Of Cattle Rustlers And Human Rustlers
Peregrino Brimah
In March we had the Agatu massacre with hundreds of Nigerians killed and millions in property and livelihoods destroyed by the rustlers of human souls. In April we had the Enugu massacre which was a similar devastation.
There is a video that purports to show ‘Fulani herder’ sponsored terrorists armed to the teeth in boats on their way to the Agatu massacre. [Link: https://youtu.be/BLK60UTqSBo] There is also another video in which alleged ‘Fulani’ terrorists brag about having cells in all states of the federation, north and south and also having agents at all levels of the government including the army and Department of State Security, DSS. [Link: https://youtu.be/UW588spwsBc]
The question is: why has the Nigerian military and police never killed these hundreds of rampaging sponsored foreign and indigenous terrorists in the act?
Unlike Boko Haram in Sambisa, who it has now been proven are not ghosts, these middle belt and south marauders are right in Nigeria’s hinterlands.
Every day Nigerians happily read of soldiers ambushing and killing cattle rustlers. This is pleasing news. But why have we never heard of military and police operations that successfully ambushed and killed these “human rustlers?” Are they ghosts?
We would like to implore the Security agencies stop negotiating with terror sponsors if this is the case and rapidly invade the hideouts of these human rustlers and capture or kill them before the next tragedy. The lukewarm attitude of the Jonathan government, led to thousands of preventable deaths and this appears to have continued under the Buhari administration that only luckily captured about 90 members at a traffic stop.
We would like to strongly advise the military and police and DSS utilize all security tools they have to discover the cells, hideouts and sponsors of the terror that has threatened the fabric of Nigeria and kill or arrest all actors and sponsors no matter how highly placed.
While commending the military for doing their job in Sambisa against rag-tag Boko Haram terrorists, in keeping with the erstwhile reputation of the Nigerian military from the days we were globally recognized for delivering peace to Sierra Leone and Liberia, we beg them to apply the same intensity against the marauding sponsored terrorists who rustle men, women and children’s souls.
This is ACTIVE terror. It is not terror in the baking. It is not tit for tat violence. No Nigerian has the right to act above the law and take lives of fellow Nigerians no matter the provocation. Grazing reserves while reasonable should not come into play in the discussion of the marauding terrorists. Nigeria has clear laws against terrorists. As the latest bill was signed declaring death for kidnappers, Nigeria’s Anti-terror laws are clear on the punishment for terror and unlike as erroneously stated by the Attorney general of the Federation, Malami who promised to spare the lives of Boko Haram takfiri terrorists; any terrorist according to the Anti-terror bill is to be killed.
Where the security agencies are overwhelmed, they should recruit patriotic Nigerian youth across the country (as Civilian-JTF) who are jobless, willing and able to aid with intelligence and anti-terror battles.
It is time to secure the great promise of our great nation.