The Boiling Cauldron: The Plateau, Bokkos – Barkin Ladi Christmas Eve Massacre And The Handwriting On The Wall
The Oasis Reporters
December 28, 2023
By Col. Gora Albehu Dauda (rtd)
For some time now the Plateau, Bokos/Barkin Ladi and the surrounding villages as well as in many other parts of Northern Nigeria have been on the boil again.
Put more succinctly, much of the North of the geographical contraption has been turned into a boiling cauldron.
This was the situation for all of the Muhammadu Buhari presidency years and with the lackluster APC still in power after the dubiously rigged 2023 General elections, the Fulani assault on ethnic nationalities in the North of Nigeria has continued without abetting.
By failing to provide security and enhancing the welfare/wellbeing for the population, the Nigerian State has proven itself complicit in the insecurity in the land.
Entire villages and communities have been abandoned to the rampaging Fulani militias conveniently called Herdsmen whilst their evil onslaught against the defenseless population is conveniently masked up as herdsmen/farmers clashes.
The question here is CLASHES over WHAT ?
Assuming that the dubious narrative was even true, should the Nigerian State saddled with the responsibility of securing the territory of Nigeria simply look on helplessly?
If the Nigerian State has abandoned the people to their uncertain fate only one remedy remains, which is that the vulnerable communities and ethnic nationalities should pick up the gauntlet and take concrete steps to defend themselves.
Since it appears obvious that the extant laws prohibiting the bearing of military styled weapons is no longer being enforced, should not the victim communities also procure arms from whatever sources for their own defense?
The most recent genocide on the Plateau and villages in and around Bokkos and Barkin Ladi communities on the eve of Christmas were particularly gruesome and grotesque.
How can a wandering Fulani race continue to embark on a campaign to supplant ethnic communities from their God given lands and in the 21 Century for that matter?
Can territory now be acquired using force of arms?
Where is the International law here since the Nigerian State is now too weak to stand up to her responsibility?
The Fulani have had a historical land grab agenda of Nigerian land which started with the so-called Usman Dan Fodio Jihad in Hausaland.
The conspiring British colonial regime for purely exploitative economic and mercantilist interest turned a blind eye to the Fulani excesses under the Emirate system which was conveniently called ‘Indirect Rule’.
The Nigerian State has proven ter ineptness to the highest level possible by failing to protect vulnerable communities looking up to her for their security.
Every institution making up the society appears to have lost their sense of responsibility in the face of the ongoing carnage in Nigeria not listed to the religious, political as well as traditional institutions.
Almost every event or occurrence is twisted and or contorted to having a religious face. This brings to light, the bombing incident at Tudun Biri in Igabi of Kaduna State. When it occurred and yours sincerely believes that it was done with the best of intentions for this country, hordes of religious bigots and trigger happy but largely uninformed Islamic preachers quickly latched on to the incident, concluding it was done on purpose against Muslims.
Given that Nigeria is saying that she is fighting an insurgency, such incidents are not uncommon even by the most advanced Militaries.
The response or reactions by Islamic preachers was as electric as many were falling over one another to grab a microphone and camera to put out to their contorted viewpoint no matter how wrong such were or are.
On purpose and clearly in pursuit of an evil agenda, the Islamists grabbed the unfortunate incident at Tudun Biri to wage a devilish assault on the current Chief of Defence Staff, suggesting it was a deliberate attack on Muslims. It must be on record that the Muslim North has never been comfortable with the appointment of Gen Christopher Musa Gwabin as CDS simply on account of the fact that he is not from one of their many stables and adding insults to an already open sore, the CDS is an Atyap person the linguistic grouping they hate with a passion.
The feudal class in the North is clearly not concerned or bothered about someone’s qualifications so long as such is not their own. They will not mind if a pig were appointed to a strategic position as long as he is of their own.
Now that the Fulani armed militia has clinically and efficiently executed the genocide on the Plateau, the equation perhaps is effectively balanced as the bigots are all muted.
None has seized a microphone and done a video on WhatsApp or TikTok in condemnation.
Is this hypocrisy not now exposed? This essay is simply putting out the message that life is sacrosanct and it does not matter whether the lives of Muslims, Christians or Animists are affected. The earlier we recoil from such profiling, the earlier we can together begin the building of a nation.
If this is not the thinking, the handwriting is already on the wall to the effect that Nigeria is living on borrowed time and therefore has but a short time to live.
Looking for the solution to Nigeria’s security challenges without first focusing the searchlight within Nigeria’s borders and particularly political and religious institutions as well as their leadership will amount to chasing shadows. It is clear beyond the shadow of any doubt that the political leadership In Nigeria knows much more than it is informing Nigerians as to who the sponsors of the terrorism and insurgency are. In saner climes such closely guarded information would since have been leaked out but not in Nigeria where promoting and protecting the personal interest of certain government officials takes president over those of the National interest.
The Nigerian government has admitted to having a list of those sponsoring the violence across the land but is shy of divulging who those individuals are, meanwhile innocent lives in our villages continue to be lost.
If the likes of Mal Nasiru Ahmed El Rufai the former governor of Kaduna State, Sheikh Abubakar Gumi, the cartel of gold miners in Zamfara and Niger States, the dark goggled Islamic preacher in Bauchi, MURIC’s Prof Ishaq Lekan Akintola and many others are walking free in spite of their toxic and incendiary pronouncements, what should one expect?
Large gatherings are usually very attractive targets for the terrorists to attack and the Christmas period and season usually provides such opportuned targets.
A clarion call therefore goes to the people planning large gatherings for whatever reason(s) to be wary except of course they make adequate arrangements for the safety of the people.
The incident of the Hamas October 7 attack on the Music Festival in Israel refers. I have been thinking that Christians reserve the right to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ but that this should have been done low keyed. I am of the opinion also that it is more honourable to drop on the battlefield than be slaughtered on one’s bed or incinerated inside one’s home.
The victims of the genocide in Bokos) Barkin Ladi and elsewhere will learn this too late.
This message is intended for the living not those whose precious lives were lost in the Fulani inspired and clinically executed genocide.
Sadly and paradoxically so, name seeking Islamic preachers have easily crossed our borders and are condemning the carnage in Gaza but cannot similarly condemn the slaughter here in Nigeria. As usual, and typical of the Nigerian National Security architecture in situations as happened on the Plateau, it is reported that soldiers and possibly other security elements not visible anywhere prior to the incident have now been drafted to the affected villages.
Rather than giving chase to the murderous Fulani militia, they are there to prevent reprisals. We have seen this over and over in Zangon Kataf.
Unless we deceive ourselves the genocide on the Plateau was carefully well planned and clinically executed while the security forces slept.
Responsibility for the massacres must be borne by the Fulani groups not limited to Miyetti Allah, MACBAN and other’s and the Nigerian government as well as the Security forces know their leadership and makeup of these terror groups. The Fulani militia must have been recruited from neighbouring settlements such as in Marri and Zangon Urban in Southern Kaduna whilst many others crossed over from Bauchi State.
For justice to be seen and heard to be done, the murderous gangs must be chased down to their hiding places to face the wrath of the law.
How will the laws work in Nigeria when religious concerns are involved? Will the Nigerian State seek justice for the victims of the genocide on the Plateau?
This is the billion Naira question.
What a Shame.
To God Be The Glory.
