Every Cloud Has Its Own Silver Lining: Hausa-Fulani Face-off Reduces Terrorism And Banditry In Nigeria

 The age-long aphorism, "Every Cloud Has Its Own Silver Lining", is well-fitted in the context of Nigeria's struggle with terrorism and banditry. The face-off between the Hausas and the Fulanis, two Nigerian large ethnic groups, has unexpectedly yielded a positive outcome -- a significant reduction in terrorist activities and banditry. For the past 20 years, Nigeria has been grappling with the scourge of terrorism and banditry, chiefly Fulani-sponsored radicalized jihadist groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have waged a brutal insurgency across all Nigerian latitudes, exploiting ethnic and religious fault lines to spread terror and gain support. 

The tensions between Hausas and Fulanis have unexpectedly led to an exciting phenomenon across Nigeria. The Hausa communities, once vulnerable to attacks, have begun to publicly reject and frown at Fulani-jihadists' extremist ideologies, recognizing the un-told harms caused by  ferocious groups like Boko Haram, ISWAP, and other bandit groups. This paradigm shift is largely driven by the propensity to preserve their cultural heritage and protect their communities, towns, and cities from violence and extermination. 

The Fulani jihadists, Boko Haram, ISWAP, Ansaru and Lakurawa jihadists and bandits groups, have committed innumerable atrocities that have provoked widespread outrage and condemnation, including among the Hausas. Boko Haram insurgents, in particular, has committed heinous crimes against Nigeria in the following ways:

• Mass killings and bombings:

 Boko Haram has carried out massacres, such as the Bornu State 2015 Baga massacre, where between 2,000 and 10,000 people were killed, and  the Konduga mosque shooting also in Bornu State, on August 11, 2013, where 44 people were killed. 

• Kidnapping and abductions: 

Boko Haram group has kidnapped several thousands of people, including the infamous Chibok School Girls kidnapping in 2014, where 276 girls were abducted, and later 330 students were kidnapped in Kankara, in Katsina. There are other thousands of victims kidnapped by Boko Haram and other bandit groups across Nigeria. Truly, no man can accurately number them because many victims in the Northern Nigerian hinterlands are killed by extremist jihadists without being documented for the public to know. The practice of killing Christians arbitrarily in Northern Nigeria by Fulani jihadists is an ugly trend that has come to stay. The Fulani jihadists are brainwashed by their clerics to kill anybody anywhere he is found, if he is not a Muslim. Is that fair? Are some people superior to others? Why are some humans slated for killing because of religion? Here in Nigeria, Christians are killed by Fulani jihadists in their Churches when sermons are going on. Some Christians are killed when Bibles are found in their hands by the extremist Fulani jihadists. In some cases, the jihadist Fulani herdsmen bring tens of cattle into the Churches for a few days. They eat, drink, and sleep in the Churches as it pleases them. They bring food for their cattle there also. They and their cattle defecate and urinate inside the Churches too. Any attempt to bring them out by force immediately turns into bloodshed. The Fulani herdsmen also bring their footballs into the Church premises on Sunday mornings when Church services are going on and begin to play. All these actions are intentionally taken to provoke the Christians to anger so that fight might ensue. In the past 20 years, over 800, 000 innocent Christians have been killed in Nigeria by radicalized Fulani jihadists. 

According to the recent US Congressmen fact-finding team that visited Nigeria on Christian genocide issues led by Riley Moore, after visiting the invaded communities of Benue State, Riley Moore said that thousands of Christians were killed; they were not less than 650, 000 Christians displaced from their ancestral homesteads in Benue State alone, and another 2.7 million displaced Christians in Plateau State. They fled to other localities for safety. They are ragtag refugees in their own country living in internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps. In some attacks, whole families were all slaughtered and Fulani leaders like the Sultan of Sokoto Caliphate (Muhammadu Sa'ad Abubakar III), Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, Professor Yusuf Usman, Nasri El-Rufai, and others, are still encouraging their mentees to kill more. They are still asking Government for dialogue and negotiations with the armed robbers. The deaths of thousands of innocent Nigerians mean nothing to them because their family members were not involved. They are still persuading the Government to pay princely ransoms to the criminals so that they can share money with them since they are buying weapons for them and bank-rolling them. They are kicking against any form of military actions against them. The more Nigerians are killed, the more money Fulani leaders get as ransoms. They have not for once advised the Nigerian Government to compensate some families who lost their dear ones during unprovoked attacks by Fulani jihadists. Their own children are studying in Europe and North America so that they will qualify to replace them when they die, while other parents' children are brainwashed with religion and kept in darkness to live in the forests and hide under rocks and mountains to perpetrate atrocities against fellow mankind and generate ransoms for them. 

• Terrorism and bombings:

 Boko Haram has carried out many bomb attacks, including suicide bombings, targeting Christians, civilians, Churches, schools, markets, hospitals, supermarkets, and airports.

• Forced conversions and marriages:

Boko Haram has forcibly converted people to Islam and married off women and girls to their fighters. In the Sambisa and Sububu forests, including other scores of forests, mountains, and rocks where terrorists and bandits are hiding, they are living with many girls and young women. Some women whom they abducted are married and supposed to be living with their husbands and children, according to an eye witness. Some terrorists have 20 girls to one man. They subject them to forced sexuality daily. Those of them who made botched attempts to escape from their strongholds were caught and cut into pieces with longs knives. Where do atrocities of these kind take place under the Sun if not in Nigeria alone? The Fulanis have no souls! 

• Human rights abuse:

Boko Haram has committed widespread human rights abuses, including rape, torture, and enslavement. All these atrocious activities have been going on for 20 years, and people from all parts of the world, including the Hausas, have condemned them in strong terms. 

The face-off has also led to increased collaboration between Hausa communities and national security agencies which was untenable in the dim past centuries when both ethnic nationalities were six of one and half a dozen of the other. As the Hausas wisely distanced themselves from the blood-thirsty radicalized Islamic Fulani groups, they voluntarily become more willing, ready, and able to share intelligence and work with authorities to combat terrorism and banditry head-on. This impeccable synergy has improved security in the region, making it harder for terrorists and bandits to operate with ease. 

Moreover, the face-off has highlighted the need for interfaith dialogue and cooperation. The Guild of Interfaith Media Practitioners of Nigeria ( GIMP-Nigeria) emphasizes the indispensability of structured synergy among Christian and Muslim leaders, media professionals, and government institutions to counter extremist Islamic narratives that non-Muslims are infidels (arnes) and as such, should be killed wherever they are found, and to promote peace, coexistence, and stability, at all costs. 

While the face-off between Hausas and Fulanis is rooted in complex historical and socio-economic factors, it has inadvertently created an ample opportunity for Nigeria to tackle terrorism and banditry. By addressing the underlying grievances and promoting community-led initiatives, Nigeria can build on this momentum to create a more secure and peaceful society. The Hausa communities are now totally rejecting extremist Fulani Islamic ideologies, drastically reducing Boko Haram's, ISWAP's, and Ansaru jihadists' influences to zero levels. Increased cooperation between Hausa communities and security agencies is enhancing regional security and peace. Interfaith initiatives are undauntedly promoting peace and countering Islamic extremists' narratives. 

A growing number of Hausa Muslims have rejected the radical ideologies and violent tactics of these vindictive Fulani terrorist and bandit groups, recognizing that their evil actions are driven by a distorted and unreliable interpretation of Islamic doctrine and a desire for power and control. The distancing of the Hausas from the Fulani jihadist murderers is undoubtedly significant for some obvious reasons:

First, it undermines the narrative that insurgency and banditry are legitimate expressions of Hausa-Fulani grievances. The friction between them has made the Hausas to bluntly hate and reject the notion that violence and extremism are inherent in their culture and faith. This paves the way to isolating the terrorists and bandits and reducing their abilities to recruit and operate freely. Second, the Hausa Muslim communities' rejection of Fulani radicalism creates an opportunity for dialogue and reconciliation with the Nigerian Government. As more Hausas turn away from Fulani Islamic extremist groups, there is a growing chance for community leaders and Government officials to engage in constructive talks and address genuine grievances. This could lead to increased cooperation and intelligence sharing, making it harder for Fulani terrorists and bandits to hide and operate successfully. Third, the separation of Hausa Muslims from Fulani radicalized jihadists highlights the complex and nuanced nature of Nigeria's security challenges. It succinctly underscores that the conflict is not simply a matter of Muslims versus Christians or Hausa versus other ethnic groups, but rather, a struggle against perennial religious extremist ideologies that threaten the fabrics of the Nigerian society, regardless of faith and ethnicity. 

Finally, this development offers a glimpse of hope for Nigeria's future. As more Hausa communities and other ethnicities abhor and frown at Fulani Islamic radicalism and brainwashing, there is a growing possibility for national peace, unity, reconciliation, and security. By wholeheartedly embracing diversity, promoting tolerance (as it obtains in all secular States), and addressing socio-economic inequalities, Nigeria can build a more virile, secure, and stable society, where all citizens can thrive and contribute meaningfully to the country's growth and development.

In conclusion, the face-off between Hausa communities and Fulani radicalized jihadists is a significant milestone in Nigeria's fight against terrorism and banditry. It offers an opportunity for dialogue, reconciliation, national unity and security, and empirically underscores the need for a more nuanced and inclusive approach to addressing the country's security challenges. Every cloud has its own silver lining!

Please, kindly share this post with your friends and loved ones. Thank you very much.