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….establishes vigilantee nationwide
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore which is the fulani socio-cultural association, has decried the negative impact military action would have on the fulani pastoralists in Niger if the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) go ahead with its proposed military action against coup plotters in the country.
The Association thus appealed to ECOWAS to further explore dialogue as the best option in resolving the political crisis in Niger Republic, as any declaration of military action will have devastating consequences in the Sahel region and Sub-Saharan Africa with huge negative impact on Fulani Pastoralists.
President of the Association, Alhaji Bello Bodejo, who addressed journalists at the end of the Association’s Annual General Meeting at Karu, Nasarawa State, on Monday, maintained that Fulani pastoralists are peaceful people and won’t want anything that would disrupt their pastoral activities.
Alhaji Bodejo said the Association was also worried by the increasing activities of armed bandits that had unleashed terror on Fulani pastoralists, rustling their cattle, hence it decided to set up Miyetti Allah Vigilantee that would operate nationwide, assisting the security agencies and other local vigilante groups to tackle the criminals.
He also said that members of the Association also registered their discontent on the continuous policies of segregation by some governors seeking to criminalize the economic livelihoods of Pastoralists through the enactment of “obnoxious anti-open grazing law”.
He added: “This is the most wicked act any government can do to the economic interest of Fulani Pastoralists, hence we unanimously condemned and totally reject the repressive and oppressive laws, and called on the National Assembly to come to the rescue of the Pastoralists.”
He, however, asked the Inspector General of Police, to take pro-active measures to protect Fulani Pastoralists across the country from tribal hordes, ethnic militias and states-sponsored vigilantes who are unleashing terror on the innocent Pastoralists.
He appreciated the Niger State governor, Mohammed Umar Bago, for the creation of Ministry of Nomadic Affairs, and called on other states Governors to emulate the positive gesture, in addition to setting up of a National Truth and Reconciliation Commission to begin process of total reconciliation and national healing process in rural communities.
He charged the security agencies to commence the process of detailed documentation of violence against pastoralists including the collection of exhibits and all relevant information to isolate
the perpetrators of the violence, arrest and prosecute them to ensure justice.
