The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association has condemned Monday’s clash in Onunwakpu community of Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State which led to the death of three farmers and a herdsman.
NAN reports that the National Secretary of the association, Alhaji Baba Usman, made the condemnation on Tuesday in Abakaliki during an enlarged security meeting convened by Gov. David Umahi to which the Miyetti Allah national leadership was invited.
Usman said the union’s members were law abiding, and that Ebonyi was one of the states in the country where herdsmen operated freely without hindrance and lived peacefully with the citizens.
“We have been treated fairly in Ebonyi as exemplified by the government’s fulfillment of its promise to arrest and prosecute the person that attacked and killed our member in 2017.
“Monday’s incident which led to the deaths is still shocking to us and we declare that it was perpetrated by criminals among us who had been causing problems and giving us a negative image.
“We also condemn all forms of atrocities such as rape allegedly perpetrated by herdsmen across the state as our law abiding members are presently at the receiving end of these acts,” he said,
The national secretary assured that members of the union would not encourage violence in any form, noting that they would be made to abide by the state government’s laws on cattle rearing.
“We are against night grazing, illegal migration of herders to other states, grazing by minors among others, as these provisions are also obtained in the laws of Ebonyi.
“Ebonyi people should realise that these criminals who parade dangerous weapons such as AK47 guns, also rustle our cattle as we have lost more than 2 million cows to their activities.
“We promise to intensify our education of pastoralists and herders to abide by the cattle rearing laws, shun acts that would lead to violence and breach of the harmonious relations with Ebonyi citizens,” he assured.
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