Fulani herders have accused the Governor of Benue State Samuel Ortom of confiscating and auctioning millions of their cattle.
The leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore raised the alarm in a communique they issued at the expanded national executive meeting of state chairmen in Abuja, where they also protested the confiscation and auction of millions of cattle belonging to herdsmen in Benue state.
VidveThe herders condemned the continuous profiling of Fulani pastoralists by the governor through the anti-grazing law.
The communique, which was signed by the National President Alh. Abdullahi Bodejo and Secretary, Engr. Saleh Alhassan, called for immediate designation, gazette and development of all the 415 grazing reserves across the Federation.
They have also demanded that the Federal Ministry of Nomadic Affairs, whose mandate would be to broaden educational opportunities and address pastoral challenges, should be established.
It stated: “The meeting condemned the continuous profiling of Fulani pastoralists by the beleaguered Governor of Benue, Samuel Ortom through the satanic anti-grazing law that he has been using to confiscate and auction millions of cattle belonging to Fulani in Benue-Nasarawa and Benue-Taraba border communities.
“The gathering called for the immediate designation, gazette and development of all the 415 grazing reserves across the states of the federation as the only first strategic step in addressing the challenges confronting Fulani herders in Nigeria.”
It dismissed the consistent claims of farmers- herders conflicts as a major setback of instability and insecurity in Nigeria but insisted the conflicts are exacerbated by activities of state sponsored vigilantes and tribal hordes who willfully continue to carry out extra judicial killings of Fulani pastoralists.
