The Audacity of Aminu Masari

Ring true By Yemi Adebowale

Phone 08054699539

Email: yemi.adebowale@thisdaylive.com

Unending lies by the federal government, frontline state governors and security agents, have all contributed greatly to the growth of terrorism in Nigeria in the last six years. Stories of imaginary raids on the hideouts of the terrorists are pushed out daily, while attacks by the guerrillas persist. No doubt, ethnic consideration has made it impossible for those running this country to deal with terrorists. Even to admit that most of the attacks in the North-west, North-central, some parts of the South-west and South-east are carried out by Fulani militias is a problem. I find this shocking. To tame terrorists, those running this country must rise above aboriginal sentiments.

Few weeks back, when I challenged security agents to checkmate Fulani militias in Maradun, Zamfara State, a Fulani man, who identified himself as Aminu Sebore, called from Abuja, and spent several minutes abusing me for saying the obvious by identifying the attackers as Fulani militias. This is the truth the average Fulani is running away from. President Muhammadu Buhari is running away from this truth. Governors in the North-west are running away from this fact. They have all suddenly forgotten that only the truth can end terrorism and set this country free. Identifying Fulani militias as being responsible for the killings across the country does not imply that every Fulani is a terrorist. I persistently emphasise this.

It is gratifying that Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State has decided to stand out. He has decided to follow the path of truth. The Katsina governor admits that most bandits are of the Fulani ethnic stock as himself, adding that they speak Fulfulde and profess the same religious beliefs as himself. Masari, in a recent television interview said many northerners might not like his revelation but maintained that his disclosure remains the truth.

The governor said: “So, what we have here on ground are bandits; they are not aliens, they are people we know, they are people that have been living with us for hundreds of years. The infiltration we have from some West African countries and North African countries are also people of the Fulani extraction.
“Majority of those involved in this banditry are Fulanis whether it is palatable or it is not palatable but that is the truth. I am not saying 100% of them are Fulani but majority of them are, and these are people who live in the forest and their main occupation is rearing of cattle.”

Clearly, Fulani militias have been emboldened by the failure of the Buhari government to act appropriately. The federal government has refused to clamp down heavily on them simply because they are Fulani. This is the truth that must be told. These militias go about seizing land from farmers, which they then hand over to herders. Farmers who dare to resist are killed. In the North-west, Hausa farmers formed a vigilante group called Yan Zakai to protect their land, but have been largely limited by arms and ammunition.

Fulani militias are enjoying a free rein because their “father” is the President. Right in Katsina State is Ali Kachalla who leads the main Fulani militia terrorising the state in particular and other parts of the North-west. He has been doing this for almost five years. This Fulani militia leader, based in Dansadau, has the blood of hundreds of innocent people on his hands. Kachalla enjoys a free rein in Zamfara State and beyond. He goes about, unhindered, killing, maiming and kidnapping for money. Everybody in the state knows Kachalla has his major camp in the notorious Kuyambana forest (Maru Local Government Area) from where attacks are launched on other parts of Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi and Katsina states. Security agents know this. Governor Bello Matawalle knows this. Unfortunately, concrete steps have not been taken to checkmate him. The military, Police and DSS pretend to be unaware of his location. Perhaps, they are waiting for “clear instructions” from President Buhari before moving against Kachalla.

In Zamfara State, Fulani militias control vast areas in Maru, Dansadau, Zurmi, Shinkafi, Bungudu, Bakura and Maradun LGAs. In Katsina State, they control large land in Batsari, Jibia, Faskari, Sabuwa, Safana, Kankara, Danmusa, Dutsin-ma, Danja and Kurfi.

Security agents hardly respond to attacks by Fulani militias. Many believe it is deliberate. I will cite four recent cases that occurred in the last 10 days to validate this. Last Sunday, Fulani militias entered Mahuta village in Dandume Local Government Area of Katsina State, and operated for hours. Security agents did not respond to SOS calls. The militias killed three people on the spot and abducted scores of Mahuta villagers. As at press time, virtually everybody in this village had relocated to Dandume and Funtua.

Another set of militias were at Sabuwar Kasa in Kafur Local Government Area of Katsina State last Sunday. As usual, they operated for hours unhindered. Four children of Hamza Umar, the village head of Sabuwar Kasa were kidnapped.
Some other Fulani militias stormed Tafoki village in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State on September 5, where Asma’u Dalhatuone, sister of Shehu Dalhatu Tafoki, the Deputy Speaker of the Katsina State House of Assembly, was abducted. Asma’u was preparing for her marriage when the militias entered the village and took her away.
Two weeks back, the militias entered Dan-Kumeji community, in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State, killing and maiming. No fewer than 11 villagers were killed and six others injured.

A resident of Dan-Kumeji, Abdulmumini Sani, said the terrorists arrived in the night and started shooting sporadically. According to him, as the villagers started running for safety, unknown to them, the militias had stationed themselves in strategic positions, killing the villagers at sight.
In all the four attacks mentioned, the Fulani militias operated for several hours. Unfortunately, security agents did not respond to calls for help. Again, days after the attacks, not a single one of the militias had been apprehended. So sad!

Let’s flip back to Masari. His thoughts on open grazing are also pragmatic. For me, other governors in the North must spend quality time reading Masari’s epistle on this issue. He agrees nomadic cattle rearing is an aberration in modern societies and that Nigeria cannot be an exception. Masari also went beyond this, saying open grazing is un-Islamic.
The Katsina governor remarked: “Herdsmen should stay in one place. Roaming about should not be encouraged. In fact, for us, it is un-Islamic. Why do you have animals that you cannot feed and you have to go to other people’s land and farm and you say that is right? I don’t think it is right. We intend to have a law banning cattle roaming but before we do that, we would make provisions for where the animals would stay.”

Undoubtedly, anybody genuinely interested in ending the brutal clashes between farmers and migrant herders must not be talking about grazing sites and routes. No right-thinking person should be advocating the continuation of this Stone Age idea. Ranching should be on the front burner. Herders must return to their bases and cuddle ranching. If it does not happen, rampaging criminal herders and Fulani militias will persist in their nefarious activities against crop farmers. The culture of nomadism in Nigeria must be eliminated.

CBN Should Stop Squandering Nigeria’s Forex
Late last month, the Central Bank of Nigeria instructed banks to publish the names and Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) of customers who abuse its forex policy. The apex bank lamented that it had received, and noted with concern, reports of sharp practices “by some unscrupulous customers,” circumventing the new CBN policy on the sale of forex for overseas personal and business travels”. The bank said some of the unwholesome practices included the use of fake visas and cancellation of air tickets after the purchase of PTA/BTA.

Travellers must return unused PTA/BTA within two weeks as stipulated in the customer declaration form signed by them, so says the CBN. If not utilised for the intended purpose, or if for any reason, the scheduled trip is cancelled, the PTA/BTA must be returned. So, Godwin Emefiele and his men expect Nigerians to return unutilised PTA/BTA? I don’t think this can ever happen. The CBN is being unrealistic.

How will the banks know those who purchased PTA/BTA and turn around to cancel their flight tickets? So, our banks are expected to have financial crime units and operate like EFCC and the Police? This task is preposterous.
Why won’t there be unwholesome practices in the purchase of PTA/BTA, when there is a huge gap between the official rate of forex and that of the parallel market? As of yesterday, those who got PTA/BTA from the banks and decide to join the “dubious travellers club” will make a profit of N133 on every USD purchased. The CBN is evidently encouraging corruption with this policy of selling PTA/BTA at official rate.

Sharp practices will persist in the purchase of PTA/BTA because of this huge gap between official and unofficial forex rates. The CBN knows this. Purchasing PTA/BTA is big business because there is big profit in it. Bank customers can apply for PTA/BTA once in a quarter, and PTA/BTA requests are limited to a maximum of $4,000 and $5,000 per quarter, per applicant, respectively. With this, and at current rate, crooked travellers can make a profit of at least N2.2 million annually just buying PTA/BTA, without actually travelling.

The CBN has simply been wasting this country’s forex by selling PTA/BTA at official rates. The era of multi forex exchange rates must end. The IMF and the World Bank have persistently told the Nigerian government this. Government forex must be sold at market rates. This will naturally eliminate sharp practices in the purchase of official forex, the PTA/BTA inclusive. A country struggling with forex can’t be selling the limited amount it has at dubious rates.

Wike, Pay Rivers State Pensioners Now
It was heart-wrenching watching Rivers State pensioners on the streets of Port Harcourt last Wednesday. They were protesting against huge unpaid pension arrears and gratuities. The pensioners, mainly retirees from 2015 till date, commenced their protest from the Rivers State secretariat complex, but were stopped by policemen from storming Rivers State Government House. How I wish they were allowed to smoke out Governor Nyesom Wike from the Government House. When next they are on the streets, they must occupy the Government House by force in order to send a message to Wike. This governor’s silence on this issue is infuriating.

It has been over six years of trauma for these seniors. Wike has denied them their pension arrears and gratuities since the inception of this administration. One protester remarked: “So many retirees have died; over three hundred have died. Our children are out of school, marriages have broken, so what have we done wrong?” Haba! This is outright wickedness. Wike should show some respect to these seniors by paying all their entitlements.

While the coldblooded Rivers State Governor is spending billions of Naira on largely useless bridges in Port Harcourt, the state’s senior citizens are dying in droves. The blood of these people is on Wike’s head. He knows this but cares less. Well, let Wike continue to ignore the seniors. Judgement Day is around the corner. Someday, somehow, Wike will account for the ill-treatment of these seniors.