The Attack on Kantoma/Jwak-Maitumbi Villages of Mangu LGA, Plateau state, Nigeria

In a shocking and tragic incident, over 2000 armed herdsmen attacked many communities in Mangu Local government area of Plateau state, in which over 100 people were gruesomely murdered. Among the villages attacked, were Kubat where 40 people, mostly women and children were killed, Jwak-Maitumbi and Dungmunaan where over 10 people were killed including the King; Mishkagham Jwak-Maitumbi, Da Obida Manja Williams. In the same design and extreme perfection of evil, 600 armed herders attacked the village of Kantoma in Mangu LGA of Plateau state, leaving a trail of death and destruction in their wake. Kantoma and Jwak-Maitumbi are predominantly, Mwaghavul ethnic extraction. The attack saw 37 people lose their lives, while homes and other property were also burnt down, with no resistance from the security outfits in the area.The incident, which lasted for 28 hours and saw the attackers operate with impunity, has left the residents of Kantoma and the wider Plateau state community reeling with shock and grief. That was the fifth attack on the village beginning in 2014 by the Fulanists armed militia and mercenaries. It is a stark reminder of the ongoing threat posed by armed herders, and the urgent need for the government and security agencies to take action to prevent further loss of life and property. It is particularly concerning that the attackers were able to carry out such a brazen and deadly attack with no resistance from the authorities. This points to a worrying lack of preparedness and capacity on the part of the security outfits tasked with protecting communities in the area. It is imperative that urgent measures are taken to address this, including increased training and resources for security personnel, as well as better coordination between different agencies and levels of government.At the heart of this tragedy is the ongoing conflict between farmers and herders over land and resources. This is a complex and multifaceted issue that requires a nuanced and comprehensive solution. It is important for all stakeholders, including government, security agencies, traditional leaders, and civil society, to come together to find lasting solutions that can prevent further bloodshed and ensure peaceful coexistence between different communities.In the meantime, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims of the Kantoma attack, and all those affected by this senseless act of violence. It is our hope that justice will be done, and that steps will be taken to prevent such tragedies from occurring again in the future.

Michael Manja Williams

Importance of our bats

Importance of our Bats

Bats play an important role in many environments around the world. Some plants depend partly or wholly on bats to pollinate their flowers or spread their seeds, while other bats also help control pests by eating insects. Some bats are ‘indicator species’, because changes to these bat populations can indicate changes in aspects of biodiversity. Some bats might suffer when there are problems with insect populations (because some bats feed on insects) or when habitats are destroyed or poorly managed (for example, some bats only live in large woodlands).

How important are bats to our Ecosystem?

1. Bats serve as pollinators

2. Bats control pests as they put pests' population in check.

3. They are indicators of changes in biodiversity or the environment.

4. Bats serve as seed dispersers and reforesters.

Bats serve many other  roles in our environment hence the need to ensure that they don't go in to extinction. We should love our bats and protect them. Many bat species in Africa are gradually going in to extinction locally and regionally, but together we can protect them and make our environment an ideal one for all creatures.

Saving a one-legged Pied crow

During a Rufford Foundation's assisted project in rural areas. A group of students who embarked on saving a species questions saved a one-legged Pied crow. The crows nests on two big trees in the school. Over a thousand of them. I got the report of the regular sighting of the one legged pied crow, but got a call on effects of rain storm on it. It couldn't fly and just lie down as it couldn't even perched. Fortunately, the Friends of the nature's club members sighted it and they did not waste time in reaching for their club's facilitator (a teacher) who immediately called me as I was busy doing some field ornithological observations with similar club in another school. I advised the students on what to do even before my arrival. For the two days that it was weak and couldn't fly, it was fed with insects and grains. After two days when it was seen that it ate with agility, a significance of good health and hoped around almost joyously, it was taken outside and held in hand as it flew happily flapping its wings with strength and stability. That one-legged Pied crow was saved from eminent death. Thanks to our  Conservation Initiative and Rufford Foundation.

The Vulture Markets of Namu: Reminiscence of Vulture Disappearance in North-Central Nigeria.

It was with eagerness that I visited Namu in May of 2016. I boarded a car that left Shendam straight to Namu. I went there on their market day as suggested by some of the locals. On entering the market, I asked some few individuals some questions on vultures and I was told that it’s been many years when they saw live vultures. I was directed to where birds’ parts were sold and at a corner close to some butchers I came across dealers dealing in Vulture parts. Seven young men and even a teenager selling Vulture parts and parts of other birds such as the secretary bird, hammer-kops, pea cocks etc. I was so amazed by the sight of the dead Vultures and their parts.

I requested to have a video interview with some of the dealers and three of them couldn’t grant me the permission as they were scared. They seemed to suspected me as some one close to government’s law enforcement agencies. It took some effort of smiles and convincing asurances that I was a researcher working on how traditional medicine practitioners used animals’ parts in medicine, before a young man of about twenty five years of age accepted that I interviewed him on camera. Others later thought that the interview session was to publicise and help to advertise their work hence they agreed and also asked me to interview them.

I was told the different prices of Vulture parts. I saw a complete dead hooded vulture, White-backed Vulture and other parts such as the heads, eyes, legs wings and hearts of different Vultures. I saw different people of different ages and status patronising the Vulture dealers. A complete Vulture had a cost range of one hundred and fifty thousand naira (N150,000) to three hundred thousand naira (N300,000). Vulture heads with its two eyes intact cost fifty to eighty thousand naira depending on the different dealers and bargaining power of the person buying. I witnessed the bargaining and buying of a Vulture head and legs. Some one came and bought just the Vulture feather. Some women were there looking for the vulture eggs which were not found but the dealer promised to bring one for them by next market day but at good price.

My interview with them revealed that most of them were introduced in to the trades in vulture parts by their parents and they were so happy and proud to do it. They depend on the sales to support their families. Many politicians, gamblers and adventurers visited them to purchase vulture parts for traditional medicine that will give them lucks and favour in their pursuits as one of them told me. Most of the dealers believed that vulture eyes can make a person to know what shall happen with him or his business in future. They thought the keen eye sight of vultures can be transferred to human when mixed with some traditional medicine that was why some politicians directly or indirectly contacted them for the parts. They believed that different sicknesses and diseases can be cured also by the the vultures’ organs such as hearts, crop, liver etc.

Most of the vultures were brought from the far Northern Nigerian states such as Bauchi, Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Nasarawa state and Borno. A dealer told me that they can also sell vulture parts gotten from Plateau state to those Northern states. Some of the dealers have connections with other dealers that have links with other dealers in other African countries such as Binin Republic, Niger republic, Cameroon, Guinea, Mali and Chad.

After I left the market I went round different slaughter points and dumping sites in search of life vultures but to no success. I then realised that, it’s easy to find dead Vultures than live vultures in most African communities in general and Nigeria in particular. It’s truly not surprising that vultures seems to have disappeared in many Nigerian communities. Nigeria which used to have six different species of vultures have lost that pride to extinction caused mainly by trades in vulture parts. Today, only Hooded Vulture and White-backed Vulture are seen in their increasingly reducing numbers

The Reminiscence of Vultures and their Disappearance in North - central Nigeria

Back then in the 70s, and early 80s, vultures were a beautiful and rampant sights in abattoirs, and town outskirts. When ever there was a dead animal around, they located it first, leading curious eyes of people, to the exact spot where the dead animal was. Children used to fly their kites and were always happy to look in to the sky and also saw the hovering vultures. There used to be six species of vultures in Nigeria, all in their good numbers. In early 80s and middle 90s, the disappearance of vultures became glaring to curious minds, but to most unsuspecting people, nothing seemed to have happened or nothing changed. Only two species of vulture exists today out of the six species; the white-backed vulture and the hooded vulture (Necrosyretes monachus). Hooded vulture, is one of the old world vultures that still exists as others have gone in to extinction in the country. Not many people have noticed their disappearance. Hooded vulture too, is increasingly declining despite its being uplisted to Critically endangered species by the IUCN in 2015.

When I set out to investigate the cause of their disappearance in North -central Nigeria, I had asked different people different questions about when last they saw a vulture. You will be surprised to know that, some people seemed to have been woken from their slumber of noticing their disappearance. "Hmmm, it's true my son, I don't recall when last I saw a vulture around again, unlike in the 60s and 70s, when they competed with butchers in abattoirs for pieces of meat, or even struggling to pull a part of slaughtered cow away." A man had replied me while touching his grey hair, as if in a struggle to think deep and far. Many people demanded to know why they have disappeared. My survey across all the 17 Local Government Areas of Plateau state (North- Central Nigeria), has answered the questions I raised, and which people continue to ask about why the vultures disappeared.

Continue to follow my blog, as we take a walk in to the mystery of the disappearance of vultures in North-Central Nigeria as I reveal all that I encountered, which also scared me; an experience of serendipity and hindsight which was the story of why vultures in Nigeria are easy to be found dead than alive. The story of the plight of vultures in the hands and plot of people. All these, will be the vivid tales of reality; a sober recollection of encounter and observations, in my months of searching for the threats affecting the vultures in the country.

From Pied Kingfishers to Northern Carmine bee-eaters

I came across this species of bird (Northern Carmine bee-eater) during birding in Bokkos last Saturday. That was the first time of encountering the species in my birding life. Quite a serendipity out there. A Nigerian birds atlassing team also reported coming across the species today in Gombe (Part of North-Eastern Nigeria). They have a unique food finding technique, that took a lot of my time, getting me rapt in observing that behaviour. I was so happy that I found such a beautiful bird species’ colony close to a dam where I have been observing the feeding successes of Pied Kingfisher. They were seen perching on a tree together (12 of them). They were seen scanning around for bees and other eatable insects, and on sighting any, they flew to snap it with their beak. So, their feeding went on, until a passerby went close and they flew to the next branch of tree, ensuring that there was a safety gap between them and the woman looking for firewood. I focused my binocular on them, and I was fortunate to observe one of the birds feedingfeeding the other. More observation revealed that, it was an adult feeding a young one. The younger one perched watching its mother diving in the air, manoeuvring to catch the insect. That was a hunting learning process for the young one. The mother brought the caught prey as the young one opened its beak to receive as its wings softly flap, not in flight but in appreciation (I thought).

Vulture Nightmares

Vultures in Nigeria and many other African countries, are facing serious threats from anthropogenic activities. Dealing in parts of vultures based on traditional beliefs is leading in the cause of the decline in the population of the vultures. My recent research across Plateau state, Nigeria, left me with tears at the outcome of the research and my encounter with vulture traders. I came across markets and dealers who display vulture parts at costly prices. What pains me so much, was a juvenile vulture which was captured last year September in the southern part of the state, by a traditional practitioner. He chained the vulture and tied it’s wings, as he fed it once in a day with pieces of meat. The vulture looked pathetic, dejected and abandoned. That was just an instance out of many such instances of vulture persecution. My survey showed that, some people are still eating the vulture meat openly and secretly. We need to protect the already critically endangered species of scavengers. We need them alive that when they are dead in our society. They can safe us so much money, because of their sanitation roles. We should know that, it is our responsibility all to ensure that, these important species of scavengers do not go to extinction in our generation and even many more generations to come. We wouldn’t have defence against our acts if posterity shall question us in future. Be an ambassador in the protection of vultures.