MY FULANI MOTHER

MY FULANI MOTHER

Four years ago, I was tasked with finding a ram for a Suye celebration. I gathered a few people to accompany me to a Fulani settlement in Abuja, hoping to strike a good bargain.  

Upon arrival, I approached the first person I saw to discuss purchasing a ram. Suddenly, from a nearby hut, a Fulani woman rushed toward me, embraced me, and cried out, “Jonah!” Everyone froze in shock my companions, the Fulani villagers, even me. My mind raced back over 25 years. “Laraba!” I exclaimed joyfully.  

Yes, it was Laraba. She had watched me grow from a child into a teenager before I left Life Camp. My late father once owned a vast farm where Abuja’s Chief Magistrate Court, Life Camp now stands. Back then, the Laraba family tended to the farm, and a Fulani settlement thrived where Godab Estate exists today.  

Laraba proudly introduced me to the settlement as her “son,” asking about my parents and naming each of my siblings. That day, I left with a quality ram at a 20% discount and a free chicken.  

This encounter reinforced how understanding cultures fosters respect and dismantles prejudice. Are all Fulani people “bad”? No. But are some  individuals harmful? Yes! just as in any community. The root of farmer herder clashes lies not in ethnicity, but in systemic exploitation.  

Many Fulani herders own few of the cattle they rear. The true owners are elites. Military officers, businesspeople, civil servants, and traditional rulers. For instance, one might buy 50 cows, entrust them to a Fulani herder, and agree on profit sharing from calves. Yet these elites refuse to invest in ranches, despite their wealth.  

Without financial means to establish ranches themselves, Fulani herders rely on open grazing. Elites instead arm violent proxies to “defend” their investments, evading taxes and scrutiny. By keeping herds mobile, they hide assets and avoid land use regulations, perpetuating cycles of conflict.  

Blaming Fulani communities ignores this exploitation. Solutions require holding elites accountable, promoting ranching, and fostering dialogue. My reunion with Madam Laraba proves shared humanity transcends stereotypes. Let’s channel such empathy into systemic change for peace, not profit.

Until the moment when will shall dance in white Greater Grace.

Oyugbo Osagie Jonah