Fulani herdsmen allegedly destroy orphanage close to military barracks

By EMMANUEL OGEBE

This week in Nigeria, we saw children fleeing the weeklong rampage of killer Fulani herdsmen in Plateau state that left many dead just as it happened in June.

Schools and orphanages in which we have placed over half a dozen victims of Fulani and Boko Haram Terrorism this year were shut down again as government did nothing to guarantee their safety for the second time in as many months.

Sadly even Nigerian child refugees in Cameroun who returned home to Nigeria are among this displaced again by this second series of Fulani attacks in two months!

Four mission orphanages/schools (three American) I support along a 10-mile stretch of road evacuated again after sustained week-long killings by killer Fulani Herdsmen in Jos, Nigeria. They’re literally adjacent to the largest military cantonment in central Nigeria and yet this continuous to happen as it has for several years!

Unfortunately despite evacuation, we received the following sad text alerts:

“The attack is about 1KM (2 minutes) to TEM. Our Pastor (Victor) rented House was burnt down. They took nothing from the house.

All the children have been evacuated yesterday.

I am presently with over 60 children in the town Jos.”

“The TEM compound has been burnt down. Good thing we evacuated the children & staff on Sunday (about 150 were evacuated).

We need prayer. Lord arise.

Ps 37”

After days of daily alerts of attacks, we received news this morning that our orphanage in Plateau state was burnt down by Fulani herdsmen overnight. We built several of the structures in that compound over the years. Thankfully the children were evacuated otherwise it would have been a terrible massacre.

It is just a few miles from Rukuba barracks the largest military cantonment in the region. Yet these orphans have now been rendered homeless again after surviving Boko Haram terrorism and other atrocities over the years.

This orphanage has never been evacuated in its 10 years of existence but was evacuated twice this year alone and finally destroyed.

Mjr Gen. Buhari’s legacy is nothing but abject failure, insecurity, poverty, insensitivity and misgovernance. He has managed to outdo his first stint in power by being far worse than his 1984 advent.

Here are just a few examples of how Buhari has done worse now than as military dictator

– detained journalist longer than in ’80s

– killed more protesters than in ’80s

– ravages the naira more than in ’80s

– been more nepotistic than in ’80s

– desecrated the judiciary more than in ’80s.

– kidnapped British-Nigerian citizen abroad

May God judge the wicked misrulers who enabled this destruction with impunity!

•Emmanuel Ogebe, an international human rights lawyer, is Managing Partner of US Nigeria Law Group, Washington.