HERDSMEN CRISIS

If I want to rare cows, I will buy an expanse of land where I can grow the kinds of food that my cows will eat. 

I won't take my cows into other people's farms.

For the villages where herdsmen go to destroy farmlands, these are the questions to ask...

1. Who is the authority in that village? Is it a king or a baálẹ́?

2. What has he done about it?

3. Does he know that there are Fulanis in the forests of the land where he is a king or a baálẹ̀ over? Does he know how many they are?

4. Has it been confirmed that an herdsman within the geography where he is a king or a baálẹ̀ have grazed their cows into another citizen's farm?

Under normal circumstance, that is stealing. 

What has he done about the case?

5. Did the herdsman pay for the damages done to the other person's farm?

If yes, that's settled. 

If no, then what is the verdict of the baálẹ̀ or the king?

6. Did the king or the baálẹ̀ say the farmer should take heart? That is, no justice?

7. Did the king or the baálẹ̀ discharge the herdsman and didn't make them pay for the damages?

If the king or the baálẹ̀ discharged the herdsman, then the village or the settlement should commence action on relieving the king or the baálẹ̀ of the stool he is occupying.

If the king or the baálẹ̀ judged that the herdsman should pay but the herdsman refused, the king or the baálẹ̀ should expel the herdsman from the land and declare the herdsman a criminal fit for the sentence of expulsion from the land in the name of the deities of the land.

If the herdsman leaves, the farmer should forgive and return to his farm. 

If the herdsman does not leave, he should be given a final note of warning to leave the land by the king or the baálẹ̀. 

If he still doesn't leave after the second warning, all his cows should be killed.

Knowing the herdsman, he will want to retaliate, if he retaliates, he should be killed too and his corpse should not be buried but hung on a tree to allow decay in public glare.

Kings and baálẹ̀s of Yoruba land should not rely on government security apparatus to dispense their judgments, they should be close to the alálẹ̀s (land owners) and operate on their authority and not authority from Abuja or the state capitals.

The Irunmoles are sufficient to protect Yoruba land, we don't need the FG or the State Government. IF they choose to be irresponsible, they are dispensable.

If there are kidnappings, instead of generalizing that all herdsmen are criminals, let the kings and baálẹ̀s use the Irunmoles find the culprit of the criminal actions. Let all Awos who are sure that they know how to do this make themselves available for social use whenever they hear criminal cases involving kidnapping. 

It is the time to draw upon the indigenous wisdom and knowledge of our tradition to solve the issues that confront us.

Those who lead us don't appear to know what needs to be done, or they are not willing to do it. Please, take it to heart; our protection obviously has to come from us. The government appears to have no interest in defending the people that they bought votes from. let us get our heads in order and not expect anything from the government.

Half a word is enough for the wise.

By Awo Owonrin-Pota