By Gani Muhammed

Around 1979 a herdsman physically assaulted Chief Oloda, now late, of Igboyagba compound of Ojo quarter in Ajowa Akoko. The community quickly organised a team of young men who subsequently arrested the fleeing offending herdsman and their head were made to pay for the medical treatments and certain ransom. That was when herded cattle were owned by the Fulanis.

Then came the liberalisation of cattle rearing which was hastened by the pressure to hide stolen public wealths by the Nigerian elites within Nigeria but away from the preying eyes of anti-graft agencies. This new phase of the business predated General Buhari presidency of 1983.

Nigerian military elites, the judiciary top notch, the police hierarchy, political class serving or retired now hid their stolen wealths in cows.

The greater number of heads of cattle in Benue state are owned by certain leaders from the state, the cattle you see in Enugu state are owned by Igbo leaders, my Akoko leaders have lot of cows roaming Akoko Savannah.

The hitherto Fulani vocation has now gained national appeal among our elites, and the recruitment of herdsmen and the accompanying murderous guards were done for our brothers and sisters by their fulani co-rapers of our commonwealth.

These unfortunate Alamajiri turned fulani herdsmen are hired by the elite owners of the cattle who are natives of those regions where these animals graze. In the wake of cattle rustling, these well to do owners of the cattle hired additional hands they armed with the sophisticated modern weapons who served as guards against now prevalent rustling. Cattle as an Agriculture sub-sector has become a thriving business in Nigeria.

That our senators rear cows through these herdsmen explains why bills for grazing areas had no opposition in our National Assembly, why states governments find it difficult to legislate on the well established atrocious conducts of these ordinary Nigerians except Gov. Fayose of Ekiti state rests on the fact that majority of our serving and former governors are cattle owners and they may not be willing to enact laws against selves.

You wondered why the Inspector General of police could tell Mr. President that the crisis in Benue was communal one, Buhari may never get the correct intelligence over the activities of herdsmen because the owners of the cattle will write the intelligence. When security forces are to be deployed, cattle owners are going to design the military operations, if you take them to court cattle owners are going to sit in judgment.

My own recommendations are a two way approach thus ;

1. Any media war against these destroyers of lives and properties should be directed at the primary cause of this menace who are the owners of cattle and doubles as the sponsors of the murderers accompanying the herdsmen.
2. A boycott targets at their products will go a long way as this will affect their fortunes.

It is estimated that cattle market in Nigeria worths N 30 B a day, and a trillion a month.

Gani Muahammed is a senior special assistant to governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on new media