The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders
Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has accused some communities of depriving
herdsmen their indigenous rights, saying this has contributed to the crisis
surrounding herdsmen and farmers across the country.
In various states including
Benue, Plateau and Zamfara, clashes between the herders and farmers/locals as
well as attacks by suspected herders have led to the death of hundreds, the
most recent being in Plateau where at least 100 were killed.
Speaking with TheCable, Mohammadu
Nura, chairman of the MACBAN state chapter, said contrary to speculations that
the herdsmen are attacking residents in communities where they graze their
cows, the herders are usually on the receiving end.
In the case of Plateau, for
instance, he said some portions of the lands in contention were inherited by
the Fulani herdsmen “who are indigenes of the state”.
According to him, “the Fulani
villagers were ransacked by the Biroms (the locals). They are very many
villages that were ransacked. Like in Kuru Janta, when they went there, they
killed over 150 persons including women and children. This was in 2010. In
Heipang, 83 persons were killed including the chief imam of Heipang. In
Sabongida Kanan, 78 persons; in Kim Kim, 28 persons; in Waram, 19 persons.
“So many of the Fulani villages
were ransacked, and now they have occupied the lands, claiming they are their
own lands, whereas they are hereditary lands; customary lands belonging to the
herdsmen. Some of the lands they are
accusing Fulanis of chasing them away from belong to us and some of them belong
to Biroms. I must not be biased. The larger portions of the lands belong to
Biroms, but there are portions that belong to Fulanis. And Fulanis should not
be denied their rights.
“Those that are not in Plateau
think that Fulanis are not indigenes of Plateau. We have the history of Plateau
state. Fulanis were one of the people who originated from Plateau state.
Depriving Fulanis of their rights will never help us in Nigeria. It will never
help peace in this country.”
He also denied reports that the
villagers in Plateau were attacked by the herders, saying those killed in the
crisis were herdsmen and not villagers as is being reported.
He said: “We had a privileged
information before that Saturday that people will block roads and search for
Fulanis. So we informed our people that they should be alert and nobody should
use those roads. Unfortunately, on that very day, at 6am, they started blocking
roads and were holding sophisticated weapons including riffles, machetes, and
shouting that they must kill a Fulani man.
“They were there till around 1pm
(when) they went on rampaging, moving into the hinterland; looking for Fulanis
in their villages and cows to kill. They
went into the bush and started killing them and their cows. That is the genesis
of the crisis. And I said this thing
before the vice-president and the community leaders. Nobody disputed the fact.”
Nura also spoke on several other
issues including how the government can address the crisis, ranching as a way
out, ensuring peaceful co-existence between the two groups among others.
Below is a video of the full
interview
Se ongbo nko ti oloriburuku Miyetti Allah yi nso?
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