I swear by Allah that I have personally witnessed something like this directly. Even as a passerby, I felt deeply disturbed and saddened for the farmer. The yams were well grown, harvested, and piled in abundance, yet a Fulani herder deliberately guided his cows into the heap and began slicing the yams with his cutlass so the cows could feed from them more easily.
In a nation where such acts happen repeatedly, one cannot simply blame the natives who eventually fight back to protect their hard-earned properties and even their lives. Many farmers have been killed on their own farms by criminal Fulani herders and bandits. At least two members of my Jamā‘ah have personally been victims of Fulani attacks. One of my teachers was almost killed by Fulani bandits. I also know a family in Abeokuta whose daughter was abducted from their home, terribly abused, and huge ransom demanded and paid for her release.
All my experiences on this issue have been within Ogun State alone. So how exactly are people expected to look away in silence? Those who commit such atrocities are guided neither by humanity nor by faith.
The larger Fulani community must openly dissociate itself from these criminals, expose them, hand them over to law enforcement agencies, and never allow them safe haven within their communities. If this is not done, they unfortunately place themselves at risk of dangerous generalizations that threaten peaceful coexistence for everyone.
Godless criminals are unfit to live peacefully among decent human beings and cannot be allowed to continue using our forests as operational bases for terror, kidnapping, murder, and destruction. Government at all levels must end this madness before another Jos-like crisis is created in the Southwest.
We must be careful, however, not to allow legitimate anger to become hatred against an entire ethnic group. Justice must remain targeted at criminals and their collaborators alone. Innocent people must never be punished for crimes they did not commit. The path forward is justice, security, accountability, and peaceful coexistence under the rule of law.
Why… why does it have to be like this, especially on a day meant for life, for hope, for resurrection
On this very day of Easter, when we are meant to celebrate victory over death, the sound of grief rises again from Mbalom, from Gwer East, from the hearts of innocent people whose only desire is to live in peace
Seventeen lives… and still counting
Families torn apart
Homes reduced to ashes
Voices silenced
Children missing
Mothers crying into the night
What kind of pain is this that refuses to end
What kind of darkness keeps chasing light even on a holy day like this
Oh God, where are the answers
Why must your children keep suffering like this
Why must blood speak louder than prayers in our land
My heart is heavy beyond words
I weep for every life lost
I ache for every mother who will not see her child again
I mourn for every family left in silence and fear
Lord, please receive the souls of the departed into Your eternal peace
Wipe the tears of Your people
Comfort the brokenhearted
And let Your justice rise, because this pain is too much for human hearts to carry
On this Easter day, instead of songs of joy, we cry
Instead of celebration, we mourn
But even in this darkness, we hold on to You, Lord
Because You are the only hope we have left
May Your light find Mbalom
May Your peace find Benue
And may this suffering not be in vain
Amen 💔
May this be our last Ramadan worrying about rent and daily needs. May Allah grant us stable shelter, steady income, and contentment in what He provides. 🤲