THE IMPUNITY OF FULANI HERDSMEN: AN EMERGING TERRORIST GROUP IN THE NIGERIAN HOMELAND

Abstract

Nigeria, the most populous African nation, has witnessed a new wave of violent attacks. Some of these attacks emanate from the Boko haram terrorist group on Nigerian citizens and violent clashes between nomadic Fulani herdsmen and other citizens. These terrorist acts started predominantly in Northern Nigeria, wreaking havoc in states such as Benue, Jos, and Kaduna, with thousands of lost lives. In recent years, this violence seems to progress toward other parts of the country. The proposed Federal government grazing or cattle colony laws seemingly back these developments. Still, they have met resistance from different parts of the country that have witnessed this communal violence, raising some criminological concerns. This paper reviews the prevalent factors that might lead to homegrown violent extremism, like the unrelenting deadly clashes between the Fulani herdsmen and their neighbors. This paper is the first to apply Pierre Bourdieu's "Doxa" and is primarily guided by Emile Durkheim's Anomie, which deals with a condition where individuals cannot find their place in society without clear rules to help guide them. Changing conditions as life adjustment lead to dissatisfaction, conflict, and deviance. It also explains violent disputes like the cases of the marauding herdsmen resulting in the loss of countless lives and properties in Nigeria. Finally, the paper will also provide some historical analysis of terrorism and elaborate on various definitions while reviewing these conflicts' economic, religious, political, and social impacts while proffering some solutions.