The picture trended widely the past weeks. AI-generated and could be offensive to naked eyes. And your sensitivities need to be respected. So, its non-usage was advised. Nevertheless, it said it all. It captured succinctly the essence of the endless mass killings.
Nothing could be more illustrative, instructive and insightful. That’s what President Bola Tinubu couldn’t see in bleeding Benue State. Did he even see a semblance of it on his voyage last week? Great doubt.
He couldn’t have. The nearest he saw, perhaps, were a few victims in their hospital beds. They must have been specifically selected not to offend his delicate sensibilities.
The Yelwata the President couldn’t access. The mountain he couldn’t climb. Citizen Very Dark Man (VDM) did seamlessly. He braced the odds. He damned the severe consequences. He refused to be deterred. He not only got to Yelwata, he got furthest. He saw the carnage. Told what he saw. And even displayed the horror.
VDM wasn’t given to lame excuses. He was resolute in his exploit. And he pursued it with all his heart. He demonstrated determination, courage and patriotism. Those quality traits run in his veins non-stop.
He performed this daring feat under zero protection. Tinubu has all the security architecture to himself. He made maximum use of it. And at his beck and call. Still, he was not only derailed by a downpour. But also by its accompanying flooding.
Even at that, Tinubu was still open-minded, honest to himself. He did not hide his failure. He’s human after all. He confessed: “I aborted my visit to Yelwata because of the rain and bad roads. Particularly, seeing the ruins and the carnage on camera, it serves enough to take decision…”
That was how Tinubu graphically missed out in Benue State. He couldn’t make it to Benue’s theatre of war. Yelwata was his mission impossible. Over 200 lives were recklessly sacrificed. All to the Fulani gods of blood. And they licked every drop of the pint.
All floods led to Yelewata. And washed away the innocent blood of women and men; young and old; children and adults. It was a clean-up never imagined.
So? Tinubu and his large entourage of “mourners” were forcefully turned back. That flooding was a complete mess up. Jettisoning Tinubu’s exploration in the land of sorrow, tears and blood.
That aborted mission was sad enough. He couldn’t have abandoned Yelwata to its unfortunate fate. That was when his attention was needed most. No matter how Herculean the task. He ought to have surmounted all obstacles.
He ought to have endured a bit of discomfort and inconvenience. To demonstrate that he cares for us and feels our pains. He didn’t even make the slightest attempt to do that. He was scared. And he put it out for all to see glaringly.
The demoralising message sank in us. That he wasn’t ready to make any iota of sacrifice. He was not there for us when the going got tough and harsh. And we read his body language correctly. His actions and inactions did not bring out the expected empathy in him.
He was in Benue. But he couldn’t see the uncanny carnage Yelwata had become overnight. Cruel courtesy of killer Fulani herdsmen. They macheted. They butchered, burnt, strangulated, maimed, raped. Whatever suited their evil mindset they did.
They displayed cruelty. They showcased utter wickedness. They demonstrated man’s inhumanity to man. Beasts of no gender. And their prey wailed through the dark, dreadful night.
Tinubu didn’t go near to see the effects of all these. He instead devoted so much time to the critically regulated so-called stakeholders’ meeting. He was holed up with a selected audience. Right inside the comfort of Government House, Makurdi.
He ignored the real, genuine stakeholders in Yelwata. He opted to dine and wine with Abuja stakeholders. Not Benue stakeholders.
But the Tor Tiv, Orchivirigh Prof. James Ayatse, obstructed the abnormal equation. He’s chairman, Benue State Traditional Council. He was tough, bold and brave. He outstandingly stood out. And he was honourably counted. He chose to be different when it mattered most.
He walked the path of truth. He stuck with his people in the face of intimidation. He talked the thoughts of his subjects. And lay them bare for all to see. He spoke what they didn’t want to hear. He rubbished their wrong narratives.
Tor Tiv tutored them on the facts of the matter. He was emphatic: “The killings in Benue are not herder-farmer clashes nor reprisal attacks. What we are dealing with here in Benue is a calculated, well-planned, full-scale genocidal invasion and land-grabbing campaign by herder-terrorists and bandits.”
He let Tinubu into their fervent prayers: “All we ask of you, sir, is to stop our weeping. Give us peace in Benue State, so our people, primarily farmers, can return to their farms and continue to produce food for Nigeria.” That’s an honest request. He poured out what others were afraid to vomit. Heaven did not fall. And would never fall!
Tinubu was swayed. Reason prevailed. He fell for Tor Tiv. He was moved. “The value of human life is greater than that of a cow. We were elected to govern, not to bury people.” He had no viable choice.
But his axe landed on Governor Hyacinth Alia: “You are not elected to bury people or comfort widows and orphans. We will work with you to achieve that peace. You must also work with us.”
Tinubu got it right here. Straight on point. And I cherish the way the President couched it. We cannot afford doing the same thing in the same odd, old manner.
These killings are sapping us in all areas of our collective life as a nation. Many drastic steps have to be taken drastically. And urgently too. No more space for jaw-jaw and its ilk.
We’re tired of using the same ugly template: Condemnations; condolence visits with embarrassing long convoys; stakeholders’ meeting; town hall parley with huge costs; etc, et al…
These are essentially monumental wastes. They’re gulping precious time, man hours and other scarce resources. They are all diversionary of no little means. Let’s get our act right together.
Just 48 hours later. After the elaborate, flamboyant jaw-jaw and banters. Tragedy struck again in the same Benue. The river flowed with blood one more time. This time it made a telling statement. In the Wannune, Tarka Local Government.
The hometown of Senator George Akume. He is Tinubu’s Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF). Those killers pretty well know how to make an impact with maximum effect.
A melee ensued. An unnamed youth corps member presented a “chaotic and terrifying” situation. He managed to send a desperate Save Our Souls (SOS) to security agencies:
“Everyone is running into the bushes for safety. Please let Nigerians pray for us. The herdsmen are ravaging the environment now.” There was need for urgent intervention. As usual it never came. It couldn’t have.
The terrorists were in their bloody elements. And in their familiar terrain. They came, they saw. They did not only conquer all. They occupied. Daily Post posted: “The attack left many dead and several others injured.”
In all of these. The Sultan of Sokoto elects to maintain a deviant and blind silence. He prefers Benue bleeds on profusely, endlessly, eternally. He has refused to utter a word; good, bad or ugly. Mum and mute are his carefully chosen watchwords. So also the emirs.
That sent out a frightening signal. The far North did not miss the message. The Sultan was correctly decoded. No known “core” northerner reacted till date. Silence reigns supreme. The North remained silent while the killings lasted. None of them cared to utter a word. They leave their minority northern prey and victims to their fate.
They carry on as if nothing happened. Did anything really happen by their own cruel and crooked understanding? The Fulani killers were merely doing business. So far, they have been reaping bountifully from their bloody enterprise.
Their northern agenda is on course. Running in the fast lane. It’s a clear reality to the Middle Belt. They were never part of the mirage monolithic North. So? They couldn’t have been a parcel now.
But when the tables turned in Plateau State last weekend., there was a deafening hue and cry in the North. It erupted in threats and intimidation. You couldn’t comprehend the notorious reactions from the North!
That was the death of some Kaduna State Muslim wedding guests. They were killed in Mangu, Mangu Local Government. Actually, they took off from Zaria en route to Qu’anpan Local Government. They missed their way. The reason they landed in Mangu by 8pm.
Deriving from their horrible experiences of the past. The wedding guests fell victim to mistaken identity. The natives thought the Fulani killers were there again. Promptly, they descended on them. The rest is unpleasant history.
Everybody who calls himself somebody in the North suddenly woke up and talked tough. They yelled. They threatened hell on earth. Simply because these ones were theirs. They were from their North. And not from Benue or Plateau.
Funny northern groups sprang up everywhere scrambling for relevance. Violently crying in unison, beating war drums. All, no exception. Their big masquerades: Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Northern Elders Forum (NEF) and their cousins inclusive.
Those who had been apathetic, insensible and complacent to the Benue massacre were jerked up from their feigned slumber. They became active overnight. And occupied our media space to the fullest. Just as they did when their 11 Kano “hunters” were brought down in Uromi, Edo State.
But the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the North and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), came in peace. Very thoughtful. On Tuesday, its secretary, Elder Sunday Oibe, preached love and understanding. His statement was edifying:
“While we acknowledge the security challenges currently bedeviling communities in Mangu LG, there can be no justification whatsoever for such a beastly and ungodly act.” Soothing talk. Perfect observation!
“Nigeria is sliding dangerously towards an abyss, and the silence and inaction of leadership at various levels only embolden those who seek to plunge this country into chaos and bloodshed.” Nothing but the gospel truth.
“The perpetrators of this gruesome crime and indeed many similar killings, especially by bandits in parts of the country, must be identified, arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law.” Fairness to all. No profiling!
“The continuous erosion of accountability in our justice system has emboldened lawlessness and this must be urgently addressed to stop people from resorting to self-help.” True talk. That’s the crux of the matter.
As things dangerously stand, Tinubu should be clear in his mind what he actually wants to make out of his presidency. He should be deemed fit to be more assertive. These Fulani terrorists have told you in clear terms their evil intents and purposes.
They’re here to kill, maim and occupy your territory. You don’t treat such evil agents with kid gloves. They are to be confronted headlong and administered their own merciless missile.
Their agenda is no longer in doubt or hidden. It’s an open secret. They detest restructuring like a pandemic. Even worse than COVID-19. Forget their pretence and grandstanding. They fear restructuring could become a stark reality in no distant future.
They want to get a stronghold in Nigeria before it breaks into restructuring. The fertile land of the Middle Belt and its green vegetation are their ultimate target. Its proximity to their North is a major attraction and seduction.
They’re desperate to entrench themselves in the region with a loud voice. So, when restructuring eventually comes to be. They will be in a stronger position to negotiate as “critical stakeholders.” In another man’s land. See the manner they choose to reason!
Their relentless attacks will instil permanent fears in their prey and victims. Perhaps, forced to cede their ancestral lands to the invading Fulani jihadists. For them “to live in peace with their killer Fulani neighbours.”
See them all over. They already have footholds in at least Benue, Plateau, Niger, Zamfara, Katsina and Borno states. They established their authority in the captured local governments of these states unfettered. They collect taxes boldly in the open. And administer “justice” on their subdued subjects. They no longer operate strictly under the cover of darkness.
This tells a lot about Tinubu’s governance and government. Like the strong position you said you took against perceived fuel subsidy. And foreign exchange. You claim it worked wonders.
Don’t lose steam. Be stubbornly brave enough. Apply the same devastating dose to curtail terrorism and its adverse impacts. We will throw ourselves into it with you. But we need conviction of your sincerity and honesty.
That’s the way to roll and coast together. The foundation is absolute trust. The inevitability is staring us in our naked faces. Let’s confront it together.
President Tinubu, we wait on you. Provide the lead.