AFRICASTALLESTMAN INTERVIEWS A FULANI HERDSMAN IN TARABA STATE

Africastallestman:
Am I safe interviewing you in the midst of these heavily armed men?

Fulani Herdsman:
It is okay, Africastallestman, they know that you are here to tell our own story to the world.

Africastallestman:
Assalamualaikum.

Fulani Herdsman:
Mualaikumsalaam.

Africastallestman:
Why do you slaughter Nigerians like cattle and rams?

Fulani Herdsman:
What will you do to someone who wants to take away your means of livelihood?

Africastallestman:
No one is taking away your means of livelihood. Your host communities must protect their farms which are their means of livelihood by designating grazing areas and non-grazing areas. These communities predate you and your cows.

Fulani Herdsman:
Restricting our cows to particular areas means that those areas will sooner or later be grazed bare by our cows. Moving our cows all over Nigeria without restrictions is similar to crop rotation by farmers. We are farmers who farm cattle.
The communities may predate us, but we provide valuable animal protein to the nation. We ought to be valued as much as the farmers.

Africastallestman:
You do not destroy farmlands to protect cows or destroy cows to protect farmlands. Meanwhile, have you thought about ranching? The great beef exporters of the world – USA, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand do not have itinerant and nomadic cattle rearers.

Fulani Herdsman:
Our Fulani President wanted to seize people’s land to create Fulani Cattle Ranches all over the Federation but Nigerians refused.

Africastallestman:
Nigerians are right to refuse the confiscation of their lands for the benefit of one particular group and occupation. Most of you are cow millionaires that can afford to buy land in any part of the Federation for your cattle ranches.

Fulani Herdsman:
The prices of beef will go up and Africastallestman will be the first to complain.

Africastallestman:
Africastallestman has taken red meat off his menu on the advice of his doctor but I understand your point. However, you can get loans from the non-interest Sharia banks to finance your ranch purchases and business. If your ranches fail, you do not have to pay back under Sharia banking. You can also sell the cow dung manure to farmers. Currently, you are giving it away.

Fulani Herdsman:
You are a very wise man indeed. I never knew that you understood Sharia banking. Our cows have been eating grass and farmer’s crops for free for a long time. Paying for what you have been getting free is not easy.

Africastallestman:
Why do you slaughter people like cattle and rams?

Fulani Herdsman:
I guess that I did not answer that question to your satisfaction. Our cattle are like our children. They respond to our calls, we sleep with them, and sometimes have sex with them in the absence of females during our long treks, that can be as long as 1000 kilometers.
How would you treat someone who kills your child because your child trampled on one or more plants on his/her garden?
Wouldn’t you kill the assailant if you can get away with it. To deter cattle rustling or death of our cattle, we, Fulani Herdsmen have decided that the loss of one cattle will result in the death of 200 farmers to serve as a deterrent.

Africastallestman:
Animals are not humans and I have seen the destruction caused by your animals on people’s farms. Did you decide on this ratio during the Buhari Presidency?

Fulani Herdsman:
It is the farmers’ problem if the farmers decide to farm on our designated grazing path. Our cows will trample and eat their crops and if one cow gets missing, 200 farmers will die. We can can easily slaughter cows weighing as much as two or more humans. Killing humans is very easy.

Africastallestman:
Did you pay the farmers for designating part of their farmlands as grazing areas? Farmers can also be paid in cows? No government can take private property from one citizen and hand it over to another citizen.

Fulani Herdsman:
Not if your brother is in charge of the country.

Africastallestman:
Are you implying that since the President is Fulani, the IG of police is Fulani, the Army Chief is Fulani, the Air force Chief is Fulani, the DSS Chief is Fulani, the Interior Minister is Fulani, the Defence Minister is Fulani, and the National Security Adviser is Fulani, Fulani Herdsmen can get away with murder?

Fulani Herdsman:
Isn’t that obvious?

Africastallestman:
Fulani Herdsmen are the fourth terrorist group in the world in terms of number of people killed, yet your brother who is your Patron, calls you a criminal organization instead of a terrorist organization. Contrarily, he labeled a peaceful IPOB, a terrorist organization.

Fulani Herdsman:
Would you not protect your brother who is a murderer if you can get away with it?

Africastallestman:
Finally, who provides you with all types of lethal weapons and why has none of you been arrested after your massacres?

Fulani Herdsman:
The Fulani politicians should answer that question. We just carry out orders from above. Some of the attacks on the Nigerian Military by Boko Haram are just excuses to transfer arms to us. Once the Kaduna Dry Dock is opened, we shall become more lethal. Remember that the unwritten Nigerian Constitution states that a Fulani man must be head of Custom and Excise. Any politician that gives that post to anyone else is history. The Customs Chief protects our arms importation.
We are on a mission to complete the Jihad of Uthman Dan Fodio, our Fulani idol.

Africastallestman:
Not so fast, Buhari is on his way out and you may not enjoy this protection from 2019. Wouldn’t it be best to find an accommodation with farmers?

Fulani Herdsman:
When we get to that bridge, we will cross it.

Africastallestman:
Thank you for your time. Your cows are mooing and must be heading to another farm to wreck more destruction.

Fulani Herdsman:
Ku maraba.