This was disclosed in Benin yesterday by the National President (MACBAN), Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Mohammadu Kiruwa who spoke through the National Secretary of the association, Alhaji Baba Othman Ngelzarma during their peace visit to the Edo.
Meanwhile, MACBAN, has blamed the frequent clashes between the herdsmen and farmers on politicians who it said were cashing on the crisis to feather their political nests.
According to MACBAN President, “The Sultan of Sokoto during our swearing-in ceremony gave the leadership a two-month mandate to fish out the criminals responsible for herders and farmers clash.
“And at times, allowing minor to go on grazing, that is what is causing most of the problem and above all, when all these are not there when the relationship is good, they certainly in the farms, they see each other, shake hands and continue to live but today, because of so many things more especially politicians have made this crisis a fertile ground.
” So, we have arranged to begin to fish out the criminals within us and the farmers so that we can have Peace. Most of the activities are being perpetrated by criminals because not all cattle herders are criminals.
“The herders also suffered from the activities of these criminals who killed, maimed and kidnapped our members. We have lost over two million cattle to these criminals.
“Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association is a peaceful We are here for peaceful organization which was formed about 30 years ago. We are not party to violence, we condemned them.
” Those moving with sophisticated weapons are not cattle herders, but cattle rustlers. We have had talks with our members and had advised them on what to in relationship with their host communities
“So, they take advantage of the crisis for their political gains. So they give the herdsmen all sorts of names to the extent that today, whatever communities in Nigeria, if they sight herdsmen come close, they start jittery saying trouble is coming close to us.
Those herdsmen are still the ones that you know but the information will give is to always confess that we also have criminals in our midst just like any other society.
Earlier, Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Babatunde Komumo, said that the meeting was called to proffer solutions to the frequent clashes between the herdsmen and farmers in the State.
” We have heard of complaints from various communities from farmers against herdsmen and we have put in place a lot of measures to address these and make sure that it does not degenerate further “, he said.
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