LAGOS MUST PAUSE NOW

Business cannot afford to go on ‘as usual’ in Lagos at this time. A few weeks back, we received reports of the gruesome attack and murder of Maj. Gen. Iruh on the Lagos Long bridge by violent men where were suspected to be Fulani herdsmen. While at the airport yesterday, 9^th August, 2012, I saw an officer of the Nigerian Army showing a colleague a CD which was apparently artist work in a tribute to the memory of Maj. Gen. Iruh. Clearly, the untimely death of the general is still very fresh on the minds of people in his circle.

Fresh reports have been received on another violent attack on a commercial motorbike rider (popularly known as Okada) on the Long Bridge by men suspected to be Fulani herdsmen. The victim is reported to have settled to transport the two men with his motorbike and in the course of the transaction he was stabbed with knives by the men who perforated his stomach leaving his intestines spilling out of his body. He is said to be receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Lagos.

People who are conversant with the notoriety of the location confirmed that the place has become a death trap of some sort because of the atrocities of the Fulani herdsmen. It is believed that a number of herdsmen had in the past been robbed around the area and this development is probably being considered as in retaliation for their losses. There have been many such attacks in the past that did not get to the pages of the newspapers or social media fora. The attack of Iruh greatly highlighted the activities of these undesirable elements.

Many communo-ethnic clashes have been traced to the violent and unreasonable tendencies of Fulani herdsmen which have claimed the lives of many citizens. We cannot now ascertain if charges were ever made or the government brought forward anyone for prosecution. These attacks appear so minuscule that reporting them seems like a waste of precious time. However there has been this nagging nudge that these are ‘the little foxes’ in the barn. In essence, we must not overlook the negative contribution of these visitors of the republic. They must be stopped forthwith. Lagos State government must at this point in time pause and decisive annihilate the negative activities of these people who are being addressed as ‘suspected Fulani herdsmen.’

What we have in the north did not start overnight; they started as pockets of violence which were not immediately addressed because they appeared insignificant and inconsequential.

No sane man goes to bed in peace when his neighbor’s roof is on fire.

GOD bless Nigeria.