SETTLER COLONIALISM: Unmasking The Fulani Agenda In Nigeria – Dr Katch Ononuju

*SETTLER COLONIALISM: FULANI MODUS OPERANDI* across the Sahel.
In Nigeria, a particular minority tribesmen has been engaging in a violent form of settler colonialism, using ethnic cleansing and intimidation to get and occupy lands belonging to indigenous communities across Nigeria while disguising themselves as herdsmen, this group has been carrying out nefarious activities, including forceful occupation of lands, killing of indigenous people, and destruction of their communities.
*A PATTERN OF VIOLENCE AND INTIMIDATION*
For ages, this group has been using a format of violence and intimidation to achieve their goals. They often target communities that accept them, only to turn against them and take over their lands. This has led to the displacement of many indigenous people, who are forced to flee their homes and end up in camps as Internally Displaced Persons .
*THE DISGUISE OF NOMADIC PASTORALISTS*
This group often disguises themselves as nomadic pastoralists, using their supposed need for grazing land as a pretext for their violent activities. However, this disguise is merely a ruse, allowing them to carry out their true intentions of occupying and exploiting the land and resources of indigenous communities.
*THE IMPACT ON INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES*
The impact of settler colonialism on indigenous communities has been devastating. Many people have lost their lives, livelihoods, and homes. The communities have also been disrupted, leading to social and cultural dislocation. The perpetrators of settler colonialism are also engaging in ethnic cleansing of indigenous people across Nigeria, taking over their lands, and even renaming the communities they’ve taken over.
*GOVERNMENT COMPLICITY AND IDP CAMPS*
The situation is further exacerbated by the active connivance of the government, which has been putting displaced people in IDP camps without any plan to resettle them in their original lands. The Plateau State Governor has alerted the world to the fact that these militiamen also change the names of the communities they occupy, while complicit government officials seem intent on relocating the displaced people to transit camps, rather than restoring them to their original ancestral lands.
*THE CONSEQUENCES OF SETTLER COLONIALISM*
Settler colonialism progressively breeds nepotism and alienates partners in nation-building in a heterogeneously diverse society like Nigeria. This form of colonialism failed in other countries, such as South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. It’s unlikely to succeed in Nigeria, given the country’s demographic dynamics and the increasing awareness of the Nigerian people .
*RESISTANCE AND AWARENESS*
It’s essential to raise awareness about the issue of settler colonialism and the activities of the Fulani militiamen disguised as herdsmen. Nigerians and the general public must be discouraged from accepting the tricks of this group and instead, resist their nefariously violent activities. We must recognize that this is no longer the age of nomadic pastoralism and that indigenous communities have the right to their lands and resources. With the current availability of mass information and sensitization protocols across Nigeria, awareness will continue to increase, and the crude assault on democracy by this group will ultimately fail.
*CONCLUSION*
In conclusion, the issue of settler colonialism and the activities of the Fulani militiamen in Nigeria is a serious one that requires attention and action from the government and people of Nigeria, We must work together to resist this form of colonialism and protect the rights and interests of indigenous communities. By raising awareness and promoting understanding, we can build an inclusive Nigeria and an equitable society for all.
