Ahmad Gumi, a prominent Islamic cleric, has called for the
establishment of a ministry of nomadic affairs to address the grievances of
herders.
Gumi said this on Wednesday at the ‘Pastoralists and Fulbe
Security Conference’, held in Abuja with the theme, ‘Exploring the contemporary
security challenges facing pastoralists and Fulbe in Nigeria’.
The event was jointly organised by the Miyetti Allah Cattle
Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and northern consensus movement (NCM).
The cleric said the Fulani herders and other aggrieved
groups should be accorded the same treatment given to Niger Delta militants.
“Government should
focus more attention on these people because they always say that they are
aggrieved,” NAN quoted him as saying.
“What I expect from the government is nothing less than what
it did, when the Niger Delta youths were vandalising the economy.
“These people are also disturbing the Nigerian agriculture
which is the backbone of national economy.
“I think the
government needs to be more proactive. They need attention. The least they need
is the ministry of nomadic affairs that will look into their affairs.”
Husseini Bosso, national president of MACBAN, in his
address, said it was no longer news that kidnappings and armed banditry had
become the order of the day in many communities in the country.
Bosso, however, said contrary to speculations that
pastoralists are behind such crimes, herders are also victims.
“What is baffling is that crimes perpetuated against
pastoralists have no traction in the media. Our members have been the highest
victims of criminality,” he said.
“MACBAN chairmen in
Kogi, Niger, Nasarawa states and five other local government chairmen,
including Gwagwalada area council, were all recently abducted and killed.
“This buttresses the fact that we are not spared from the
atrocities of the kidnappings and banditry in our communities.”
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