Miyetti Allah
Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, comprising Fulani cattle
herders is spoiling for a show down with Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti
State.
They are angry with him over the introduction of the Ekiti Grazing
Enforcement Marshals, EGEM, a vigilance group tasked with ‘arresting’ cows
found invading and damaging farms in the state.
The
association branded Fayose’s action as unscrupulous and targeted at “our
members who are bonafide Nigerians.” Baba Othman Ngelzarma, spokesman for the
group in a statement, yesterday said, “the anti-malu vigilante group shot five
cows and carted away the meat but the herdsman was able to flee with the rest
of his cattle.”
Continuing, MACBAN said; “As far as we know, Ekiti State is not
an island of its own , but a state within the Federal Republic of Nigeria and
while the governor is permitted to carry out actions geared towards protecting
the interest of Ekiti State, such actions should follow the rule of law.
“We
deplore this act of brigandage and call on Governor Fayose to offer an
unreserved apology to MACBAN, and equally set machinery in motion with a view
to compensating our members who lost five cows in this primitive adventure.
“That the brutality of the Ekiti Grazing enforcement marshals (popularly known
as Anti-malu) on herdsmen is even outside the time stipulated by that law (if
the law exists at all). “The Federal Government should therefore look into the
actions and activities of this committee because we cannot fold our hands while
the only means of survival of our members is taken away and destroyed.
“We are
hereby constrained to implore the Federal Government through its security
agencies to wade into this unprovoked and primitive aggression against our
members, before this incident develops into unquenchable inferno involving our
members and Ekiti State government.”
However, the group sympathized with the
government of Kaduna State, and the people of Kaduna South over the recent
attack on Godogodo community by people suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.
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