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Philosophical Consideration of Herdsmen Menace and Hunger in Contemporary Nigeria
Current Issue
Volume 6, 2019
Issue 1 (March)
Pages: 1-11   |   Vol. 6, No. 1, March 2019   |   Follow on         
Paper in PDF Downloads: 29   Since Mar. 5, 2019 Views: 894   Since Mar. 5, 2019
Authors
[1]
Besong Eric Ndoma, Department of Philosophy, Federal University Lafia, Lafia, Nigeria.
[2]
Robert Odey Simon, Bridge Gate Research Consult Ltd, Abuja, Nigeria.
Abstract
The rising uncontrolled menace of herdsmen’s raid in recent times is increasingly alarming and unimaginable. This study philosophically examines the menace of herdsmen’s raid, as the cause of untold hunger, and interrogates the government’s inaction against this terrorism, which it rather projects, formalises and tries to impose the ‘cattle colony’ ideology on all states. Critical thinking makes it obvious that the wanton killing of citizens of various Nigerian ethnic groups by Fulani herdsmen on farms and at homes and all populated public places cannot be considered a mere conflict between herdsmen and farmers. It is rather the rise of an institutionalised ‘pogrom terrorism’ that heightens the insecurity in contemporary Nigeria. The blunt refusal, by in/action or failure of the federal government to quell this rising devastating terrorism with its menace is a clear evidence of national injustice against other ethnic groups by Fulani elites, politicians and their allies in the realms of power and national affairs. The study reveals that besides hunger, the menace of herdsmen’s raid also includes ethnic cleansing, insecurity, high death rate, vandalism, sustained ethno-religious crises, ethnic hate and sour intergroup relations, disruption of socio-economic, educational and political activities, environmental degradation, soil leach, and heightening of political instability and underdevelopment. It blames the government for this terrorism, which it considers an institutionalised pogrom, used as an ethno-religious political mechanism and conquest. It calls for collective actions against herdsmen’s raid.
Keywords
Philosophical Consideration, Herdsmen, Menace, Hunger, Pogrom
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Onwuzuruigbo, I. (2010). Researching ethnic conflicts in Nigeria: The missing link. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 33 (10), 1797-1813.
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Hutchison, M. L. (2013). Tolerating threat? The independent effects of civil conflict on domestic political tolerance. Journal of Conflict Resolution.
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Wiegenstein, S. (2014). The role of newspapers in shaping public opinion during the period of Mormon arrival in Quincy, 1838–39. Mormon Historical Studies, 2: 95-102.
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Mac-Leva, F. (2014). Benue’s Tiv/Fulani crises: The inside story. Published online on 1 March.
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Duru, P. (2016). ‘7,000 persons displaced in Fulani herdsmen, Agatu farmers’ clash in Benue.’ Crime Guard, News Comments, 28 February; and ‘Bloody farmers/Fulani herdsmen’s clashes in Benue: 40 killed, scores injured, 2,000 displaced.’ Crime Guard, News Comments, 28 February.
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Homer-Dixton, T. F. (1999). Environment, scarcity, and violence. Princeton: University Press.
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Blench, R. (2004). National resources conflict in North-Central Nigeria: A handbook and casestudies. Mallam Dendo Ltd.
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Okoli, A. C. (2013a.). The political ecology of the Niger Delta crisis and the prospect of lastingpeace in the post-amnesty period. Global Journal of Human Social Science, 13, pp. 37-46.
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Adogi, M (2013). Fulani-farmers conflicts in Nasarawa State: The ecology, population and politics. Abuja: Murry Greens Consult.
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Adisa, R. S. and Adekunle, O. A. (2010). Farmer-herdsmen conflicts: A factor analysis of socio-economic conflict variables among arable crop farmers in North Central Nigeria. Kamla-Raj Journal of Human Ecology, 30 (1): 1-9.
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Berger, R. (2003). Conflict over natural resources among pastoralists in Northern Kenya: Alook atrecent initiatives in conflict resolution. J. Int. Dev. 15: 245-257.
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Schama, S. (1996). Landscape and memory. London: Harper Collins.
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Haro, G. O. and Doyo, G. J. (2005). Linkages between community, environmental, and conflict management: Experiences from Northern Kenya. J. World Dev. 33 (2): 285-299.
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Gbehe, N. T. (2007). Geo-political perspectives on resource control in the middle belt regions of Nigeria: Periscoping agriculture in Benue economy. Okpeh, O. O. (Jr.), Okau, A. and Fwatshak, S. U. (eds). The Middle–Belt in the shadow of Nigeria. Makurdi: Oracle Bus Ltd, pp. 132–157.
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Irobi, E. G. (2005). ‘Ethnic conflict management in Africa: A comparative case study of Nigeria andSouth Africa: Beyond interactivity’ (www.beyondinteractivity.org/casestudy/irobi-ethnic).
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Ibrahim, F., Pawanteh, L., Kee, C. P., Basri, F. K. H., Hassan, B. R. A., & Amizah, W. W. (2011). Journalists and news sources: Implications on professionalism in war reporting. The Innovation Journal-The Public Sector Innovation Journal.
[85]
Erni, J. N. (2009). War, ‘incendiary media’ and international human rights law. Media, Culture &Society 31 (6): 867–886.
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Leung, L. (2009). Mediated violence as ‘global news’: co-opted ‘performance’ in the framing of the WTO. Media, Culture & Society 31 (2): 251–269.
[87]
Spencer, G. (2005). The media and peace: From Vietnam to the war on terror. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
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Egwu, S. (2001). Ethnic and religious violence in Nigeria. Jos: African Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies.
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Adisa, R. M., & Abdulraheem, M. (2012). Mass media and conflicts in Nigeria: A call for peaceoriented journalism. In Adeleke, B. L. & Ijaya, G. T. (eds.) General studies in the social sciences: Some fundamentals topics. Ilorin, Nigeria: General Studies Division, University of Ilorin, pp. 14–36.
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Halliru, T. (2012). Ethno-religious and political conflicts: A study of North-Eastern region of Nigeria. PhD dissertation, Universiti Utara Malaysia.
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Eytan, A., Munyandamutsa, N., Nkubamugisha, P. M., & Gex-Fabry, M. (2014). Long-term mentalhealth outcome in post-conflict settings: Similarities and differences between Kosovo and Rwanda. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 0020764014547.
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Serneels, P. & Verpoorten, M. (2013). The impact of armed conflict on economic performance: Evidence from Rwanda. Journal of Conflict Resolution.
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Arbour, L. (2014). ‘10 conflicts to watch in 2013.’The International Crisis Group. Retrieved from http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/publication-type.
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Abbas, I. M. (2000). No retreat, no surrender: Conflict for survival between Fulanipastoralists and farmers in northern Nigeria. European Scientific Journal 8 (1), pp. 331-346.
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Young, L. A. and Sing’Oei, K. (2011). ‘Land, livelihood and identities: Inter-community conflicts in East Africa.’ A report of the Minorities’ Right Group, 2011.
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Boh, A. (2007). ‘Interpersonal communication as a panacea for conflict management: The study of Ukan versus Ipav conflict in Benue state’ Okpeh, O. O. (Jr.), Okau, A. and Fwatshak, S. U. (eds). The middle–belt in the shadow of Nigeria. Makurdi: Oracle Bus Ltd, pp. 113-131.
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Ker, A. I. (2007). ‘Conflicts in Tiv land and their implications for the democratisation process in Nigeria 1980–2004’ Okpeh, O. O. (Jr.), Okau, A. and Fwatshak, S. U. (eds). The Middle Belt in theshadow of Nigeria. Makurdi: Oracle Bus Ltd: pp. 108–114.
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Alkali, R. A. (1997). The World Bank and Nigeria: Cornucopia or Pandora’s box? Kaduna: Baraka Press and Publishers Ltd.
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Egwu, S. (2009). ‘Ethnic citizenship and ethno-religious violence in Jos.’ Distinguished Faculty Lecture Series, 2, Faculty of Social Sciences, Kogi State University, Anyigba, Nigeria.
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Ingawa, S. A., Ega, L. A. and Erhabor, P. O. (1999). Farmer-pastoralist conflict in core states of thenational FADAMA project. Abuja: FACU, pp. 11-27.
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De Haan, C. (2002). Nigeria second FADAMA development project (SFDP), project preparation mission report, livestock component. World Bank, pp. 1-13.
[102]
Adisa, R. M., Mohammed, Rosli bin and Mohd, K. A. (2015). News framing and ethnic conflicts vulnerability in multiethnic societies. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences MCSER Publishing, Rome-Italy, vol. 6, no. 6, November.
[103]
Otite, O. and Albert, I. O. (1999). Community conflicts in Nigeria: Management, resolution and transformation. Lagos: Spectrum Books Ltd.
[104]
Ayih, S. O. (2003). Nasarawa state: Past and present. Nigeria [place and publisher omission in the textbook].
[105]
Hellstrom, E. (2001). Conflict cultures- Qualitative comparative analysis of environmental conflicts in forestry. Silva Fennica Monographs 2: 1-109.
[106]
Thebaud, B. and Batterbury, S. (2001). Sahel pastoralists: Opportunism, struggle, conflict and negotiation, a case study from Eastern Niger. Glob. Environ. Change 11: 69-78.
[107]
Ifatimehin, O. O. (2008). An assessment of water resource conflict management in the semi-aridregion of Nigeria. Unpublished postgraduate seminar series presentation, Department of Geography and environmental management, University of Abuja.
[108]
Alozieuwa, S. O. (2016). The Ombatse crisis in Nigeria: background, recent developments and possible solutions. Journal of Interdisciplinary Conflict Science, 2 (2); BBC News, 9 May, 2013 (www.informationng.com/2013/05).
[109]
Okoro, A. E. (2006). Critical thinking: A bedrock in university education. Journal of Nigerian Languages and Culture, vol. 8, November: ISSN 1595-4730.
[110]
Dale, E. (1972). Building a learning environment. Indiana: Phi Delta Kappa Inc.
[111]
Nwokereke, E. (2005). ‘What is philosophy?’ In Okoro, C. M. and Ideyi, N. (eds.) Introduction tophilosophy & logic (A general studies series). Abakaliki: General Studies Division, EBSU.
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