UTHMAN BABA- SIRAJDEEN
It has been asserted that not less than 15,000 pastoralists were killed by armed bandits while over four million others were displaced within the last ten years.
This was disclosed by the National President of Miyetti-Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Othman Baba Ngazalma after an emergency National Executive Council meeting of the association held at the weekend in Paiko town, Niger State.
Alhaji Baba explained that the pastoralists across the country especially within the North west and North Central states suffered unprecedented casualties in the hands of some criminally minded elements as a result of the activities of armed bandits adding that they were at the receiving end of the banditry attacks compared to other Nigerians.
He stated further that the association expressed dismay over the manner in which the military and the vigilante compounding the crisis at the deteriment of Fulani cattle breeders.
However, the National President of MACBAN stated that the association has mapped out strategies to shave the behavior of the fulani youths across the country against all forms of crimes and criminality bedeviling the nation.
He maintained that ” they have deliberated extensively on how to fish out the bad eggs among the pastorists fold and also sensitize them against the use of illicit drugs as well as checking the proliferation of small arms and light weapons within the pastorists Community”
He however noted that the association under his Leadership is Disturbed with the increasing rates of hardship and the high cost of food stuffs in the country stating that the association has decided to help the goverment in solving the food crisis in the country.
He said MACBAN has not spoken since the inception of the hardship that the citizens were subjected to as a result of removal of Fuel subsidy which resulted to hike in the price of commodity making life unbearable for the citizenry, promising that the association something to help the Government in that regard.
Speaking further, Alhaji Othman Baba Ngazalma, told Journalists that the government of Niger State under the leadership of governor Mohammed Umar Bago will continue to be accorded the Unfliching Supports and cooperation by the pastorists Community for creating the Ministry for Nomadic and pastorists affairs in the state.
He said the governor has exhibited high level of his passion for the Fulani Community in Niger State urging other states governors in the country to emulate him
” For the governor to create the Ministry for Nomadic and pastorists affairs and appointed one of our as a Commissioner, is an exhibition of his love for the pastorists Community in the state.