- They attack us, steal our cattle
Fulani herdsmen based in Osun State have appealed to government at all levels to checkmate the excesses of their kinsmen alleged to be killing and maiming innocent citizens, especially local farmers.
According to the Fulani herdsmen, who rear their cattle in the rural communities of the state, the government should find effective means of stopping these alleged notorious killer-herdsmen from further perpetrating violence against innocent citizens of the country.
The Fulani herdsmen, who are mainly from Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, added that they were always gripped with fears whenever they came across their violent kinsmen in the course of their search through various communities for pasture for grazing their cattle.
Speaking with our correspondent as they grazed their livestock around the thick bush at the site of the Osun airport located at Ido-Osun in Ede North/Egbedore Local Government Area of the state, a Fulani herder, who identified himself as Usman Muhammed, said since he had raring cows in the past 20 year, he had discovered that killer-Fulani herdsmen would not even spare their own kinsmen.
“They also attack us and steal our cow,” Muhammed said.
Speaking in Yoruba, he claimed that he had never attacked any farmer or citizen of the state, stressing that he would compensate anyone upon whose farm his cattle trespassed in the course of grazing them.
He, however, alleged that some of the violent herdsmen had formed the habit of engaging in cattle rustling even against their fellow Fulani.
“There have times that we caught some Fulani herdsmen stealing our cows and we beat and dragged them to our union office. We severely punish them whenever luck ran out on them,” Muhammed added.
Asked whether he was aware that most Nigerians, especially local residents, fear Fulani herdsmen, Muhammed, who was armed with a cutlass and rod, answered, “I also fear them. They are so wicked and they don’t spear us that are their brothers, too. I am not happy that people shiver whenever they meet us in the bush. This is because of the havoc and attacks that some Fulani herdsmen are perpetrating in some communities. I am not wicked. Since my father left Ilorin to this state, we have never had an issue with any farmer.
“While grazing, I always ensure that my cows do not trespass on people’s farms. If you hear that any of my cows eat on any farmer’s farm, it must have been that the cow got lost because I always guide against such occurrence. What we always do whenever our cows mistakenly feed on people’s farms is try to beg them and if they do not want to accept my apology, I compensate them with cash.
“But what most people do not know is that most of these wicked herdsmen are not Fulani. They are Bororo, those herdsmen, who are not Nigerians but are grazing their cattle in the rural areas of the country. These Bororo are so deadly and they appear like Fulani. Maybe because I was born in the South West, I don’t plan evil against anyone and I feel bad whenever I hear ugly stories about killer-Fulani herdsmen. I am a lover of peace and to show this, I would love to marry a Yoruba girl, but I am sure it won’t be possible because most people fear Fulani herdsmen.”
Another Fulani herder, who simply identified himself as Hameed, told our correspondent that he was not happy with the way Nigerians perceived Fulani herdsmen because of the violence allegedly perpetrated by some of them.
He stressed that he always ensured that his cows did not trespass on people’s farms.
Asked why he was armed with a locally made gun and machete, Hameed said he only hunted with the gun while he used the cutlass to clear the way for his cows while grazing in the bush.
“Though I carry a gun, I use it to hunt in the bush. I don’t kill and I have never used any of my weapon against anyone and I will never do that. In this land, we also graze there, but there has never been any time that any farmer complains that my cows feed on their farmland. We are peace-loving people, but some of us (Fulani herdsmen) commit havoc in the society and that makes people to fear us,” he said in Yoruba.
A resident of Ido-Osun, who identified himself as Uncle Ige, confirmed that there had never been any violent clash between the people and Fulani herdsmen in the area.
“There has never been a time that Fulani attacks any farmer in our community. Whenever their cows mistakenly graze on people’s farms, they meet and settle it amicably with their leaders. The “Bororos” are the ones causing problem because they graze at night, but with the Fulani herdsmen, there has never been any clash or attack against farmers,” said Uncle Ige, who runs a block industry situated opposite the airport project site.
