Gang rape of a 13-year-old by herdsmen in Enugu

LIKE many other Nigerians who have borne the brunt of terrorist attacks by nomadic herdsmen, residents of Aku in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of ​​Enugu State were recently thrown into turmoil when a farmer named Emma Nnadi was killed. Nnadi was gunned down while trying to rescue a 13-year-old girl who was being raped by the herdsmen. A community leader, Agu Chineme, who confirmed the incident in a statement, said the community was traumatised by the incident. He said: “The 13-year-old girl, a primary school graduate, was mercilessly raped by two armed herdsmen while she was working on her family farm. The young victim narrated the horrific incident with her voice trembling with fear and her body still bearing the scars of the attack. The brutal attack claimed the life of Emma Nnadi, a brave farmer who tried to intervene and save the young girl from the clutches of the ruthless herdsmen. The herdsmen showed no remorse and took turns to rape the girl, even though Emma died of gunshot wounds.”

As gruesome as this story is, it is quite typical. For years, terrorists disguised as herdsmen have committed unspeakable atrocities across the country. They have devastated entire communities, spilled blood and burned homesteads at will. They have made going to the farm a death sentence for many farmers. They have raped women in front of their husbands and daughters in front of their parents, inflicted grievous bodily harm on their victims and treated them worse than animals. They have attacked travellers and vehicles on the roads, taken many hostage and extorted money from their families after subjecting them to senseless torture. Many motorists have met an untimely death at the hands of these blood traffickers. The so-called herdsmen have invaded hospitals, schools and residential areas and slaughtered helpless citizens in cold blood. They have fed newborn babies to dogs, beheaded men and women and beaten many Nigerians to death with clubs and stabs.

They have even invaded palaces and shot dead royal fathers in bestial rage; they have invaded houses of worship and slaughtered both worshippers and church leaders in blind, demonic rage. The country is drenched in the blood of innocent men and women, boys and girls, whose lives were brutally ended by these bloodthirsty dogs who have also destroyed the last shred of patriotism many Nigerians previously harbored towards Nigeria as a country. These outlaws, a band of rampaging killers who exploit Nigeria’s lax security architecture to order death and destruction at will, are a threat to Nigeria’s continued existence. They have consistently earned Nigeria a prominent place on the Global Terrorism Index by mocking the authority of the Nigerian state and behaving like imperial overlords over the helpless Nigerian population. It is as if these criminals have the right to treat Nigerians as they please. They have formed an alternative government and are mocking the authority of the Nigerian state. Sad!

It is clear that the government is not ready to face the threat posed by these herds of terrorists. Their atrocities are getting worse by the day, but the government pretends nothing has happened, makes empty promises and then goes to bed without caring about anything in the slightest. But unless the government acts quickly and tames these beasts, a conflagration that will be difficult to control is inevitable. The idea that a group of murderers will take Nigeria and Nigerians for granted forever is not only illogical; it also negates the facts of history.

Of course, the herdsmen have enjoyed the patronage of the Nigerian government. Under the Muhammadu Buhari administration, for example, the government consistently stood up for them and resisted attempts by sub-national governments to restrict them. Their atrocities were one of the reasons for the creation of the regional security outfit, Amotekun, and they have contributed significantly to resentment against the Nigerian state, which has also translated into separatist unrest. The scenario of the herdsmen’s ongoing atrocities speaks not only to the atmosphere of impunity that surrounds them, but also to the utter helplessness and indifference with which governors and political leaders in the affected areas deal with the problems affecting their people. This difficult issue should be high on the agenda of governors, who should be the top security officials in their respective states and should be at the forefront of the resistance against these marauders to create sufficient awareness of the problem and make it difficult to sweep it under the carpet.

Policymakers must not abandon the victims of herders’ criminal activities. They should help create the necessary public framework to tackle this threat decisively and comprehensively.

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