HERDSMEN KIDNAPPING CRISIS, MASSIVE INFLUX OF STRANGERS AND THE POROSITY OF IKA COMMUNITY
BY Chucks Dominic Morsi
Some militating factors seem to be escalating the recently noticed kidnapping crisis in Delta State, but none is more worrisome than the lethargic attitude with which the Ika people and security agencies are handling the issue as if it is a child’s play. Many people have aired their views, opinions and suggestions have been made in certain quarters as regards to the porosity of our communities, the uncontrolled infiltration of strangers into Agbor and after all said and done, those opinions eventually fall on deaf ears.
Anyways, those who forget to learn from past history will one day have same history repeat itself. If you may recall, old Oyo Empire was invaded by Dahomey and soon after 1800 Oyo was captured by militant Fulani Muslims from Hausa extraction in the northeast of Nigeria. Although the then Oyo-Borgu with all the military might formed an alliance in 1835 with an attempt to fight against the Fulanis, but it was rather too late. Amid the Yoruba-Fulani fuss, a night attack was carried out by the Fulanis and the Yorubas suffered a colossal loss in that invasion, lives were loss, properties were destroyed, the Fulanis chased the people away and became Lords of the Ring in another man’s land. That we must not forget. This write-up, again, is coming at this time to lend a voice to the ongoing fear of incursion of strangers domiciled in Agbor and those others, who are on the fringe of major communities in Ika land is something to worry about – especially given the current spate of insecurity in the country.
With the incessant kidnappings going on in Ika land and the huge ransoms paid, who do you think are responsible for this heinous crime? Anyway, before we find ourselves at a point where we begin to pitch against the common enemies around us, something urgent must be done to curtail the massive influx of strangers whose intentions in the future maybe to capture Ika land and make it a conquered territory.
The intricacy of that would be a situation where a stranger becomes indigenes while indigene becomes fugitives in their own land. We may not see this coming soon, but we must guide against all odds. These strangers are everywhere in our land strategically positioning themselves in vantage areas. And we need to wake up before a sudden night attack befalls us unaware and unprepared. A terrorist, bandit, kidnapper or a thief does not carry a band name on their forehead, but they certainly live among us as mixed multitude only waiting for a command to unleash terror.
Years ago, the Hausa-Fulani tried to take over Central African Republic but were it not for the collaborative efforts of the youths there who sent them backing, it would have been a horrid experience of a sort. Just recently, the police have put churches and Mosques on red alert because of an intended attack by some unscrupulous elements who are asking churches in Nigeria to shut down because they want to take over their country back! How ridiculous that can be!! In Ika Land, we have Churches, we have Mosques also and who knows from which angle this people may want to carry out their evil enterprise.
So, before we experience a jihad situation which is the Islamic movement agenda, we must stand up to protect ourselves if Ika land must still be our own. We must save ourselves from Kidnappers, we must deliver ourselves from insecurity, and we must protect our land against any internal or external aggressions. If you see something, say something. Let us be security conscious especially our political leaders, leaders-of-thoughts and kings in each of the kingdoms must wake up from their slumber.
As it stands right now, it looks as if that our leaders are either compromising on this matter or they are at crossroad as much as the indigenes are and don’t know what to do. However, don’t forget the common saying in Agbor that, “Abia ma bia a ka onye wor ali” but today, that saying is gradually going on the reverse. Let’s not allow it to be. By all intents and purposes, let us stop them now before they stop us from existing in our own land. The sad fact still remains that most of our people in Ika Land are the enemies within.
In some areas one would hear some people say, please allow this Hausa-Fulani people to breathe, directly or indirectly, such people are either sponsors, accomplices, informants or actors in this daredevil act of terrorism and kidnapping siege going on in Ika Nation. Agreed, we are a host community to strangers and at such we are hospitable. But then, we must be mindful the way we embrace unknown strangers into our communities. We must learn to define goodwill, in terms of accommodating strangers, embracing freedom of association and co-habitation all those are beautiful; but we must not be doing that at the expense of endangering our lives eventually.
The prognosis here is, with the amount of northern youths who on daily bases coming into Delta State by trailers carrying cows, and then one would wonder what is really going on! Yet they keep coming in their hundreds only to settle in our various communities without a clear-cut purpose for which these strangers are finding their way to our villages and towns. We hope and pray that nothing sinister would happen with all of these strategic incursions.
Then again, someone may say, this people are useful as cheap labors to cultivate our farms and do other menial jobs or serve as gateman…etc., especially at this time when Agbor boys are no more willing or readily available to do the work, the strangers become a means to an end. And now in their droves they keep increasing in population unchecked. Believe it or not, they are gradually taking over our land. They know every nook and cranny more than an average Agbor person does. Our homes and streets, market places have been taken over. Go to our local markets, the Hausas now decides who gets what.
In most cases, you are forced to bribe your way if you must have a good position to sell your wares in the market, first, you must negotiate with them. This and more is happening here in Ika land and we are slumbering. Scarcely can you see one or two Okada riders in Boji-Boji without counting up to five or more Hausas plying the streets and there is nowhere they do not know because they do not have any restrictions of movement and that makes it more dangerous because of the porous nature of our communities. We have no place to hide in case of any eventuality. Don’t say, ‘God forbid’ remember that God can only help those we help themselves.
These Okada boys are not only reckless in riding but rude and aggressive in approach. So, one must be mindful of how you talk to them or you will be at daggers-drawn with them. With the kind of attitude they have, suggest such impunity as to say, “Nothing dey happen, together we own this Ika Land”! Don’t be shocked because we have allowed or better still created the room for that. What this people are doing here especially the cow drovers are nothing to write home about.
On the contrary, no man born of a southerner dare do same in the north and go scot-free. The point here is, a word is enough for the wise. We have no other place to call our home than Ika Land and so, let us watch and protect our environment before strangers will chase us out and we become strangers in our fatherland