Anonymous herdsmen

On February 18, 1977 just over 41 years and a month to this day, about a thousand soldiers attacked Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s “Kalakuta Republic” around Idi-Oro, Agege Motor Road, Lagos. The incident occurred just one week after the close of the popular (or notorious) Second World Festival of Black Arts and Culture (FESTAC 77). The soldiers burnt down “Kalakuta Republic”; injured and maimed many of Fela’s devotees and residents of the commune; and famously mishandled Fela’s mother, then 78 year old, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. The incident arose from a traffic incident involving one Duro Ikujenyo, a Fela “boy” and another member of Fela’s “Young African Pioneers” (YAP) who were flogged by soldiers-at the time the military government had introduced an obnoxious policy of soldiers using horsewhips on traffic offenders; Fela had mobilized people to rescue them from the soldiers and retrieved them to Kalakuta. (See an article “The Day Fela’sKalakuta Republic “met” Unknown Soldiers in The Cable Newspapers of February 18, 2015. https://www.thecable.ng/day-felas-kalakuta-republic-met-unknown-soldiers for full background story)
In “Fela: Why Blackman Carry Shit”, Mabinuori Kayode Idowu, a Fela fan and author wrote that “According to the soldiers, they were there (in Fela’s house) to arrest some boys inside the house who after a fight with a Lance Corporal over a traffic violation had escaped and taken refuge inside the house. But in reality the soldiers had come for deeper vengeance; Fela’s refusal to participate in FESTAC, the publication of the YAP News condemning the introduction on our roads of army horsewhip culture, and the uncompromising views as expressed in his (Fela) lyrics were the reasons behind the attack on Kalakuta Republic”. I have always believed that deep down, the military’s ego and psyche had been eroded by Fela’s Zombie (which portrayed soldiers as unthinking dummies programmed to “turn left, turn right”) and they had long since decided to deal with him whenever the opportunity presented itself!
The country was outraged as reports of the attack on Kalakuta Republic spread. The next morning, government-controlled Daily Times to its eternal shame reportedly did not make any reference to the atrocity, and soldiers confiscated copies of The Punch and Daily Sketch which did. The real atrocity was however yet to come and it was not committed by violent soldiers, but by trained lawyers and judges! The military government set up a tribunal of enquiry headed by one Justice Anya who, after listening to 183 witnesses, concluded that “the fire was started unintentionally by “an exasperated and unknown soldier”. That conclusion apart from being stupid and contrary to common sense was inherently contradictory-the judge ruled that the perpetrator was unknown, yet knew he acted unintentionally and yet in exasperation! A more truthful and sensible account is presented in a book “Fela: The Life and Times of an African Music Icon” by Michael Veal who wrote based on eye witness reports, “after barricading the building and parading with signs imploring area residents to run for their lives, soldiers set fire to the generator that electrified the fence, stormed the compound and severely brutalized the occupants”
Everyone in Nigeria knew exactly what happened-soldiers, under orders from their commanders, left their barracks on a mission to “deal with” Fela; accomplished their mandate of pillage and destruction; and returned to their barracks assured of protection by their bosses. And cowardly and unprincipled judicial officers duly obliged with the required cover-up with the disingenuous line of “unknown soldiers”. Fela wrote a blockbuster song, “Unknown Soldier” to ridicule and protest the incident, but the Nigerian state never apologized or offered restitution.
I have been frequently reminded in recent times of “unknown soldier” by the issue of Fulani herdsmen! Everyone in the country knows what is going on but we are required to all pretend that the crimes, destruction and gory murders going on all over the country are being committed by “unknown herdsmen”! I was almost minded to title this article accordingly, but I imagined that if a Justice Anya were to re-appear and sit over another tribunal looking into the Fulani herdsmen atrocities, he would introduce some originality and conclude perhaps they were anonymous herdsmen!!!
Indeed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar recently decided he may have upset a few powerful people up North with his advocacy for restructuring so he needed to balance things a bit;so he complained about persistent referencesto the murderous herdsmen as Fulani herdsmen! The issue degenerated into a vexatious argument this last weekend between Femi Fani-Kayode and one Reno Omokri on social media with Omokri agreeing with Atiku and Fani-Kayode vehemently disagreeing and pointing out that there was no complaint over the years to the description of “Niger-Delta militants”! I agree with Fani-Kayode! We spoke for many years about the “Ogoni Crisis” and the “Ogoni 13” and no one complained; there were references to “Ife-Modakeke” clashes, Aguleri-Umuleri Communal Crises; Tiv-Jukun Crises; etc. In history we even read of the Fulani Jihad of Uthman dan Fodio, and if I may add, the Northern Peoples Congress. We have read of Irish Republicans, Basque Separatists, Biafran Secessionists and Scottish Referendum.
Can we please focus on the substance of dealing with the heinous crimes being committed by these herdsmen instead of trying to strip the activities of attribution in order that it may continue without negative association and consequences for anyone? Wouldn’t an easier and better approach be to quickly bring an end to the killings and pillage, rather than just focusing on the appellation with which we describe the perpetrators? Yes it is true the herdsmen issue is tainting the “Fulani” brand and acquiring so much negative associations as any google search will instantly show. I would suggest a quicker and more effective way of cleaning up the problem-embrace modern practices in relation to the rearing of cows (i.e. ranching) and end the territorial expansionism and killings!

Opeyemi Agbaje