BY GODWIN OBI
The Taraba State Chapter of Miyyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) has been commended for apprehending and handing over eleven suspected criminals to the Nigerian Police at Maraban kunini.
The State Chairman of MACBAN, Sahabi Tukur, who confirmed this said the gesture was in line with their earlier pledge before the Emir of Muri, Alhaji Abbas Tafida and State Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Sokoya that they would do everything possible to expose the bad eggs amongst them.
He also revealed in a communiqué that ” Those who repent would be documented, while those that refuse to repent and stop kidnapping and other crimes would equally be handed over to security agents to face the appropriate laws of the land.
” We have agreed not to harbour criminals, even if they are our biological children, and we have sworn to an oath to expose their sponsors no matter their standing in the society, “
Meanwhile, Tukur also intimated that a committee consisting of many of their kinsmen across the state would be working with the police and other security agents to expose the criminals
Sokoya commended the courage exhibited by the Fulani group in the State to weed out the bad ones amongst and sought collaboration among Adamawa, Benue and Taraba state to easily eradicate this menace.
This is coming less than four weeks after the Emir of Muri, Alhaji Abbas Tafida ordered all the cattle herders out of the forest or be forced out.
HOW MURI’ s EMIR BECAME THE COMMANDER- IN- CHIEF OF HIS PEOPLE
During the last Sallah celebration, Eid- l- Kabir to be precise, the Emir of Muri, Alhaji Abbas Tafida issued a 30- day Ultimatum to all Fulani herders occupying the forest within his domain.
He lamented how those whom they received warmly and wholeheartedly had turned out to be their greatest nightmare following allegations of kidnapping, killings, ràpe and other criminal activities against them.
He said if the Fulani herders fail to stop their activities, he would have no choice but to allow his youths to kill any Fulani man on sight in the forest.
The first- class monarch also promised to deal with anyone conspiring with the criminals to perpetrate their heinous crime including police officers.
” Our young people are inactive. Police at a time caught a district head conniving with kidnappers and they gave him bail, he had the audacity to go back to his district and the youths did nothing,
” From now on, anyone caught conniving with kidnappers, we will kill him and his family members. Police should be warned! We have respect for them but when next they arrest someone conniving with kidnappers and they let the person go free, we will also arm the youth to protect the citizens, he said while narrating an incident involving the police
THE SECURITY AGENCY’ s PERCEPTION/REACTION TO THE ORDER
The 30- day ultimatum given by the ruler created a huge tension among the security agencies within the state. They felt the monarch ought to have reached out to them when issues relating to insecurity surface rather than issuing a statement capable of inciting the public.
” We respect traditional rulers a lot and take their statements seriously. The emir should have availed us of information available to him that indicated the rising cases of kidnappings, killings, and attacks were linked to suspected criminal herders in the forest.
” Our fear is that the threat by the emir could trigger jungle justice and reprisal attacks between the citizens and herders, “
ANOTHER EMIR SENDS STRONG WARNING TO FULANI HERDSMEN IN TARABA
Days after Muri Emir gave the 30- day ultimatum, another monarch in Taraba State identified as
Justice (Retired) Sani Suleiman who is the chief of MutumBiyu in Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State raised an alarm that some Fulani herdsmen had destroyed about 300 farms and were involved in several kidnapping cases.
While addressing the two prominent Fulani district head in his palace, he warned them severely and threatened to dethrone anyone found wanting amongst them. The Fulani herdsmen also admitted to their people’ s wrongdoing and promised to fish out the bad eggs among them.
” You must talk to your people especially the youth among you to stop all forms of criminal activities and failure will force us to take necessary action within the provision of law to free ourselves from your acts of wickedness, ” he warned
Recall that following the arrest of Chief Sunday Igboho, the self- acclaimed Yoruba activist, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA called on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare armed herdsmen and armed Fulani militia, including Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, MACBAN, as terrorists. They accused the President of showing tremendous support to his kinsmen while going after self- determination activists in the Southern part of the country.
” We think Mr. Sunday Igboho is a prisoner of conscience just like Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who was illegally abducted in Kenya and repatriated to Nigeria, “
” Nigerians should ask the President to declare Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association and the armed Fulani attackers bombarding all parts of Nigeria as terrorist groups” – the group said
Another group, the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) based in the United States also called President Muhammadu Buhari to declare the MACBAN as a terrorist organization for allegedly claiming responsibility for some killings and threatening the life of Governor Samuel Ortom.
” NADECO (USA) calls on Buhari administration to immediately declare Miyetti Allah as a terrorist organisation. Miyetti has mostly been responsible for the killings and slaughtering of innocent people in the Middle Belt region of Nigeria, South- East, South- West, and South- South.
” Miyetti Allah has openly admitted these killings including an attempt on the life of the sitting governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom. The Federal Government never uttered a word of condemnation for their criminal enterprise disguised as a cattle breeders association” – an excerpt of their release reads
In the same vein, the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN asked the Federal Government to arrest the leadership of MACBAN or declare the association as a terrorist group for allegedly sponsoring the killing of Christians in Southern Kaduna, Benue, Plateau and Taraba states, among others.
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