Onyiorah Paschal Chiduluemije

The recent massacre of scores of fellow Igbo and brethren in our homeland by the invading and marauding Fulani herdsmen and the seemingly implicit endorsement of their cruelty by President Muhammadu Buhari’s government (judging of course by what could arguably be regarded as a mere formality condemnation on the part of the Presidency that reluctantly had to speak on this nasty development following public condemnation of his almost notorious indifference and/or taciturnity on matters concerning increasing Fulani herdsmen bestiality under his watch) is not just heart-rending, but also it is an indication that there is indeed a deliberate and desperate attempt by this inept administration to generally provoke Ndigbo with a view to compelling them to debut with their worst case scenario panacea to containing its litany of offensives against them so far.

Just a couple of weeks ago, the Directorate of State Security Service (DSS) under the seemingly malfunctioning leadership of Alhaji Lawal Daura – a Fulani man – roundly surprised all sane minds, both Nigerians and non-Nigerians alike, when it reportedly told the public that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) allegedly murdered no less than fifty Fulani folks in Abia State and readily buried them in a mass grave. Undoubtedly, while many reasonable people across the globe still await to hear the last from the DSS’s in this regard and/or see proofs to substantiate this preposterous assertion, it is increasingly crystal clear, as it were, that the only logically ascertainable prima facie intent of the leadership of the DSS under the watch of Muhammadu Buhari’s kinsman is to simply criminalise the IPOB in order to create and convey the impression to the international community that Ndigbo and Biafrans alike now parade their own wing of terrorist group like the Hausa-Fulani Islamist terrorist Boko Haram sect. Indeed it is most unfortunate that under President Muhammadu Buhari, the Directorate of State Security Service, a hitherto highly respected institution of the state, has abysmally become ridiculed, compromised and relegated to be serving the interest of the migrant Hausa-Fulani in Nigeria at the expense of the larger interests of the real indigenous people of other nationalities of Nigeria.

Strangely enough, while the same leadership of the DSS under Alhaji Daura had never and still does not seem to care about disclosing to the public the actual number of lives that have been wasted under his watch by the marauding Fulani vermin in Agatu community of Benue state, among other places, and the level of damage done so far by his wandering kiths and kin on the properties of their host community, it is somewhat unbelievable that the DSS appears nowadays to be only “good” at and “alive” to its responsibilities whenever and where the interest and affairs of the Fulani/Hausa-Fulani become a fact in issue or are likely to be adversely affected vis-a-vis the competing interest and affairs of other folks.

What is more, it is by no means less disturbing, disappointing and, in fact, highly suspicious that despite early warning signals, indices and reports that reportedly went viral within and beyond the Uzo Uwani L.G.A of Enugu State clearly pointing at the fact of the impending attack by the Fulani herdsmen, all the security agencies, including the suspect in the minds of many called the DSS, were understandably docile and as such most probably inclined to treat the pre-attack concerns of this Igbo community with near absolute levity, thereby invariably paving the way for the Fulani herdsmen to first carry out their dastardly and ethnic cleansing act (perhaps in line with an already existing script) so as to later on avail President Muhammadu Buhari – their brother and patron – the opportunity and the much needed platform to broach and articulate the so-called “priority” of his “administration’s agenda” and “readiness to deploy all required personnel and resources to remove this new threat to the collective security of the nation”.

Meanwhile, granted that this afterthought announcement by Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on media, is ultimately coming now, it is not all the same illogical to submit that abini tio the Buhari-led government had perhaps consciously allowed the Fulani herdsmen the leeway to have a field day killing and maiming members of their host communities and/or their perceived enemies across the length and breadth of the country. On the other hand, this announcement of Buhari’s “priority” to bring to an end the so-called “new threat” which the activities of the Fulani herdsmen pose to the “collective security of the nation” further implies that until now, the incessant carnage being perpetrated by the Fulani in Agatu community of Benue state meant nothing to a man adjudged to be the President of all and as belonging to everybody, and to no one tribe (?). Besides, as one is inclined to ask, why would it take President Muhammadu Buhari, a Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces for that matter, donkeys’ years and, moreover, the occurrence of the avoidable killings of the Igbo folks of Uzo Uwani LGA of Enugu state before publicly acknowledging that the activities of his kiths and kin constitute a “new threat” to lives and properties of law-abiding citizens?

Now come to think of it, as things stand now, it does really appear that whenever the President’s kiths and kin, the Fulani herdsmen, are involved in an issue whereby they are apparently on the trouble-making side, the Federal Government will be said to be “silently” working (apology to Alhaji Lia Muhammed) to bring it to an end(?). But, conversely, whenever Ndigbo and Niger-Delta people alike legitimately attempt to put their grievances in proper democratic perspectives or even attempt to exercise their guaranteed rights to peaceful assembly and self-determination, President Muhammadu Buhari himself, not his minister or aide, will quickly and boisterously rush to the public domain to address the concerns and agitations of the Igbo and Niger-Deltans by either killing them or threatening them with assault in a manner reminiscent of what he and his ilk are wont to believe was their wonderful achievement as encapsulated in the mass murder of the Igbo people of the 20th century before and during the Nigeria-Biafran civil war. Indeed, here lies the greatest trouble with President Muhammadu Buhari’s morbid thoughts and mindset and the resultant biased approach to the prevailing issues of national security in the country.

* Onyiorah Paschal Chiduluemije, a Journalist, writes from

Abuja via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. – 07012130204