Killer Herdsmen: Miyetti Allah speaks on Benue, Taraba, other violence, says 1,000 Fulanis killed

The Miyetti Allah, a coalition of Fulani herdsmen, has reacted to the recent killings in Benue, Taraba and other states.

Scores of people have been killed in violence in those states between herdsmen and farming communities.

The latest killing of over 70 people in Benue has been blamed by the state government on the Miyetti Allah.

In its statement signed by its Secretary yesterday, Miyetti Allah condemned violence and suggested ways to end them.

‎”We are however not denying the fact that, as any other community in the country, we are also battling with misguided and criminally motivated elements who indulge in social vices and criminal activities. However, these few miscreants do not represent the mainstream of herdsmen,” the group said.

It also said about 1,000 Fulanis have been killed in communal violence in the affected states.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we totally condemn violence, in whatever form anywhere in Nigeria and by whoever.

“It is important to note that the pastoralist share a long relationship with many communities in the country, as they carry out their legitimate occupation of nomadism/pastoralism; carrying along their lives, families and possessions making it impossible to foment trouble.

“Our disposition as the immediate neighbours to almost all Nigerians does not only make us vulnerable but also susceptible to baseless accusations by promoters of violence, despite us being the worst victims.”

It added that like any other community in the country, Miyetti Allah is battling with misguided and criminally motivated elements who indulge in social vices and criminal activities.

“However, these few miscreants do not represent the mainstream of herdsmen. In fact our case is worsen by long years of exclusion suffered by the Fulani herdsmen as the most neglected community in the country, thereby depriving us of so many things.

“The current situation in our opinion is fuelled by the draconian laws put in place by some state governments with the singular aim of chasing our people out of the states simply for ethnic hatred. The anti-open-grazing law in Benue, Taraba and other states is nothing more than a symbol of intolerance and do not in any way intend to solve the farmers/grazers conflict as the livestock breeders interest is neither captured in the law nor in its implementation mechanism.

“While as a body we are not against any law that can engender peace, create societal harmony and stability, we cannot oblige any self-centred regulation with primordial sentiments based on injustice, intolerance and infringement of people’s fundamental rights. It is no longer hidden that to achieve these, some state governments are sponsoring ethnic militia against our people, recruiting and arming locals to kill our people and rustle their livestock as seen recently in Benue and Taraba States.”

The group said after reviewing the current challenges as they affect its members, it demanded the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of 732 of its people killed in Mambila and 82 women and children killed in Numan.

It also called for payment of compensation to the victims of all crises to reduce their level of suffering and that the Federal Government should create Ministry of Livestock Development to attend to the multidimensional needs of the industry as is obtained in many countries. Additionally, the FG should enact a law to carter for the peculiar needs of pastoralists in particular and the livestock subsector in general since the mischievous anti open grazing laws promulgated by some states have woefully failed to address the contentious issues, among other requests.

…Buhari meets Saraki, Dogara on nat’l security

President Muhammadu Buhari is meeting with the leadership of the National Assembly over the security situation in Benue State, Taraba and other parts of the country.

The meeting which took place, last night, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja was attended by the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara.

The Presidency explained via its Twitter handle yesterday that President Buhari called the meeting to brief the National Assembly leadership on efforts by the Federal Government in securing Benue and other states across the country.

…we’ve witnessed so much bloodshed… clashes need to end – IBB

Former president, Ibrahim Babangida, yesterday urged Nigerians and governments at all levels to serve as national vanguards in resolving recent disturbing incidents affecting national security.

Babangida made the call in a statement in Minna, Niger State capital.

He urged the media to serve as national vanguards in tackling the present security challenges facing the country.

In recent weeks, there have been a series of attacks by suspected herdsmen on communities in Benue, Taraba and Kaduna states.

“We should cooperate and support our security with relevant information and intelligence to help in tackling the problems,” he said.

“As people we should inculcate our cultural values that promote good conduct, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

“We should eschew hate speeches, discrimination and other vices that trigger senseless violence and bloodshed.

“We have witnessed so much bloodshed through communal clashes and conflicts that need urgent actions to stop them now.

“As we enter the electioneering period, I urge our political office holders as well as politicians from all political parties to be conscious of their campaign slogans.

“For the members of the armed forces and security agencies, I urge them to remain apolitical, neutral and focus on the ethics of discipline which is the hallmark of their profession.

“In conclusion, I wish to once again express my condolence to the families of members of the Armed Forces who lost their lives in their effort to keep Nigeria secured in various military operations.”

Babangida called on Nigerians to show appreciation for the courage of the gallant fallen heroes on the occasion of the Armed Forces Day on January 15.

This, he said, can be done by contributing support for the welfare and upkeep of the families they left behind, especially their widows and children.

He said it was necessary at this period when the nation was faced with myriads of challenges of terrorism, communal clashes, kidnapping, cultism and gangsterism, among other criminalities.

…Buhari did nothing about genocide despite 18 months warning – Bakare

The serving overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly (LRA), Tunde Bakare said President Muhammadu Buhari and his government did nothing about the genocide in Benue even though they were warned 18 months earlier.

Bakare, also added that the government has failed in what seem to be its area of strength — security, and has permitted a genocide in some parts of the country.

“Nothing indicts the current government greater than its failure in one key performance area that ought to be its strength: security,” Bakare said.

“Despite recent setbacks, we acknowledge the gains in the war against Boko Haram, but highly disturbing is the mayhem being continually unleashed by herdsmen on communities in different states across the country, including Benue, Taraba, Plateau, Adamawa, Kaduna, Enugu, Edo and Ogun States, leaving trails of weeping and wailing.

“The recent killings in Benue State are akin to the last straw that is set to break the camel’s back. Not only has the government failed to stop these killings across the country, it has done so against the backdrop of conspiratorial silence, choosing rather to label such attacks ‘an issue of communal misunderstanding’, as the Inspector General of Police recently did in respect of the Benue attacks; it has treated the menace with kid gloves even after the Global Terrorism Index 2015 described ‘militant’ herdsmen as ‘the fourth most deadly group of 2014’.

“Worse still, some of these killings have reportedly been carried out in collusion with the military.

Bakare said the federal government has become complicit for not advancing and vigorously executing policies aimed at pre-empting or preventing these killings even with sufficient warnings.  “I am reminded of the open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari by a former Nigerian High Commissioner to Canada and Second Republic senator, Prof. Iyorwuese Hagher. Permit me to quote excerpts from that letter:

‘Your Excellency Mr. President…I am pained that you ignored my advice in my private memorandum to you dated 30th July 2016. I had warned you of the possibility of a horrendous genocide in Benue, Plateau, Taraba, Southern Kaduna, and Southern Adamawa States.

‘I asked you to be proactive and stop the genocide that has been ongoing but which would burst out in the open and shock the world within 18 months. Your office replied my letter…thanking me ‘immensely’ and giving me the assurances that the advice would be heeded…I regret to now inform you that it is seventeen months since my warning and prediction and your government did nothing to pre-empt or prevent the genocide.’”

He stated further that this administration anchored its policy outlook on three main thrusts, including security, job creation through diversification, and anti-corruption, yet all around are signs of retrogression.

“As at June 2015, the unemployment rate was 8.2% of a labour force of 74 million, meaning that about 6 million Nigerians were unemployed.

“By September 2017, despite such efforts as N-Power and a range of policies aimed at improving enterprise development and facilitating job creation, the unemployment rate had risen to 18.8% of a labour force of 85.1 million, indicating that between 2015 and 2017, the number of unemployed Nigerians rose from about 6 million to almost 16 million.”

Meanwhile, Bakare has reacted to criticisms generated by his reported declaration that God told him to run for presidency in 2019.

The cleric, in a series of tweets yesterday, denied the reports saying at no point did he say he would run in 2019 or declared open a presidential campaign as was inferred in the reports.

Bakare wrote, “The declaration was not Presidential campaign announcement; it was an invitation for prayers sent out to fellow labourers initiated to our corporate destiny as nation builders.

“Nowhere in that declaration did I mention running for election. It is, however, not surprising that politicians and politically minded have interpreted it as such.

“Every time the word “run” is used in a statement, the politician think of elections while a statesman thinks the next generation. I am, by God’s grace, a nation builder propelled by the dream of a New Nigeria and hopefully will become a statesman someday.