Throwing The Dice With Fulani Herdsmen -By Grace Samuel

It was a jolly ride yesternight on Danjuma’s bike on my way home.
On our way, Danjuma decided to display his fast and furious skills and I, trying to stop him spoke a bit of Hausa language to avoid any form of misunderstanding.

‘So you hear their Hausa language’ He queried. I was confused. ‘…their Hausa… ‘. But he looked Hausa to me with his countenance like that of a northerner.

Curiosity killed the cat, right but curiosity teaches Grace.
‘Where you from come?’, I inquired.
‘I be from Kano.’ He replied.
‘Really? Kano and you no be Hausa?’
‘I be Fulani.’ He continued.
‘Na your people dey get cow.’ Getting comfortable with the conversation, I teased him.
‘Yes’, he replied’ and me sef I get cow. Na my small brother dey carry them upandan.’
That’s cool. ‘Why you no dey carry them upandan yourself?’ I asked.
‘Na wahala to carry cow.’ He retorted .
‘Okada no be wahala?’ I asked him jokingly.
‘Okada no be wahala, Walahi. I carry you now, I drop you, I go… No be wahala.’ He explained in his Hausa/Fulani accent. ‘But cow, you go carry for harmattan, rain, sun and inside bush…. Na wahala flenty.’
Hmnnnnnnn…. This time I was already where I was going. ‘Why una Fulani herdsmen dey kill farmers.’ I queried without mincing words. I thought he was gonna get angry but he explained to me calmly to allay my fears. ‘No be Nigeria Fulani dey kee fifu. Fulani dey Senegal, Niger, chad and other countries. Na them dey come kee us. We, we be Nigerians and we cannot be killing Nigerians. This is our country. Na those outside Fulani dey spoil us. They go go fifu farm and spoil eferytin.’

It was a time of reorientation and education for me as I stood beside Danjuma, and my heart melted.
I was curious, so I asked him how the menace can be reduced or stopped.
He further explained that nothing can really be done because these foreign Fulani mingle with Nigerians and you really can’t tell the difference.
I sighed in disappointment.

How really can we stop the menace called Fulani herdsmen?
Are they really unstoppable according to Danjuma?