Within the week came an exceedingly sad story by an unknown author who narrated how she, her husband and maid, were kidnapped and raped by Fulani herdsmen and still paid ransom on top of it.
According to her, they were on their way to Abba Town through Ukwulu in Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State when they came upon a herd of cattle crossing the road. The next thing they saw was the cow herders pulling out their guns and forcing them out of their vehicle to enter the bush. It was there that their torment began.
The herdsmen of Fulani stock raped the woman and their maid in front of her husband and later raped her husband. The raping lasted for as long as they stayed there. Their maid collapsed at a stage while the husband’s anus was torn. The woman could barely walk by the time they were released after paying N15m ransom.
According to her, when their relatives raised the money, they were told to go to Onitsha and change it to cash and bring to them, a development that might suggest that some of the bureau de change people in Onitsha may be working with them.
The woman said that as they were being released, they saw two other men captured, coming into the camp. But what was shocking was that while the family was being captured, some local farmers saw them and did nothing. Was it out of fear or complicity? We may never know.
The woman’s experience with her family is coming at a time of renewed cases of kidnappings across the state by both Fulani and local people. But in the case of the Fulani herdsmen kidnappers, one wonders why the state government has failed to implement the law banning open grazing, signed during the second tenure of former Gov Willie Obiano and which his successor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, had promised to implement.
Indeed, while addressing members of the Anambra State Cattle Menace Committee, held at the Government House, Awka, a year after assumption of office, Soludo had promised to implement the law on open grazing.
The immediate past governor of the state, Willie Obiano, had on October 22, 2021, assented to the Cattle and Other Livestock Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Bill.
The bill, titled, ”Anambra State Open Grazing of Cattle and other Livestock Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Bill 2021”, was passed after the third reading at plenary by the members of the state House of Assembly on October 12, 2021.
While commending members of the committee for their dedication to duty, Soludo said Anambra promoted social harmony with everyone, including herders.
He, however, pointed out that they must operate within the existing laws, like other businesses in the state.
He said the initiative was geared towards salvaging Anambra’s environment from erosion which was fast depleting the scarce land, urging them to consider gradual implementation of ranching as a modern way of cattle rearing because of its numerous advantages and money-making potential.
He said, ‘Now that we have law, banning open grazing, the law enforcement agents have been directed to implement it.
‘Though the law has been in existence since almost one year ago, cattle rearers keep parading certain areas in the state in contravention to the law.’
Soludo commended members of the committee for their devotion to duty, saying that Anambra People had largely lived in harmony with herdsmen, but that the herdsmen must conduct their businesses within the ambit of extant law.
But the fact remains that despite Soludo’s promise, cattle are still grazing openly across the state, in some cases destroying people’s farms. Every night, along the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, herders can be seen taking their cattle on foot to Onitsha, while in the various bushes they are also seen in day time doing their business. It was one of such day time operations that led to the kidnap of the said family in Ukwulu by Fulani herdsmen.
It is regrettable that a law passed by the state is yet to be implemented, three years later, while the people of the state are bearing the brunt of it. We urge the state government to not only implement that law as a matter of urgency but to galvanize the security apparatus of the state and the various community leaderships to comb their bushes and rid them of Fulani herdsmen since the safety of our people can no longer be guaranteed. It is bad enough that local kidnappers are having a field day but unimaginable that Fulanis are adding to the menace.
We suggest that random searching of these Fulani herdsmen should be carried out to know if they are carrying guns. Also, they should be banished from all communities and restricted to cattle markets. Any Fulani herder seen in the bushes and streets should be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the state’s anti-grazing law.
Added to the spate of kidnappings are the cases of cult killings which have made the Capital City of Awka a killing ground. We urge the state government to rise up and stem the tide of these crimes as the chief security arm of the state. These things have gone on long enough!
