serve as some deterrence.

As we battle the Boko Haram terrorist sect, security agencies led by the Commander-in-Chief, have to bear in mind that killer herdsmen are an ever present threat to our existence as a nation State as well.

No more kid gloves from now on, Mr. President. No more.