Fulani herdsmen confess to membership of Boko Haram

Boko Haram Fulani herdsmen

Developing: Confessions confirm Fulani herdsmen as members of Boko Haram. Disclosing to security forces that they took part in many attacks with the terrorist group.

Based on information VOP has gathered from our sources and reports, we pointed to the fact that attacks on Christians by the Fulani were more than cattlemen trying to confiscate lands for their herds. We have addressed the situation between the herdsmen and the Boko Haram, who all along have been effective in luring them into joining their Islamic organization.

In a  statement by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade said,

“A group of terrorists operating under the guise of herdsmen from a camp in the outskirt of Wukari have been arrested, while others died after an attack on military check point at Gindin Dorowa, a suburb of Wukari in Taraba State”.

“Other members of the group were sighted in the course of air surveillance and later trailed to their camp where they engaged the troops in a battle”.

“The terrorists were clad in the usual pattern of dress of their counterparts operating in Borno and Yobe States”.

“One of the apprehended armed men confessed that he had been fighting for the terrorist group in Borno State and was recently brought to Wukari area in furtherance of their mission”.

“Assorted arms and ammunition were recovered from them”.

“Meanwhile, the curfew imposed on Wukari and its environs is expected to be relaxed as normalcy returns to the town”.

“Troops have maintained patrol of the area while a house-to-house search for arms is ongoing”.

“In another development, troops on patrol of the Lake Chad Islands have made some arrests”.

“Among those arrested was a boat operator who ferries terrorists across the Lake Chad while another confessed to being a supplier of hard drugs to the terrorist groups in the area”.

“In the meantime, the search for the abducted students of Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok is also being intensified”.

As reported by Kingsley Omonobi  in Vanguard

The Fulani were one of the first African tribes to convert to Islam and are today more than 99% Muslim. The devoutly Muslim Fulani have seen themselves as the propagators and preservers of the Islamic faith in West Africa from as early as the fourteenth century. Historically it was a Fulani chief named Usuman dan Fodio, along with nomadic Fulani herdsmen who were instrumental in facilitating the spread of Islam across West Africa through evangelism and conquest.

At times they would wage “holy wars” or jihad in order to extend and purify Islam. As the Fulani migrated eastward they spread their Islamic beliefs. As they became more powerful and attained more wealth they began to be more aggressive with their religion. Their adoption of Islam increased their feeling of cultural and religious superiority to surrounding peoples, and that adoption became a major ethnic boundary marker. Some settled in towns and quickly became noted as outstanding Islamic clerics, joining the highest ranking Berbers and Arabs.

Today it is difficult to find any Fulani who admits to not being Muslim, no matter how lax his or her practice may be. To a Fulani person: to be Fulani is to be a Muslim. Although they adhere very strongly to the tenants of Islam, it has been surprising to find a high level of belief that certain people possess supernatural powers. Like other West Africans, Fulani will frequent local religious practitioners who have established reputations for their curative powers. Many such practitioners – witch doctors and medicine men – are also Muslim religious leaders.

It is common to hear a Fulani tell stories of those who have the power to move themselves from one place to another supernaturally or perhaps to do harm to another person through some sort of supernatural power or curse.