MAN'S INHUMANITY TO MAN IN NIGERIA

MAN'S INHUMANITY TO MAN IN NIGERIA

-SR  AGNES OKOYE (DDL)

The crowning of inhuman acts in Nigeria today is the continuous killing of Nigerians, mainly from Christian dominated areas by the Fulani herdsmen, who do not just kill but butcher human beings like fowls. Some members of the Nigerian populace are now like sheep without shepherd as the Fulani herdsmen can pounce on them, kill, destroy their properties and go unchecked, undisturbed.

In recent times, the following states have experienced attack by Fulani herdsmen: Enugu, Zamfara, Taraba, Adamawa, Kaduna, Benue, and Plateau.  According to the report of Amnesty International in the Guardian Newspaper, Fulani herdsmen have killed 1813 people in 17 states since January this year (2018), which doubled the 894 people killed in 2017. Amnesty International "has blamed the wanton killings across the country on the failure by the Federal Government to "hold murderers to account."  By so doing, "Nigeria authorities are encouraging impunity that is fueling rising insecurity across the country" (The Guardian, Vol. 34, No. 14, 426, Friday, June 29, 2018).

The sight of dead human beings with machete wounds on their heads and different parts of their body, and even some beheaded makes one's heart ache.  Each time I hear of new massacre by the herdsmen, these questions come to my mind: why so much wickedness and wicked acts by Fulani herdsmen towards their fellow human beings? Why have the Fulani herdsmen, committing these genocidal acts sold their conscience? Why have they completely lost any sense of respect and regard for human life?

Surely, they may have their reasons, but no reason is enough for one to kill fellow human beings like animals and subject those still alive to hunger and starvation as they force people out of their ancestral land and give their farm products to their cows.  Some Nigerians today are in the refugee camps totally relying on charity for their sustenance, and their children forced out of school because the Fulani herdsmen have chased them away from their villages. This is man's inhumanity to fellow man.

In the midst of all these sufferings one is tempted to ask "where is God?  Why is God so silent in the face of all these wickedness and suffering? Why do the wicked continuously inflict suffering on others and go unchallenged?"

The patience of God is for the wicked man to repent and turn back to Him as he does not take delight in the death of a wicked man but his salvation (2 Peter 3: 9, 15). Unfortunately, the patience of God is often being taken for granted and the person involved in evil acts may think he/she is clever inflicting sufferings on others and nothing bad happens to them. 

The people of God now under persecution in Nigeria should not feel abandoned by God because He will never abandon his people (Deut 31: 6). In the Book of Isaiah he says, "But Zion said, "The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me." Can a woman forget the baby at her breast, and have no compassion on the child in her womb? Even if these were to forget, I will not forget you" (Isaiah 49: 14).

 God knows what is happening and will surely do something to deliver his people. It may take long, but the people of God will sing a song of victory at the end, if only we shall continue to trust and hope in God and wait on Him in this seemingly hopeless situation.

People of God should not grow weary in doing what is good because of their suffering. To do that is to surrender to devil and loose the reward which God has in store for his holy people (Ezekiel 18: 24- 26). This is the time for us Christians to unite and storm heaven with prayer and fasting as our brothers and sisters did in the early period of Christianity (Act 1:14).  We shall wait on God in prayer and holy living.

 We Nigerians should vote wisely during 2019 election. Nigerians need a president that will promote common good.  Let us vote for one who will care and protect human life and respect different ethnic and religious affiliations in Nigeria, and not one with religious bias. Let us not sell our birthright like Esau because of temporal hunger or need for money, and suffer and die for the rest of the four years the person will be in the office of the presidency. How right this comment on the performance of the present government by Guardian Editor is!

Sadly, the language of resignation, of purposeful defeat and surrender has been the mainstay of the Muhamadu Buhari administration's response to this bold herdsmen insurgency. From the rather silly advocacy for the institution of the so-called cattle colonies to this even more asinine remark that the people should save their lives by willfully surrendering their land to the killers, this government has displayed a rather disturbing tendency to throw appeasement at a band of blood spilling criminals. Let it be re-asserted as many times as possible that a government that gives up its territorial authority so easily, and encourages or tries to persuade its citizens to do the same, deserves to have its cogency and legitimacy very seriously questioned" (The Guardian, Vol. 35, No. 14, 441, Wednesday, July II, 2018).

The Fulani herdsmen became almighty, reckless, and untouchable since their brother occupies the office of president. While Mr. President acts quickly to punish other people, he pretends to be at a loss on what to do concerning the killings of Nigerians by his brothers. He emphasizes disarming of people while he leaves his brothers to roam about with AK 47, killing other Nigerians like animals. This is very unfair, height of man's inhumanity to fellow man, and a new form of enslavement of people in their own land.

God abhors killing hence he commands, "thou shall not murder" (Ex 20:13). He uses strong language when addressing the sin of killing and murder (cf. Ex 21: 14, Lev 24: 17-22). There is always punishment for act of murder. God punished Cain for killing Abel (Gen. 4: 14), Jezebel was punished for killing Naboth (2 King 9:7), and David for killing Uriah (2 Samuel 11-12).

 May this inhumanity to fellow  Nigerians come to a stop soon.

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