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By Polycarp Onwubiko

This was the headline news of Saturday Vanguard, November 4, 2023. The Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Oti, has shown remarkable courage in confronting the Fulani Militia herdsmen from the Sahel region of West Africa, who were masquerading as Nigerian herdsmen.

He unveiled the serial kidnappers for ransom and murderous pimps who were hiding in the cattle market at Lokpanta along the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway in Abia State.

The former Governor, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, had relocated the cattle dealers from Aba township to Lokpanta but failed to establish clear guidelines for the operation of the cattle market. This market was supposed to open at 6 am and close at 6 pm, following the standard practice in Nigerian markets.

To the dismay of the people of Abia and the Igbo community in general, the Fulani cattle merchants had converted the market into an unapproved residential area, a hub for prostitution, an illegal market for illicit drugs, and, most alarmingly, a hiding place for kidnappers who demanded ransom or resorted to killing if the demanded amount was not paid.

Governor Alex Oti, with determination, assembled a team of dedicated security personnel, who, with credible information and a tip-off, conducted a raid in the forests near the cattle market at Lokpanta. To their shock, they discovered over 50 corpses, decomposing human bodies, and headless bodies.

The Nigerian Police Force claimed ignorance of these heinous crimes, but it's suspected that they hesitated to take action due to the involvement of the untouchable Fulani invaders and militia foot soldiers with an agenda of Islamization in the southern parts of the country. The response of the police and military would have been different if the matter concerned Igbo people or southerners, showing a lack of proactive action.

Governor Alex Oti, displaying bravery, instructed the cattle dealers to cease sleeping in the market, and security forces demolished the shanties used for drug-related activities and prostitution. No market in Nigeria allows traders to use it as a place to sleep. Typically, markets close at 6 pm and open at 6 am, with private security arranged by traders to prevent intruders and theft.

THE LAUGHABLE REQUEST FROM CATTLE DEALERS

Nigeria is indeed a unique country, where you often hear repulsive and irresponsible requests. The cattle owners (not the ragtag cattle drivers who illegally carry AK-47 rifles) made a ludicrous demand for Governor Alex Oti to build a housing estate for them as a condition for leaving the cattle market in the evening.

This request, although outrageous, is not entirely surprising, as the Northerners, especially the Fulani, often exhibit a sense of entitlement in Nigeria.

Many may not be aware that these cattle owners are extremely wealthy and can easily purchase vast lands to establish ranches, putting an end to the immoral practice of using fellow human beings as cattle drivers, who live in forests and trek thousands of kilometers from distant places like Sokoto, Zamfara, and Daura down to Rivers State in the name of "Fulani culture of open grazing," which has been banned in other countries worldwide, except Nigeria.

This situation appears to be part of an Islamization agenda. President Buhari's authoritarian style of governance prepared the ground by arming cattle drivers with AK-47 rifles without licenses, and this issue went largely unaddressed by the Nigerian population.

Governor Alex Oti should stand by his courageous decision to close the cattle market at Lokpanta at 6 pm and open it at 6 am. Cattle dealing is a private business, similar to other businesses by various ethno-religious groups in Nigeria. No state government has constructed a housing estate for traders.

This is why Northern Muslims vehemently oppose restructuring the lopsided Federation, as they know that when this is done, state governments will ban open grazing and compel cattle owners to purchase land and establish ranches, aligning with the practices in civilized countries, even in other African nations.

President Tinubu should promptly convene a National Conference of ethnic nationalities to discuss a PEOPLE'S CONSTITUTION, where ALL NIGERIANS can outline how Nigeria will be governed, in addition to establishing the rules for democracy and elections.

Polycarp Onwubiko JP, Author, and Public Policy Analyst