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The Miyetti Allah Cattle Association of Nigeria has come out in defense of violent Fulani Herdsmen, claiming that attacks only ensue when they are in danger.
According to a Punch report, Senator Dagiri Alkali, leader of the delegation, has claimed that the herders only move into new territories once they have been forced out of their homelands in the North of the country.
While claiming that Fulani Herdsmen had endured several attacks at the hands of Boko Haram insurgents at recent times, Alkali also stated that the group had been the victims of several attacks made by cattle rustlers, leading him to wonder why this wasn’t taken into consideration when the herders were driven to various new parts of Nigeria.
“This is a venture that over 20 million people are engaged in. And nobody cares to know what the causes of this problem are. Presently, you know the case of Boko Haram. They attacked and decapitated the population of Fulani in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe and some parts of Taraba.
“The cattle rustlers have displaced the Fulani in Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Plateau and Benue and in some parts of Kogi. Millions of cattle have been taken from these herdsmen. So when somebody says a Fulani man killed somebody, I wonder why? How? It’s only a poor man that fights,” said Alkali.
Despite his vehement defenses, Alkali has since stated that those responsible for attacks on innocent citizens should be prosecuted at the hands of the Nigerian military.
