Courtesy of OpenStreetMap
Boko Haram are at it again.
You remember who they are. Those lovely people who like to terrorise innocent people and destabilise a prosperous country in order to get an Islamic state. These are the same people who decided it would be good to kidnap over 200 schoolgirls (still no accurate figure for those still missing by the way) and send families in the north-east into a frenzy.
What have they done this time? In a location near to where the aforementioned kidnapping happened, SBS reports that 20 young mums were abducted. It might not be over 200, but it’s still a significant number. What was really eyecatching to me is what they wanted in exchange. They wanted cows. Yes, cows. For those new to the issues of Nigeria, you might think that it’s a case of ‘Terrorism – you’re doing it wrong’. However, it this country it is a clever tactic. Cattle is valuable (see later on in this post). Specifically, they wanted 40 for each of the women, which is 800 in total. Even though I have no figures for the cattle in Nigeria, it is still a lot and could harm the income of many people:
“You know the Fulanis hold their herds more dearly, because without it they have no means of livelihood”, said the police Sergeant. “Most of them have come to report the incident at our offices but they are all saying such demands are not tenable”
“Fulani” is a reference to the Fula people – a cross border ethnic group with somewhere between 18m ad 19m in Nigeria (according to estimates). The are well-known for herding the likes of cattle.
An official from the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN), claimed that this sort of thing has happened before, which is worrying (but not totally unsurprising):
“They come and go door-to-door bringing women outside and select young women and take them away in their vehicles and demand between 30 and 40 cows for their release”
The state of agriculture in Nigeria
Just take a look at the map of the area at the beginning of the post. Nigeria is not small. It might not be the biggest nation in terms of land, but it is bigger than the likes of neighbours Benin. Much of the land is considered agricultural. According to the World Bank, 83.7% of the land was this type in 2011. 22% of the GDP in 2012 was from agriculture.
Obviously, this land will include cattle and the CIA World Factbook notes that it is one of the nation’s bigger products, although it is not known to be something that is exported. Many of the residents of the more rural areas have cattle to help them make a living. Consider the following quote from a RYOT article:
“It may seem like a small price to pay, but consider that a medium-sized cow in the region sells for around ₦50,000 (roughly $300) each. That’s $12,000 per girl, totaling $240,000 to bring just those 20 girls back.”
In 2010, 52.8% of the population was below the rural poverty line. Considering this is the biggest African economy, it’s a poor state of affairs. However, the statistic shows why it is so important to get money where you can. For those in rural areas, such as Borno state, having cattle is a necessity.
Finally…
This is an interesting story and one which has received a surprisingly low amount of mainstream press coverage outside of Nigeria. It is another act of terrorism designed to make the Nigerian government give Boko Haram what they want. It won’t happen though. On the rare occasions that you hear something from President Goodluck Jonathan, he appears quite defiant. Rightly so. To be a strong and credible nation, you shouldn’t give in to terrorists.
You could (understandably) argue that the cattle should be exchanged as the lives of the women are more valuable. In a perfect world, this would work fine. However, what if Boko Haram go back on their word? What if they keep the women after taking the cattle? They are known for wanting women as slaves and wives. Then families across the more rural areas will miss out on relatives and an income to keep the rest of them going. You would also be sending out a message that their particular brand of terrorism works.
For all the increased military and intelligence activity in the area, these things keep happening. The ability to come up with accurate statistics for these incidents is shocking. In this particular case, I have seen a number of sources say it is 20 women. This could be true, but based on experience of the Nigerian schoolgirls situation, it could change.
There is one big question you have to ask – when will the Fulani families be reunited? Who knows. There seems to be little certainty in Nigeria at the moment.
So, what do you think?