Killings in North Central Nigeria Go Beyond Herders/Farmers Clashes – Uzuegbu
Chief Ben Chudi Uzuegbu
By Polycarp Ifeanyi, Onitsha
A prominent legal practitioner based in Onitsha, Anambra State, Chief Ben Chudi Uzuegbu, has expressed deep concern over the spate of killings across the country, particularly in parts of Enugu State, Benue State, Plateau State, and other areas in the North Central region of Nigeria.
He stated that the incessant killings of innocent people in the North Central region could be the activities of a jihadist movement, rather than the commonly speculated clashes between herders and farmers.
In an interview with journalists in Onitsha, Chief Uzuegbu, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), stated that the security situation in Nigeria, especially in the North Central, is deteriorating rapidly.
“The security situation in our country, especially in the North Central, is very bad indeed. I am saying this because there is no week without a report of mass killings in that region. It has turned into a killing field as far as I am concerned. People are being killed for no reason. These are no longer ordinary killings they amount to genocide. These attackers kill but do not steal any property. All they do is wipe out the population they encounter. Once they have done that, they retreat, only to return again later. This is no longer about communal clashes i jkogt is about territorial conquest. Worst of all, the victims are mostly Christians, while the invaders are Muslims,” Chief Uzuegbu stated.
He further reiterated that the ongoing mass killings could very well be linked to a jihadist movement, citing the era of Usman dan Fodio in 1804, whom he said initiated a jihad with the intent of “dipping the Quran into the Atlantic Ocean” but was stopped when he reached the North Central area.
According to the legal luminary, the jihadist warriors of that era were resisted, subdued, and prevented from advancing further into the North Central region.
He added that the descendants of those jihadists have now grown and seem determined to complete the mission started by their forebears.
“So, it is not a question of herders and farmers clashing. It is a deliberate operation to wipe out existing populations so that the invaders can occupy the land. In fact, I’ve said before that when Usman dan Fodio began his jihad, he conquered and converted people to Islam. He wouldn’t kill unless you refused to convert. But these people are not even preaching; they simply come in, wipe out the people, and seize their land,” said Chief Uzuegbu.
“However, I agree that what is happening is genocide, and I also view it as a jihadist movement. I don’t even call them terrorists. They have their own agenda, and I align with the comment made by Lt. Gen. Sani Abacha, who said that if mass killings persist for more than two days, then there is a government hand in it. I cannot accept that the well-armed Nigerian Army can be overwhelmed by untrained individuals unless some security agents are aiding and abetting them,” Chief Uzuegbu asserted.
Addressing the notion that citizens should not engage in self-defense, Chief Uzuegbu, who also serves as the Deputy Chancellor of the Diocese on the Niger, unequivocally disagreed, emphasizing that the laws of the land grant every citizen the right to self-defense.
“I totally agree with the theory of Lt. Gen. T. Y. Danjuma, who said that if you know what they use to kill you, get it and defend yourself. And if they want to kill you, kill them first. You cannot stay in your house while a stranger breaks in to kill you, rape your wife and daughter, and get away with it,” he said.
“The law of Nigeria says that if anyone breaks into your house and you have a gun, you are permitted to shoot the intruder. This talk of ‘self-help’ is what I do not understand. You cannot just sit and wait to be killed by a stranger, then report it to the police, who will come, pick up the bodies, and leave—only for the killers to return the next day. No, it shouldn’t be that way. If there’s any means by which you can defend yourself, use it. Nobody should allow themselves to be killed by another person,” Chief Uzuegbu declared.
