How our country broke up
In the year 2080, Pa Ade adjusted his recliner to enjoy the breeze the evening brings donning his Buba and cap in a manner that allowed him to rest and enjoy the tranquility of the moment. The white hairs covering his head gave credence to his old age but much more than this, the wisdom he evinced spoke of his inclination with knowledge. He enjoyed the good old days as chronicled in history and he was set to regale his grandchildren with tales of what led to the breakup hullabaloo in Nigeria.
He began telling the tale of how Fulani`s immigrated into Nigeria using evidence from various written works and how they have over the years conquered and had expansionist agenda encroaching into the lands of people across the vast territory of Nigeria. With a landmass of 923768km², they navigated various locations in the country in response to seasons and the availability of water. But this became more menacing as their kinsman emerged as the president. They went about with brute force encroaching into people’s farms and land for the survival of their cows, destroying and killing anybody that crosses their path.
He paused a bit, to gulp water while he continued to tell the tale that brought about the division of the country. The daring effect of climate change had a mediating effect on them and their livelihood and with variation in climatic elements, this affected agro-pastoral production. The menace, he continued apart from their expansionist agenda was more of a protection of economic interest of wealthy overlords investing in cows and also protecting the livelihood of Fulani’s who were been armed by the wealthy lords while they the vassals took care of the cows destroying anybody in their path.
How on earth would people not keep their cows in a controlled location where they will supply them with grass and water but prefer killing other Nigerians for grass and water. This was the pathetic state the country was thrown into, he reiterated and opinions centered around cows populated the News Channels and social media spaces. The Fulani’s went about with reckless abandon destroying people`s farmlands and killing those that went against them which led to wide agitation for the breakup of Nigeria. The sanctity of human life can not be discounted and as contained in the Universal Declaration of Human right of 1948, freedom and equality was major for all individuals. But the Fulani’s continued with their agenda not minding whose ox is gored.
The whole country was thrown into anarchy and there was insecurity across the states. Ethnic and religious riots in the North and violence by armed gangs and ethnic militias in the South. The Northerners were unwilling to let go holding on to power tenaciously, the Southerners were tired of the brazen boldness and confidence through which they were displaced by Northerners. This became a conundrum to the powers that be who also had their vested interest which led to numerous calls for the breakup of Nigeria.