Not Foreign Affairs

Vehement oppositions have trailed Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), the national umbrella body of cattle rearers, call on federal government to establish Fulani youth vigilante body to complement its host community’s counterparts and other constituted security apparatus in the Southeast zone.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo, a socio-cultural organisation in the Southeast, has sternly opposed this proposal by Miyetti Allah. Afenifere, another social cultural organisation described the request as provocative. Also, Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has decried such offer.  Recall, that, few days ago, Oduduwa People Congress (OPC) cautioned cattle herders to fish out criminals in their midst or leave the South West region.

The farmers-herders issue has taken different dimensions in recent years. In a bid to solve the crisis, the Federal government had projected the establishment of cattle colonies nationwide, which received widespread backlash. There is an ongoing criticism of government’s intended policy of setting up Ruga Settlement (Fulani Settlement) nationwide. State governments, cultural organisations and groups are strongly kicking against these moves. Ranches Over Colonies captures the views on the Ruga Settlement.

Miyetti Allah’s request raises a lot of questions that needs answers. First, if the Fulani vigilante groups are set up, where will be their areas of operation, given that they do not have a defined geographical space in the zone (cattle colony, Ruga settlement). Considering the intense suspicion most locals already have about them, how would they bridge the trust gulf and gain the confidence of the communities?

With the widespread backlash, will state assemblies agree to pass a legislation that will recognise the existence of a Fulani vigilante groups in their territory? Who will fund their activities? Won’t the vigilante services be a smokescreen for establishing the cattle colonies and Ruga settlements which is receiving  condemnations?

A security sector reform that creates room for the establishment of state and community policing will make the call of MACBAN unnecessary. With the present status quo, the cattle rearers can still provide the much-needed intelligence to security outfits to aid in mitigating violent conflicts, without having their own physical outfit.

Retrospectively, a nation with sufficient and committed security agencies will not be needing a vigilante group which is closely a militia to manage local security in a ‘foreign land’. There is a likelihood of them becoming a security problem as well.