The Anomie in Southern Kaduna

Perspective
The resort to self-help appears imminent and inevitable in Southern Kaduna, writes
Femi Fani-Kayode
Just before he murdered one dozen Germans in cold blood as they were making merry and doing their last minute Christmas shopping in a Berlin market square, Anis Amri, the infamous and thankfully deceased ISIS foot soldier, expressed the following sentiments in a pre-recorded video message. “By God’s will, we will slaughter you like pigs. I swear we will slaughter you”. 
These words reflect and convey nothing but unadulterated hate and pure venom. Such deep-seated hatred coupled with an unrelenting and hideous murderous intent is beyond human comprehension and it is bereft of any decency or humanity. When the Holy Bible speaks about our enemies hating us “with a perfect hatred” this is surely it. 
Simply put, the creature that was known as Anis Amri, before he was summarily dispatched to meet his father, the devil in hell, courtesy of an Italian policeman’s bullet, was nothing but a psychopathic and sociopathic beast. He was a cold-blooded murderer: an animal in human skin. And I daresay that so are all those that share his homicidal disposition and barbaric sentiments. 
He is a good example of what the civilised world is up against today and sadly, Nigeria is not exempted. As a matter of fact, we are even more afflicted by this monumental global challenge than most.  
Amir’s words are an excellent example of the way that those that President-elect Donald J. Trump has described as the “attackers of humanity” feel about those of us, who do not share their warped and primitive world view and who do not believe in the shameful misinterpretation of their religious faith. 
The words of the beast betray the mindset of every radical Islamist jihadist in the world today. It also reflects the mindset of every Fulani militant and herdsman. If this were not the case how can one explain away the mindless genocide and carnage that the people of the south and the Middle Belt generally and the people of southern Kaduna particularly have been subjected to over the last one year? 
In Southern Kaduna alone literally thousands of Christians, ethnic minorities and Shiite Muslims have been murdered in cold blood and have had their homes, farms, churches, properties, burial sites and holy places torched and burnt to the ground by the bloodthirsty aliens and Fulani hordes over that period of time. 
Trump’s words also reveal the mindset of their loyal friend and self-acclaimed Fulani brother, Nasir El Rufai, the Governor of Kaduna State. I am surprised by some of the things that he has been saying lately. Someone should please tell him to stop talking rubbish. He will soon set this nation on fire with his tongue and if that ever happens, he and his Fulani brothers will be the worst for it. 
Permit me to share one or two examples of what can only be described as a graphic manifestation of the inner most recesses of his utterly devious and twisted mind. After claiming that those that killed thousands of Christians in Southern Kaduna were not Nigerian Fulanis a few weeks ago and after publicly admitting that he funded them, he has now claimed that Niger Delta militants from the southern part of the country are planning to disguise as Fulani herdsmen and attack the people of Southern Kaduna? 
This is false. And not only is it false, it is also a premeditated, calculated, irresponsible, incendiary, pernicious and dangerous mendacity. Worse still, he has said it with malicious intent and thereby endangered the lives of even more people. Am I the only one that sees where all this is heading and what El Rufai is trying to achieve? Is it not obvious that he is trying to widen the conflict and spark off a sectarian and ethnic war in our country?
I am convinced that my old friend has finally lost his mind! He should stop trying to cover up his heinous crimes in Southern Kaduna and desist from blaming the carnage on others. And given the number of innocent blood that has been spilt in Southern Kaduna by his Fulani brothers I have to say that Nasir is a disgrace to Islam; a disgrace to the Fulani; a disgrace to Nigeria; a disgrace to the black man and a disgrace to humanity. 
He can never wash away all the blood that is on his hands either by omission or commission because his primary duty as the Chief Security Officer of Kaduna State is to protect the life and property of its citizens. In this respect and in virtually every other he has failed woefully.
Shakespear’s Julius Caesar said “cowards die many times before their death but the valiant die but once”. We must not be cowards, we must speak the truth boldly and we must say things as they are no matter whose ox is gored. And the truth is as follows. 
On Christmas eve, despite a three day government curfew, Goska and numerous other towns, communities and villages in Southern Kaduna were attacked by the Fulani militants and herdsmen yet again. In Goska, they raped most of the girls before slaughtering them. Scores of innocent men, women and children, including the fourteen year old daughter of the former LGA Chairman of Jema, Barrister Gideon Morik, were butchered. 
I saw the picture of her battered head and body all over the social media and it sickened and enraged me. I kept asking myself what type of animals would do this to a child?  What evil forest did these monstrous beasts crawl out from? Which of Dante’s nine circles of hell did they come from? 
We have been praying for Southern Kaduna all along but with this last attack, I am constrained to ask the following questions: when will we stop the praying and start the fighting? When will we begin to defend ourselves and those that are being subjected to these attacks? How many people have to be killed before we appreciate the fact that self-defence is a lawful and necessary recourse when it comes to preserving your life and that of your loved ones? 
There is no place for a violent and unprovoked attack on others and I have not advocated that here but there is every place for a violent defence of your homes, wives, children and loved ones. That is a duty and a solemn obligation before God and before the law. 
Since both the state and the federal governments have refused to protect or defend them, when will the people of Southern Kaduna start defending themselves and when will we start helping them to do so? How many more little babies have to have their heads dashed against a wall and how many more infants and women have to be raped, have their throats slit open and blood drained?
These questions are made all the more relevant given the fact that our President, who is himself a Fulani, has refused to condemn or even say anything about the latest series of attacks and killings. Why? Because in Nigeria, under President Buhari, only Fulani lives matter.
Much of the mainstream media has been completely intimidated and cowered into a pitiful and nauseating silence. When they are not intimidated they are induced into suppressing reports, write-ups and essays (like this one) that expose the sheer carnage, the ugly realities and the bitter truth. They have forgotten what they were taught at journalism school – that facts are sacred and opinion is free. They have also forgotten the words of Rev. Martin Luther King jnr. when he said “the moment we are silent about the things that matter we begin to die”. 
He also said “if you are not ready to die for something then you are not fit to live for anything”. Yet despite the desperate attempt to suppress the facts and keep these tragic events out of public glare, the anger of the people continues to boil and their rage is mounting. 
Chief Kataps Ngwii of the Christian Information Network wrote the following: 
“Goska, Southern Kaduna, 25th December, 2016: another Fulani herdsmen raid, destruction and killings. This must be seen as a terror attack and not some herdsmen and farmer crisis. And to say government has not been able to do anything about it means that the people of Southern Kaduna should simply arm themselves.
“When a government cannot protect you, you must arm yourself and protect yourself. It is quite obvious that the Nigerian government is protecting the Fulani herdsmen. And for Governor Nasir El-Rufai, I have already given my verdict. He is not only an overrated person but also the worst governor of 2016. Do you still doubt me?”
Ngwii has spoken the mind of millions. The truth is that the people of Southern Kaduna must defend themselves no matter what the odds are against them. They must be ready to die in defence of their own people. 

That is, after all, how history is made. That is how glory comes. That is the path of honour. That is what makes the difference between righteous and noble men and mediocres. That is the difference between men of courage and understanding and those that are nothing but cowardly quislings. That is how great men live forever in the hearts and minds of their people. 
You must muster the courage, shed the fear and stand up for the weak and the oppressed. You must strengthen your resolve, steel your hearts, remember that the hosts of heaven are standing behind you and speak truth to power.You must never forget that there can be no peace without justice. And finally, you must never forget that you serve a Living God who is faithful to His own and who is mighty in battle.
I send this message to the Christian faithful in Southern Kaduna. I urge you all to stand firm and to stand strong. Never give up. Never let those that kill you intimidate you. Fear them not. They are nothing but barbarians that come from the pit of hell. They are not worthy of being called human beings let alone being called Africans or Nigerians. They come from a distant land and they were never part of us. 
They love violence: when they come with it give it back to them in full measure. It is the only language that they respect and understand. Remember your wives, your children, your loved ones, your faith, your heritage, your history and your nation and fight to protect and preserve them. Avenge those that have fallen at the hands of the enemy. Remember those that they slaughtered like Salah rams and cut to pieces like Christmas turkeys. 
Remember those whose throats they cut and whose blood they drained into the gutter. Remember those whose children and wives they violated and butchered and whose homes and churches they desecrated and burnt to the ground. 
Defend yourselves and your families because your government has refused to defend you. Instead of protecting you and bringing your tormentors to justice, your governor has said he pays your enemies your money.  Stand firm, resist them and be men even unto death. Always remember that Christians don’t die, they only change address. When a Christian is absent from the body, he is present with the Lord.
Millions of your brothers and sisters from all over the world are watching you, cheering you on, wishing you well and praying for you: you are not alone. As you grieve and mourn your loved ones, we grieve and mourn with you. We mourn them together. As you shed your tears, we shed tears with and for you. 
Finally, never forget the following: mutually assured destruction, or what many refer to as the balance of terror, is the only true deterrence to naked aggression and to the tyranny of tyrants. It is the only thing that makes genocidal maniacs, ethnic cleansers, psychotic butchers and barack-room bullies think twice. 
It kept the peace between the Western allies and the Soviet block for many years after the conclusion of the Second World War and throughout the period of the cold war. It led to the era of “d’etant”, prevented a nuclear war and paved the way for peace between the superpowers of the world which remains till today. 
The point is this: the display of weakness and fear attracts nothing but aggression whilst the display of strength and courage deters and repels it.  If you keep turning the other cheek even after you have been slapped ten times they will kill you all. It is time to rise up and take your destiny into your own hands. It is indeed time to defend yourselves from these cold-blooded murderers and it is time to stand up for your rights. You are freeborn men and women and not slaves. 
You are full-fledged Nigerian patriots and not spineless quislings and second class citizens. You are the head and not the tail. You are on the top and not on the bottom. You are believers and not unbelievers. You bow to no man and you tremble before no barbarian, no government, no tyrant and no King. 
For the Lord is your light and your salvation, whom shall you fear? The Lord is the stronghold of your lives, of whom shall you be afraid? On Christ the solid rock you stand, all other ground is sinking sand: all other ground is sinking sand!
-Fani-Kayode is a former Minister of Aviation

Related Articles