THE RUSTLER

There was a cornfield at the back of our house in Jos, owned by a neighbour. It was well tended and had the promise of a healthy yield. Then one late morning when I happened to be at home, I heard a sound akin to the one shears make when they come in contact with a bush, followed by the shrilly voice of my neighbour. I went outside to see what was causing the ruckus and saw her swearing at a herdsman for allowing his cows to have a free run at her corns. When she finished berating him, the man impassively called to his cows and they departed. The scene repeated itself several times over and continued until my family moved away from Jos.

Some years later, during my youth service in Igbanke, Edo state, I came upon a similar scene while taking a walk. A farmer stood yelling at a herdsman who had allowed his cows to have a go at his tall corns. The herdsman stepped up to the farmer and yelled back at him. The cattle continued with their battering. The farmer fumed. Herdsman remained impassive. Cows kept munching. I seethed silently.

What I saw was pure unadulterated evil, for the residents of Igbanke were majorly farmers, and their land rewarded their hard work with healthy crops. But, here was this man; pus, blighting someone’s hard earned yield and caring less about it. His cows had more rights over the corns than the farmer. I like the Fulani. I enjoyed their fura da nunu, danbu, and kindirim. I admired their colourful and eccentric attires and bohemian lifestyle. I viewed them through a romantic lens until that incident at Igbanke.

Back to Jos and in the present, herdsmen and farmers are having a bloodbath. The sign had been there, we looked away. We can no longer look away, it has hit the fan now and we all are spattered with the mess. To put an end to the vicious cycle, I believe herdsmen and cattle should be herded together and kept behind four walls, be it a ranch or a reservation. Neither will suit them, but they need to get with the times. Fortunately, we have the right man for the job occupying Aso Villa. The perfect poster child for what could become of a hemmed in nomad.