Middle Belt Forum Declares Herdsmen Killings Ethnic Cleansing

Accuses Buhari, IG, defence minister of complacency
Paul Obi in Abuja
As killings of locals by herdsmen, particularly in North-central continue unabated, the Middle Belt Forum yesterday declared the ongoing killings as ethnic cleansing with the semblance of Rwanda genocide.

The group stated this at a conference in Abuja where its President, Dr. Bala Takaya, blamed the ongoing killings and wanton destruction of properties of Middle Belt indigenes by Fulani herdsmen on parochial appointments of security chiefs by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Reading from the text of the briefing entitled: ‘Nigeria: A Nation Under Siege’, the group said: “There is no gainsaying the fact that Nigeria of today is passing through perilous times. More so, the Middle Belt region which is witnessing wilful pogrom by way of ethnic cleansing by Fulani herdsmen just to enable them wipe off all nationalities from their ancestral lands. For, if not ethnic cleansing, what do we make of it.

“They kill, maim and rape at will. They even brag that in this (Middle Belt region) they (the killer Fulani) have immunity that is superior even to those of our governors and their deputies.
“Our Middle Belt communities have become endangered species even in the full watch of their elected federal government. What we are bitterly experiencing under this dispensation is our ethnic cleansing aimed at disinheriting us of our ancestral lands.

“Do we deserve to go through all this? What is our offence or sin? And who will tell Mr President that he is wrong? Who will save us from this menace? To the international community, why is the world sleeping while another Rwanda is unfolding?” they asked.

He added: “As such, in the Middle Belt region, lives of human beings are now cheaper than those of cows. Hundreds of lives are being lost in Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Southern Kaduna, Plateau and recently, Kogi State.”
According to Takaya, “There is virtually no part of the Middle Belt of Nigeria that is peaceful, making even feeding a major problem. on another side, we do not consider it amusing that the killer Fulani militias demonstrate their power or influence over this government by always choosing to strike as soon as the President rounds off a tour of the despoiled states with even greater viciousness.

“Similarly, it is not amusing that the law enforcement officers would pejoratively describe a sitting governor as “a drowning man” and still sleep well, maybe even commended recommended for promotion.”

Consequently, the group called on President Buhari to among other things, “sanction the Inspector General of Police (IG), Ibrahim Idris, Minister of Defence, Mansur Muhammad Dan Ali, both of whom made some careless and provocative statements over the recent Benue killings and prosecute those responsible for the killings without further delay.

“President Buhari should proscribe and declare Fulani herdsmen militia a terrorist organisation immediately. he should remember that even the Global Terrorist index Fulani herdsmen as the fourth most dangerous group in the world.
“All despoiled territories must be granted redevelopment funds from the ecological account to rehabilitate those ravaged communities.

“All Middle Belt people who lost property, harvested crops, lives of dear ones, etc, must be compensated and their homes restored properly. All schools, public or private, churches or mosque and other public utilities, should be restored by the Government of the federation.”
The forum also demanded that, “the process for the total restructuring of Nigeria should start now. We will not settle for less on restructuring we stand.”