The Expulsion Of The Fulani In Wase

The Expulsion Of The Fulani In Wase By Reuben Abati With the dust generated by the ethno-religious violence that attended the 2008 local council elections in Jos North Local Government not yet settled, with nerves still frayed and ethnic and religious sentiments still strong and fears of reprisals still hauntingly real, the expulsion of Fulani nomads from Wase Local Government in Plateau state in April is a terrible blunder and a needless act of provocation. Both the local council and the state government unfortunately have not said enough to demonstrate good faith. In the wake of the Jos North election crisis, the Federal Government and a number of Northern spokesmen, including some PDP leaders of Fulani extraction, had accused Governor Jonah Jang directly and his government by extension of such partisanship in the crisis which promotes genocidal feelings against the settler Hausa-Fulani communities in Plateau state. Gove...Read the full article.

[www.mainantata@yahoo.com]

YES ! Mr.Reuben Agbati.This is unputdownably,objective,a piece.Long live Patito and his "gang"

[abdulmumin]

This event shows the quality of leadership in the Plateau.

But then what do you expect from a governor who is a soak?

[maikanodahiru]

The expulsion of the Fulani in Wase is an unfortunate incidence and has vindicated the believe that the plateau state government is not trying to resolve the lingering ethnoreligious crisis in plateau state. The fulani are ones now expelled from plateau state,if care is not taken the plateau state government will expel other ethnic groups like yoruba,Igbos etc.
The plateau state government must know that no Nigerian is an alien in this country, that is why plateau indigines are living in other states without been expelled, and that no society progress in an environment of ethnic clashes and unrest.
The Federal government must please call Jang to order before it is too late.
Abdullahi

[Eja]

Two simple questions. Someone answer them please:

1. Are all Fulani in Nigeria Nigerians?

2. If no, then how do you tell the difference between non-Nigerian Fulani and Nigerian Fulani?

[eire]

the Fulanis should not only be expelled from Wase, they should be expelled from The Republic of Nigeria to the borders of Chad and Niger republic where they will join their fellow 13th century backward Islamic terrorists.

Nigeria could do without hausa/fulani muslims.

It will be recalled that one of the major complaints by the Plateau state Government in November 2008, was that the state was infiltrated by mercenaries from other states and the Republic of Niger who fought on the side of the Muslim-Fulani to attack other groups in Jos. The Niger Ambassador in Nigeria denied this at the time and defended his country. The Plateau State Government stood its ground, and this probably explains why the State Security Council became jittery this time around when it received reports that a group of aliens had taken residence in Wase local government.

I do not believe these are Nigerians, I still maintain they should be kept out of Plateau states. If they were truly Nigerians they would not be moving around in trucks and in numbers of the hundreds. Till today, these immigrants cannot account for from whence they came when asked. If they are Nigerians, the government of Plateau state still reserves the right to keep them out. Let other states with Fulani inhabitants absorb or host them. Plateau state had gone through enough. How are we sure these are not terrorists from anywhere in North Africa?

14 truck loads of immigrants hundreds in number heading straight for Plateau state of all places? I am not from Plateau state, but I am concerned.


http://www.voanews.com/english/archi...TOKEN=83597866

Suspected al-Qaida Terrorists Face Trial in Nigeria
By Gilbert da Costa
Abuja
23 November 2007


Five Nigerian suspected terrorists, with alleged links to the al-Qaida terrorist network, have been charged with preparing to attack targets in Africa's most populous country. For VOA, Gilbert da Costa in Abuja reports the arrest and prosecution of the Islamist militants for terrorism-related offenses have drawn mixed reactions in Nigeria.

The five men were arrested in northern Nigeria earlier this month. Three of them were said to have traveled to a terrorist camp in Algeria to receive training with intent to cause insurrection in Nigeria.

Nigerian prosecutors said the suspects, all in their 30s, had planned to attack government facilities in three of Nigeria's largest cities. They allegedly planned to use the assault rifles and explosions found in their possession to this end.

Western diplomats have cautioned that Nigeria, which has a large Muslim population, could become a breeding ground for international terrorist groups like al-Qaida.

The U.S. Embassy warned in September that Nigeria was at risk of "a terrorist attack."

Muslim leaders in Nigeria have rebuffed reports that terrorist groups may be gaining a foothold in the predominantly Muslim north.

But Shehu Sani, a researcher who had done extensive studies into religion-inspired violence in northern Nigeria, says there is sufficient evidence to warrant concerns about clandestine groups in northern Nigeria.

"There have been conflicting arguments on whether there are terrorist cells present in Nigeria, specifically the northern part or not," said Sani. "But it is a fact that there are groups and individuals with links to organizations outside this country, who get their training, funding and affiliation without the knowledge of the authorities."

The southern part of Nigeria is a battleground of homegrown militants. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, one of Nigeria's high-profile armed groups, has been blamed for most of the recent violence in the troubled oil-rich southern region.

But Nigeria has never suffered a terrorist attack from a group affiliated with an outside terrorist network like al-Qaida.

The country's security forces have yet to produce substantive evidence of an active al-Qaida network in the country.

How are we sure, when we cannot tell where these migrants came from?

We are yet to quell rumors that there may be terror cells in Nigeria, and here we have suspicious migrants who cannot tell us where they migrated from. Nigerians really need to be more careful. Every criminal outside Nigeria is a Nigerian because we cannot prove he or she is not a Nigerian. Here we have some migrants settling amongst a volatile area in the middle belt portion of Nigeria and no one cares to ask questions. I find this very strange. This is carelessness at it's height.

It they are Nigerians, fine. Then they should settle anywhere but Plateau state. We have had enough religious/ethnic crises in that area. They should go and register with some form of internal affairs agency, for displaced Nigerian citizens, so they can be properly documented(finger printed and photographed for the records) before they are allowed to settle anywhere in Nigeria. If in the future they are found to cause any kind of problems, then they would be properly identified. But we are talking Nigeria right? Anything goes.

Once again I congratulate Governor Jang for taking the initiative. Kano state has it's own police force separate from the Nigerian Police Force, and has never been questioned. Governor Jang should have the right to govern his state in anyway to protect the residents of Plateau state. The people of Plateau state have not raised any objections, so I see no reason why other citizens of Nigeria should complain in their behalf.

[ttonjo]

Originally Posted by eire

the Fulanis should not only be expelled from Wase, they should be expelled from The Republic of Nigeria to the borders of Chad and Niger republic where they will join their fellow 13th century backward Islamic terrorists.

Nigeria could do without hausa/fulani muslims.

It is unfortunate and very worrying indeed for a black person to advocate the backward and uncivilized 'xenophobic' sentiment against anyone, talk less of the same fellow Africans in twenty-first century.
It doesn't matter if they are Nigerian Fulanis or north Africa or wherever Funalis. They are all Africans, period!!
How would you feel if other African countries choose to deport all Nigerians, both law abiding and criminals from their countries, just for being Nigerians?

What I expect from a sensible person is to call for the law of the land to take it course against anyone who violate it.
But unfortunately, what I could see here is the hands of tribalism grabbing the simple case of law and order.
Only God can safe Nigeria and indeed the whole of black race from self hatred.

[TEchi]

Originally Posted by Robot

The Expulsion Of The Fulani In Wase By Reuben Abati With the dust generated by the ethno-religious violence that attended the 2008 local council elections in Jos North Local Government not yet settled, with nerves still frayed and ethnic and religious sentiments still strong and fears of reprisals still hauntingly real, the expulsion of Fulani nomads from Wase Local Government in Plateau state in April is a terrible blunder and a needless act of provocation. Both the local council and the state government unfortunately have not said enough to demonstrate good faith. In the wake of the Jos North election crisis, the Federal Government and a number of Northern spokesmen, including some PDP leaders of Fulani extraction, had accused Governor Jonah Jang directly and his government by extension of such partisanship in the crisis which promotes genocidal feelings against the settler Hausa-Fulani communities in Plateau state. Gove...Read the full article.

This issue of indigenous right of land or given preference in employment is a nonsensical political dialog that has no place in the Nigerian constitution. It does create alienation of a Nigerian citizen within his own country. Can you imagine if an American citizen was told he/she has no right live where he/she has built a house and raised a family? It will be a major law suit worth millions against that State Government, and it would be national headline news. Unfortunately in Nigeria people are up rooted quite often without any local or State government having to defend itself from any law suit.

It’s amazing how prejudicial many Nigerian tribes are even against those tribes within the tribes whose native tongue is slightly different from theirs. It’s an issue of immense importance that require serious dialog. I think any Nigerian politician who is unable to provide good governance and proper communication to safeguard regional environment which is the key to that region’s economic future should not be allowed to run for office. It is a known fact that businesses do blossom and tourists are attracted to where there is safety and security.

[katampe]

We need to radically change and legitimize new ways of viewing and acquiring ethnicity. I stated sometime that ethnicity should be fluid in the sense that people should be able to acquire or adopt the ethnicity of the places they are born and have stayed for considerable length of time.

If that happens, then the criteria for determining who is who would be based on the ability to speak the language of where they were born and reside, where they promote the culture of the ethnic-place, and where they show commitment to preserve, and historicize it. A Fulani man in my opinion should be able to acquire Berom, Tarok or Jukun citizenship if he shows willingness and commitment to meet the criteria proposed that should be further developed.

Until we radically tinker with the idea of building or evolving a nation from the chaos of the patchwork that the British left behind, we may never get over this idea of tribalism and indigenous sense of entitlements. After all, humans pass on, I mean die, but place and culture and ethnicity continue to thrive. The world has moved on and it is supposedly modern now.

In developed nations like America, we see children of Nigerians born overseas become African Americans or Americans, speak with an American accent,, and immerse themselves in the culture of their country of birth or where they have lived a long time. They also acquire entitlements where they purchase land, choose to live and carry on business or their career activities. Ideas in my opinion for nation building should be gleaned from this perspective. We can't afford to hold on to the archaic or traditional concept of ethnicity if we must survive or build a nation.

As revolutionary as this idea might seem for some, I think it should help solve some of the madness created by the British and other colonialists in Nigeria and other countries in Africa. It is better if we start seeing ethnicity as citizenship that can be acquired since there the thesis of ethnic nationalities is widely embraced, why not that of acquisition of citizenship?

The time has come for serious thinking and adopting forward looking solutions. Something that should finally lay to rest ethnic or tribal demon that has stunted growth and cooperation amongst Nigerians and Africans.As far as I am concerned, ethnicity is an accident of birth.

[emj]

Governor Jang has an official and a personal responsibility to douse the brewing tension, to discourage those who may be tempted to use it as an opportunity for a declaration of another ethno-religious war. He should summon another meeting of the Fulani leaders in the state, and quickly get onto the airwaves to reassure all Fulani in and outside Plateau state, that his government means no harm. This should include allowing the expelled Fulani to return, paying compensation for the destruction of their property where applicable, and possibly, an apology.

Hmmmm...Reuby, did u say Jang shld apologise? Not in this life time....The Script was to make the Fulanis the Fall-Guys.

How do u want him to explain away the Security Vote Allocation if there's no tension in Plateau State?

PS>>..The real Culprits are there free to roam..... like Free Range Chicks

[Ochi Dabari]

Zuma,

I haven't got the time to read Abati's article but your comment caught my eye. For decades, we have had these confused agents who equate anything Hausa-Fulani with the good of Nigeria. We had a ruler, in the mould of Obasanjo, who held the same belief, and today, we are saddled with an inept, sickly, dying ruler, who is only busy marrying off his daughters to paedophiles.

People who don't feel it don't know it. The Middlebelters have borne the brunt of the arrogance of the Hausa-Fulani for generations, and a time came when we said this is enough. Where in the whole world would hundreds of people move to settle and no one would ask, especially when such a group is one known for causing trouble? Someone was even suggesting that Plateau State would begin to drive out other groups once it drives out the Fulanis. That's ignorance at its peak. No sir, other nationalities do not claim to own the land on which they settle. Only the Hausa-Fulani of Nigeria do that. We have Yoruba, Igbo and other southern nationalities living in northern and middlebelt Nigeria; these people do not claim ownership of the land. They do their business, buy land from the govt like everyone else and build their houses. Not so the Hausa-Fulani, they would claim Lagos if you let them set up a tent there. And we detest this attitude. If anyone does not agree with this; s/he can take these unknown terrorists and move them to his village. Calling Jang names would not solve the problem - they removed Dariye, they imposed a state of emergency, burned the market at Jos; it did not help. Whoever is there will keep our ancestral lands; you can remove one but another one will step into his/her place. And the middlebelt youth that today constitute the bulk of the Nigerian defence forces are not afraid of anybody. We would mobilise and free our lands. The Hausas can drive out who they don't like from their lands too - actually they are already doing it with their sharia; we have not paid back enough yet.

ochi

QUOTE=Zuma;356748]I do not believe these are Nigerians, I still maintain they should be kept out of Plateau states. If they were truly Nigerians they would not be moving around in trucks and in numbers of the hundreds. Till today, these immigrants cannot account for from whence they came when asked. If they are Nigerians, the government of Plateau state still reserves the right to keep them out. Let other states with Fulani inhabitants absorb or host them. Plateau state had gone through enough. How are we sure these are not terrorists from anywhere in North Africa?

14 truck loads of immigrants hundreds in number heading straight for Plateau state of all places? I am not from Plateau state, but I am concerned.


http://www.voanews.com/english/archi...TOKEN=83597866



How are we sure, when we cannot tell where these migrants came from?

We are yet to quell rumors that there may be terror cells in Nigeria, and here we have suspicious migrants who cannot tell us where they migrated from. Nigerians really need to be more careful. Every criminal outside Nigeria is a Nigerian because we cannot prove he or she is not a Nigerian. Here we have some migrants settling amongst a volatile area in the middle belt portion of Nigeria and no one cares to ask questions. I find this very strange. This is carelessness at it's height.

It they are Nigerians, fine. Then they should settle anywhere but Plateau state. We have had enough religious/ethnic crises in that area. They should go and register with some form of internal affairs agency, for displaced Nigerian citizens, so they can be properly documented(finger printed and photographed for the records) before they are allowed to settle anywhere in Nigeria. If in the future they are found to cause any kind of problems, then they would be properly identified. But we are talking Nigeria right? Anything goes.

Once again I congratulate Governor Jang for taking the initiative. Kano state has it's own police force separate from the Nigerian Police Force, and has never been questioned. Governor Jang should have the right to govern his state in anyway to protect the residents of Plateau state. The people of Plateau state have not raised any objections, so I see no reason why other citizens of Nigeria should complain in their behalf.

[/QUOTE]

[Agidimolaja]

Rueben Abati sir,

The futile defense you put up against the mass deportation of suspected marauding Fulanis in Plateau State is quite laughable and very unfortunate.
Trust me,there is no need for such "dogo turenchi" and needless crowings at the rooftop when indeed you knew the truth or at least should know the truth about dangers posed by Fulani migrants as history and recent incidences confirmed.
Traditionally,Fulani migrants or nomads have always migrated on foot along with their herds.
The same was not true in this recent migration into Plateau State which eventually resulted in their mass deportations.
These recent migrants came in truck loads as we were told and quickly settled down in any area they found for themselves.
It is on record that these type of migrants were quite similar to those who poured into Plateau State during the last crisis and teamed up with the Hausa/Fulani settlers to wreck havocs on people of Plateau State as well as Southerners.
The people and Government of Plateau State must not be blamed if they grew suspicious of the new uninvited guests and therefore asked them to leave.
Migrating Fulanis have never been nice to the people in whose territories they migrated into and history has confirmed it.
Funais migrated into Hausa States and eventually plundered the States with ceaseless bloody Jihads against the native Hausas until their system of Statehood was put out of place and replaced by Fulanis' oligarchy.
Recently,the people of Oke Ogun area of Oyo State have taken their complains to Gov. Akala about the havocs that the Boro Fulanis are wrecking on them including their farm crops and have asked the governor to grant them permission to deal with the barbarians accordingly.
These same brand of Fulanis migrated to Kwara State several years ago. A large number of them poured into my mother's part of the State - Igbominaland. After a lot of atrocities and havocs against their host -the Igbominas- they were violently confronted and forced out when the people can no longer put up with their destructive and barbaric lifestyles.
I therefore sided with the people of Plateau State who evicted these suspicious migrants before they planted their feet deep in the soil.
The people of Plateau may as well grew suspicious that these buffoon alimanjiris were truck-loaded and deposited in Wase pending another possible planned attacks against the natives since the likes of them were as well truck-loaded into Plateau State during the last crisis and joined up with Hausa/Fulani to wreck havoc on natives and innocent Southerners.
While it is ok for us to be able to move freely among ourselves in the country,it should be of great concern to any comminity whose land is being occupied by known trouble makers.That community should not be blamed for actions taken to rid the community of migrant thugs and destroyers.
As we have witnessed in this unfortunate country,are Fulanis tolerant of ousiders in their own midst? Oh no! With their so called Sharia in place,what sort of inhuman fates and uncivilized limitations have Southerners suffered in Sokoto State which is predominantly Fulani State? Are we not aware of strict limitations placed on Southerners living in Hausa/Fulani States?
Are Fulanis along with their Hausa cousins not responsible for most of the deplorable conditions in which Nigeria is today?
Was it not because of greed and intolerance that Hausa/Fulani annulled the election of 1993? Was it not Hausa/Fulani who arrested,detained and eventually killed MKO Abiola the winner of the election?
It would have been so nice if the Southerners murdered time after time in Hausa/Fulani territories were deported to their Southern homeland instead of being so brutally murdered, including women and children?
Roughly 50,000 Easterners should have been deported back to Eastern Region instead of being brutally killed in Hausa Fulani dominated Northern Region in 1966.
What then are these loud and annoying crowings about, Abati?
Why are you losing your sleep because suspicious migrated Fulanis were deported before they embark on their usual trade - havocs?

[akuluouno]

Esteemed Villagers,

I think with all due respects that the politics of ethnic expulsion is part of Nigerian politics and history. The history of this country is littered with all kinds of pogrom of ethnic groups. It is only when it is the Fulanis that all will start crying blue murder. As I write, it is going on in the Niger Delta. If this were to be in Kano or Sokoto, every one will start crying like headless chickens.
Pleaaaaaaaaaaaaaaase let us be just, fair and rational when we criticize or have the Fulanis become the untouchables of Nigeria. Tufiaaaakwaaa
They were even lucky to be expelled in hired buses and not with mortars, bombs and machetes and cudgels.

[Bunch17]

Originally Posted by ttonjo

It is unfortunate and very worrying indeed for a black person to advocate the backward and uncivilized 'xenophobic' sentiment against anyone, talk less of the same fellow Africans in twenty-first century.
It doesn't matter if they are Nigerian Fulanis or north Africa or wherever Funalis. They are all Africans, period!!
How would you feel if other African countries choose to deport all Nigerians, both law abiding and criminals from their countries, just for being Nigerians?

What I expect from a sensible person is to call for the law of the land to take it course against anyone who violate it.
But unfortunately, what I could see here is the hands of tribalism grabbing the simple case of law and order.
Only God can safe Nigeria and indeed the whole of black race from self hatred.

You must be having a laugh. This from one of the biggest tribalists on NVS. Wonders shall never end.

[Bunch17]

Guys,

I think we are missing the big picture. I am not pro or against Gov Jang, I rather feel that he has given us an opportunity to deal with issues that relate to our existence as a country. I think this opportunity is too great to be missed. From the responses so far, I think the strength of feeling against the Fulani is too great, so I am going to use an analogy to ask the same questions I asked before.


To those in favour of the expulsion I will like these questions answered:

Does the Governor of Imo state have the right to one day decide to expel all Yoruba or Hausa from Imo state? If yes, then what does Nigerian citizenship mean?

Does he have the right to expel those from Anambra or Abia State? If the answer is no, why then does an Abia man have more rights than a Yoruba man in Imo State? If you are thinking because they are all Igbo, then should the Federating units in Nigeria not be nation based rather than the states we presently have? Should we merge states ?

Is it time to cut our losses and dissolve the union!

To those who are against the expulsion:

why do we still insist of using ethnic nationalities instead of residency in determining ones state of origin?

One cannot eat his can and have it, we can have one or the other and not both. We cannot have a situation where tax paying Nigerians are forced to pay higher school fee's for their children simply because they come from a different state. We cannot have a situation where freedom of worship is denied Nigerians simply because they live in a state where the "indigenes" are of a different religious persuasion.

We need a Sovereign National Conference national conference to iron these things out. Nigeria will not make any significant progress until these issues are ironed out.

My 2 cents.

[akuluouno]

@Your Highness Bunch,
One cannot eat his can and have it, we can have one or the other and not both. We cannot have a situation where tax paying Nigerians are forced to pay higher school fee's for their children simply because they come from a different state. We cannot have a situation where freedom of worship is denied Nigerians simply because they live in a state where the "indigenes" are of a different religious persuasion.


Yours above including Sabon Garism, Ama Hausamania, State and Local Government of Origin and other atrocities bothering on apartheid through religion, quota, language and gender discrimination, are also expulsion by other means

[katampe]

Originally Posted by Bunch17

One cannot eat his can and have it, we can have one or the other and not both. We cannot have a situation where tax paying Nigerians are forced to pay higher school fee's for their children simply because they come from a different state. We cannot have a situation where freedom of worship is denied Nigerians simply because they live in a state where the "indigenes" are of a different religious persuasion.

We need a Sovereign National Conference national conference to iron these things out. Nigeria will not make any significant progress until these issues are ironed out.

My 2 cents.

I concur with the highlighted part.The issue is not about the Fulanis, rather it is more about the opportunity it presents, and the progress we can make using the Fulani's issue to highlight the problem we have in the country.This is the stuff wars should be fought over to have a desirable nation. I mean the principle of protecting the rights of citizenship in a nation with diverse ethnic nationalities should be sacrosanct. Fighting such wars is not reactionary but progressive because for once people can believe in an ideal.

Americans fought a war to stop slavery and that helped define and highlight its values going forward. I am not saying we should fight a war in that sense but rather highlighting the need like Bunch earlier raised that this presents us with a huge opportunity to discuss, agitate and decide whether we want to live together or split, and on what terms.

I am in support of the ethnic nationality.But I differ with the definition of ethnicity, and believe more in a radical method of acquisition of ethnicity. People should be able to acquire the ethnicity of their choice.We have ethnic nations within a nation and I think we should recognise them as ethnic places, left to thrive and to promote their culture and language.

Acquiring ethnicity is what we should tinker with.It makes for the stuff of ideals that could change the country's fortunes forever and also the perception of ethnicity.It is what we can rise up to offer the world in this modern times.

[maikanodahiru]

It is unfortunate that some people in this forum don’t talk beyond sentiments and only use prejudice and hatred toward others to comment on every issue. When people like Reuben Abati are talking on how to amicably resolve the ethno religious crisis in Plateau state, some are inciting violence because of hatred against particular group of Nigerians and don’t believe that particular group have the right to reside in any state of the Federation. I don’t think any right thinking person will pray for eruption of violence in Plateau especially if he has relations there; when violence erupts we don’t know how many people will lose their lives and properties.
Plateau state government must rescind its decision of expelling the Fulani in the interest of peace and genuine reconciliation.
Abdullahi

[Agidimolaja]

maikanodahiru etc,

Let it be known to you all this day that the author of violence and incitements in this country are Hausa/Fulani. They did it time after time resulting in great loss of lives and properties.
People are sleeping today with one eye opened in anticipation of another Hausa/Fulani's usual violence.They did it before and so what made us think they won't do it again since it is part of their primitive culture to wreck havocs on strangers in their midst.
Check your history books and see with your own eyes how on different instances these group of people have wrecked havocs of people who happened to be living within the borders of their land. Facts are hard to deny!
The migrations in truck loads of these known trouble makers should give anyone in his right mind great concerns as did the people of Plateau State.It happened before and if the people of Plateau stood up to prevent it from happening again,no one should dishonestly blame them for whatever actions taken.