The Lamentation of Vershima

 

The Lamentation of Vershima

If you don't flee from the devil

He will do worse evil!

The nomadic beasts of no nation

They trampled on my plantation

They came from across the borders

The mooing herds and their wandering headers

They invaded my farmlands with their animals

Animals with one thousand horns

and two thousand hooves.

They came before the first raindrops

They trampled on my virgin crops.

They broke the maiden head of Dooshima, my beloved daughter

When she went early to the stream to fetch water.

She crawled back home bleeding  in pains and tears.

Her agonies left me with chilling fears.

Her wailing mother Mimidoo,.was rolling on the floor.

I was shaking as I bolted the door.

The arrows have pierced my heart.

The horrors have torn me apart.

I have harrowing agonies that cannot be written.

I have eerie nightmares that you have not seen.

The unseen tears I have shed

As I was writhing in my broken bed.

Aondo! Aondo!! Aondo!!!

Aôndo u Ijirôron!

U ngu hana hegon?

Va tese er u lu Aôndo u ageegh yô!

Are you no longer our defender?

I have abandoned the Kwagh-Hir!

I have torn my A'nger in anger.

There is no one to sound the indyer!

Otapia, the town crier can no longer cry

His booming voice no longer echoes in the sky.

There is no one left to receive his message

Since we have fled from our village.

- - By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,

On Saturday,. January 16, 2026.

Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

For my new book of my original poems, "Dance of Locusts".

PS:

The first sentence shows that the herders trespassing on the lands of the Middle Belt of Nigeria actually don't believe in borders of any nation. Majority of them don't have any passport of any national identity.

All the names are in Tiv language.

Aôndo u Ijirôron!

U ngu hana hegon?

Va tese er u lu Aôndo u ageegh yô!

Means

God of Justice!

Where are you now?

Come and show that you are the mighty God!

Background History and Recent Reports

Key Aspects of the Crisis

Victims and Perpetrators:

The violence disproportionately affects indigenous, predominantly Christian, farming communities, with perpetrators often identified by survivors and some reports as Fulani ethnic militias.

Scale and Impact:

The conflict has led to thousands of deaths (some estimates suggest over 60,000 across the region over decades) and the displacement of millions, creating a significant humanitarian crisis and worsening food insecurity. In Benue State alone, over 6,800 people were reportedly murdered between 2023 and May 2025.

Narratives and Terminology:

There is a significant dispute over how to describe the conflict.

"Ethnic Cleansing" / "Genocide": Local leaders, victims, and advocacy groups argue the term "ethnic cleansing" or "genocide" is more appropriate than "farmer-herder clashes". They point to patterns of systematic attacks, the burning of churches, and the permanent displacement of communities, followed by new settlement in those areas. The Middle Belt Forum has demanded a UN inquiry into the alleged genocide.

Farmer-Herder Clashes: Successive Nigerian governments and some international agencies have tended to frame the violence as a result of resource competition (land and water) exacerbated by climate change and population growth.

This narrative is criticized by many victims as a form of denial that obscures the ethnic and religious motivations of the attacks and absolves perpetrators of accountability.

Historical Context:

Tensions are rooted in long-standing historical grievances, including the 19th-century Islamic jihad led by Usman dan Fodio and resistance to the subsequent Sokoto Caliphate's influence. These historical narratives shape contemporary perceptions, with some viewing the violence as a continuation of historical aggression.

Government Response:

The Nigerian government has faced severe criticism for its perceived failure to protect victims, ensure accountability, and address the underlying causes of the violence.

There is a widely held belief among affected communities that security forces are either indifferent or complicit.

International Attention: While international bodies have been warned of worsening atrocities in the region, the focus has often remained on other issues like Boko Haram.

The lack of international recognition of the crisis as "genocide" or "ethnic cleansing" is a major point of contention for advocacy groups.

The situation remains a complex and devastating crisis, with ongoing violence and an urgent need for nuanced attention and effective intervention to address the intertwined ethnic, religious, and socio-economic dimensions.

Middle Belt - Wikipedia

Ethnoreligious conflicts. ... Surrounded by divergent religious, economic, and cultural histories, the Middle Belt has been the melting pot where small and larg...

The violence in Nigeria's Middle Belt has long historical roots.

11 Aug 2025 —

There is systematic violence taking place in Nigeria's Middle Belt, writes Onyedikachi Madueke. The government calls it local skirmishes, but the reality goes d...

The London School of Economics and Political Science

Conflict and Killings in Nigeria's Middle Belt

17 Dec 2020 — The underlying causes of the conflict in Nigeria's Middle Belt are complex and varied. They include competition for access to land and other resources between p...

Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission | (.gov)

Middle Belt Civic Leaders Decry Ethnic Cleansing and Unchecked ...

16 May 2025 — Civic Coalition Warns of National Implications. The Civic Coalition's May 14th statement echoes this distress. Describing the violence as a “region-wide campaig...

Truth Nigeria

Climate Cover, Ethnic Crime: The Story Behind Nigeria's Middle Belt ...

10 Nov 2025 — A TruthNigeria Analysis: Nigerian Government Denial Gets Propped up by False Narratives. ... (Abuja) For more than a decade, Christian communities across Nigeri...

Truth Nigeria

Long Read: Violence in Nigeria's 'Middle Belt' States

19 Mar 2021 — So what can we do about these Challenges? * Religious persecution: While the underlying causes of violence are complex, attacks in the Middle Belt by Islamist F...

Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART)

The Politics of Eco-Violence: Why Is Conflict Escalating in ...

19 Oct 2022 — 20 According to a 2021 study, 309,231 individuals were displaced in the Middle Belt, with 204,193 displaced due to communal violence in Benue State alone, makin...

Taylor & Francis Online

Ethnic cleansing in the Middle Belt Region of Nigeria

Conclusion: Ethnic cleansing. ... There have been continuous attacks against Christians in the Middle Belt to force them to leave their ancestral land. As a res...

Open Doors Analytical

Silent Emergency: The Unending Cycle of Ethnic ...

1 Feb 2025 — HumAngle explores the ethnic, religious, and environmental roots of the farmer-herder conflict in Nigeria's Middle Belt, its devastating toll on communities, an...

HumAngle

UN warned of worsening atrocities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt

1 Dec 2025 — UN warned of worsening Atrocities in Nigeria's Middle Belt

International Bar Association | IBA

In Nigeria's diverse Middle Belt, a drying landscape deepens violent ...

8 Mar 2018 — Violent clashes between semi-nomadic cattle herders like the Fulani and farming communities have increased in recent years – particularly in Nigeria's Middle Be...

The Christian Science Monitor

Fulani Herdsmen On A Deadly Mission - Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust

4 Oct 2017 — Similarly, the international community remains silent in relation to the violence in the Middle Belt region, while only focusing on Boko Haram in Northern Niger...

Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART)

M’Belt Forum Demands UN Inquiry Over Alleged Genocide

Plateau killing: m'belt Forum demands un inquiry over alleged genocide

The Whistler Newspaper

Ombatse: Disenfranchisement and Violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt

21 Aug 2013 — Our forefathers had their own way of worship... Now, what led to us to bring back this traditional worship is the complaints we receive from our people about th...

Photo Credit: Humangleedia
https://humanglemedia.com/more-pictures-from-nigerias-middle-belt-crisis-have-surfaced-some-are-misleading/

Introduction of ISLAMIC CINEMA in Nigeria

ISLAMIC CINEMA in Nigeria

 

ISLAMIC CINEMA in Nigeria (ICN) is an initiative of the duly Incorporated International Digital Post Network Limited for the production, distribution and promotion of Islamic films for screenings at cinemas for the following purpose:

* The Promotion of the true Tenets of Islam as the religion of love, peace and unity for the benefit of humanity.

* Public enlightenment and entertainment for Muslims and non-Muslims with pure and true Islamic films.

* Correction of the misinformation on Islam as the religion of terrorism and Muslims as intolerant people who breed terrorists.

For Partnership and Sponsorship of the production, distribution, exhibition and promotion of Islamic films in Nigeria, contact:

International Digital Post Network Limited

Tel: +234 706 637 9246

President Buhari Celebrates 2023 Easter with Uplifting Message To Nigerians

 

PRESIDENT BUHARI’S 2023 EASTER MESSAGE TO NIGERIANS

I join Christians in Nigeria and around the world to celebrate Easter, which commemorates the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, signposting his victory over death.

At the heart of Easter, is the triumph of light over darkness.

It is a season that reminds us that the Almighty can turn an unpleasant situation round for good.

Recognising that Easter is about renewed hope and a glorious future, I urge all Nigerians to continue to be confident and believe strongly in our country for better seasons ahead.

As a nation, we have gone through an election that has produced the next set of leaders at the federal and State levels.

I commend Nigerians for believing in the process. While I congratulate those that have been elected, I acknowledge that it is the right of those who feel dissatisfied with the outcome to seek redress. I expect them to wait patiently and allow our legal system run its course.

It has been a rare privilege for me to serve as your President since you gave me the first mandate in 2015 and renewed it in 2019.

Day after day, I have been guided by the vows I took to keep Nigeria united, prosperous and secure.

Our successes on security, economy, infrastructure, new oil frontier basins, landmark legal reforms as well as food sufficiency, among others, were possible because of the support of Nigerians.

As we celebrate this season with our families, neighbors and communities, let us do so in love, compassion, kindness, resilience and forgiveness.

Happy Easter!

- Muhammadu Buhari,
April 7, 2023

SEND SUPPORT TO THE NEEDY FOR THE CELEBRATION OF EASTER

Send Money To UCHE FRANKLIN EKE

FCMB 5363185013

To send foodstuffs, call +234 7066379246.

The UN Secretary-General Message on the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery 2 December 2009

26 Nov 2009 16:36 Africa/Lagos

The UN Secretary-General Message on the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery 2 December 2009


NEW YORK, November 26, 2009/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- On the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, we express our commitment to the complete eradication of slavery and slavery-like practices.

Article 4 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “no one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and slave trade shall prohibited in all their forms”. Yet slavery remains a grave and unresolved problem. This is true in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe.

In our globalized world, new forms of slavery have taken shape. The list of abhorrent practices, new and old, is now shockingly long, and includes debt bondage, serfdom, forced labour, child labour and servitude, trafficking of persons and human organs, sexual slavery, the use of child soldiers, the sale of children, forced marriage and the sale of wives, and the exploitation of prostitution.

The majority of those who suffer are the poor and socially excluded groups such as minorities and migrants. The overlapping factors of poverty, class and race create structural problems and cycles of marginalization that are hard to break.

Indigenous peoples are more exposed to bonded labour because in many countries they have limited access to land. Gender inequalities and discrimination, lack of education, desperation for work and demand for cheap labour also trap people. The global economic and financial crisis threatens to heighten vulnerability further still.

Combating slavery means not only its direct prohibition by law but also fighting against poverty, illiteracy, economic and social disparities, gender discrimination and violence against women and children. We need to enforce laws against slavery; create mechanisms to combat such practices; reinforce bilateral, regional and international cooperation, including with non-governmental organizations that assist victims; and launch awareness raising campaign.

On this International Day, let us renew our pledge to assist and protect the victims and to do our utmost to ensure the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family.


Source: United Nations - Office of the Spokesperson



Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
26 Nov 2009
17:52
Usbekistan 2020 feiert den Astronomen Mirzo Ulugbek
17:48
Dex Hamilton Goes Global with New Movie
17:40
Air China fliegt 10.000 Pilger nach Mekka
16:36
Côte d'Ivoire / L'ONUCI favorise le dialogue intercommunautaire dans la région des savanes
16:36
The UN Secretary-General Message on the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery 2 December 2009
16:35
African Union Commission and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa First Forum for Strategic Partners Dialogue
16:35
Validation workshop on African Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators Initiative (AST II)
16:35
Sénégal / Mali / Changements climatiques et sécurité alimentaire.
16:31
Rentabiliweb : nouvelle acceleration de la croissance au troisieme trimestre 2009
16:30
MAYORS launches the MAYORS GOLD EXCHANGE
16:30
Mining Employers and Career Seekers Participate for Free in Canada's First Mining Virtual Career Fair
16:24
Uzbekistan 2020 Celebrated in Paris the Astronomer Mirzo Ulughbeg in presence of Buzz Aldrin