A Fulani socio-cultural association, under the aegis of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, has called on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Ibrahim Idris to investigate and arrest those behind the killing of Fulani herdsmen in Delta state.
The group also expressed dissatisfaction over the alleged non responsiveness of the Commissioner of Police in Delta state, Mohammed Ibrahim Zana and the state Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa.
While the herdsmen accused the Governor of not been proactive enough in responding to their plights; they also accused the Police Commissioner and his men of “denying the Fulanis justice.”
In the latest clash between the Fulani herdsmen and the farmers of Ossisa community in Ndokwa area of Delta state on 25th August, 2017, scores of casualties were recorded.
The herdsmen, however, claimed that the youths of the community were those who allegedly massacred their members and also killed over 60 of their cows, while raping their women in the process.
At a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, the National Publicity Secretary of the group, Malam Yusuf Musa Ardo, called on the police to ensure the killing of the herdsmen by their host communities is curbed.
Ardo said his group had received a petition from members of Alhaji Mohammed Bassa family and other Fulanis living in Delta state.
According to him, “the petitioners complained that, after the hoodlums have killed their people, they would also vanish into the air with their dead bodies, making it impossible for them to pay their last respect to their remains as demanded by their culture and religion”.
While praying for the eternal repose of those who were massacred, the association said the souls of the departed could only find peace if justice was done to those who massacred them.
The Spokesman also said, the herdsmen had been given orientation on regular basis on the need to live in peace with their host communities, saying, as law abiding citizens, the herders would not engage in any activities that would undermine their coexistence with the farmers.
He said, should any of the herdsmen misbehaves, the farmers or host community should not hesitate to inform the Miyetti Allah or the law enforcement agencies, rather than taking laws into their own hands.
On the anti-open grazing bill recently passed into law in some states in Nigeria, the Miyetti Allah’s Spokesman said the matter was already in court and could amount to prejudice if he spoke further on it.
He, however, said the states which passed the law should have rather provided an alternative route or ranching to herders before thinking of such law.
Ardo also urged the National Assembly to as a matter of urgency, expedite actions on the passage of the National Ranching Commission Bill, to help provide grazing reserve for the herders’ cattle.
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