How 15, 000 Herders Were Killed, and Over Four Million Cattles Rustled in 10 Years – MACBAN
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, has alleged that over 15,000 pastoralists have lost their lives due to the farmer-herder crises, bandits’ attacks, and kidnapping in 10 years.
According to Daily Trust, the national president of the association, Baba Othman Ngalzarma, disclosed this at the National Executive Council meeting held in Paiko, Niger State.
The report quoted Mr Ngalzarma as saying that four million cattle belonging to the pastoralists were also lost to cattle rustling across the country during the period.
He also claimed that despite being victims of banditry, the Fulani’s have been stereotyped as criminals by many Nigerians.
“A lot of Nigerians are being deceived to see an average pastoralist as a criminal. The pastoralists are the victims because they are at the receiving end of all these crises, including kidnapping, cattle rustling, farmer/herder conflicts, and banditry. Whenever you hear of banditry, you will also hear of cattle being rustled by bandits, the pastoralists, who are referred to as Fulani, are 95 per cent of the owners of cows in the country.
“So, we are at the receiving end of all these crises. We are more of victims but Nigerians are being deceived to see us as culprits. Though there are criminals among pastoralists, just as there are criminals in every society of Nigeria. However, this does not mean that the entire Fulani are criminals,” Mr Ngalzarma was quoted as saying.
He also lamented that a year after the military drone strike on pastoralists in Nasarawa State, the federal government was yet to compensate the victims and their families.
He therefore appealed to the authorities to come to the aid of the victims’ families.
The MACBAN chief also raised alarm over the alleged killing and looting of cows during military operations.
“The rate at which military operations unit and the vigilantes in some states are looting and killing cows without just cause is becoming alarming,” he said.
He added that MACBAN was always ready to fish out the bad eggs among the pastoralists, adding that the association was sensitising its members on the dangers in the use of illicit drugs and proliferation of small arms and light weapons.
