As rampaging herdsmen continue their menace, destroying farms, lives and robbing people of their livelihood, not a few Nigerians have questioned how a group of businessmen could be allowed to destroy other people’s businesses with abandon.
A disturbing video on X shows an elderly woman weeping after arriving at her farm in Imo State and finding Fulani herdsmen with their cows destrøying and eating all her crops.
According to Emmanuel Onwubiko, the National Coordinator of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), “The ineffectiveness of Nigeria’s security forces in curtailing these atrocities, is no longer a subject of debate. It has become glaringly obvious, that the very agencies tasked with safeguarding lives and properties have either been compromised, or lack the capacity to act decisively.
“Time and again, communities have raised alarms over suspicious movements and looming threats, only to have their concerns dismissed or ignored until tragedy strikes.This failure is not accidental.
“In the past, reports have surfaced of some security operatives, aiding or shielding the very terrorists they are meant to neutralise. The reluctance of the Military and Police to go after these killers with the same zeal used against other groups, is a glaring indication of bias and complicity.”
The destruction of the woman’s farm by Fulani herdsmen and their cows is distressing. What measures do you think the authorities can take to address such incidents and protect farmers’ rights?