Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) has rejected
branding its members as terrorists, just as it has tabled five demands
that it hoped would douse tension as well as reduce conflict in some
states, according to Daily Sun.
First on the list of demands is the arrest and prosecution of those
who killed their members in Mambila and Numan, in Taraba and Adamawa
states, respectively.
The association also wants compensation paid to the victims of all crises, “to
reduce their level of suffering, as well as set up a judicial
commission of inquiry to look into all killings, so as to unravel the
truth and the offenders.
“MACBAN also wants the Federal Government to establish a
Ministry of Livestock Development, to attend to the multi-dimensional
needs of the industry, as obtained in many countries.”
The association also advocated the enactment of a national law to
cater to the peculiar needs of pastoralists, in particular, and the
livestock sub-sector, in general. They said anti-grazing laws
promulgated by some states have woefully failed to address contentious
issues.
It was also a day MACBAN disclosed that, so far, the association
has lost over 1,000 people and 2 million cows in the recent crises
between its association and some state governments. In a statement
signed by its National Secretary, Baba Usman Ngeljarma, MACBAN lamented
the ‘’unfortunate crises which have degenerated into dangerously
intolerable level of killings, maiming and unprecedented destruction of
property in some states of the country.”
MACBAN alleged that its members have been main targets of
offensives and also, deliberately being pointed at as the attackers at
the same time. This horrible accusation, in both intent and purpose, is
meant not only to smear the image of the herdsmen as a peace-loving
community, but to, also, allow further criminal justification to carry
out total ethnic cleansing on our members, as witnessed in different
parts of the country.’
“As the premier pastoralist body in the country, we have
remained in unimaginable pains on daily basis as we receive
communication of gory details of attacks, maiming and destruction of our
members across the country.”
Ngeljarma alleged that his members have suffered long years of
exclusion as the most neglected community in the country, thereby
depriving it of so many things.
“It is no longer hidden that to achieve these, some state
governments are sponsoring ethnic militia against our people, recruiting
and arming locals to kill our people and rustle their livestock as seen
recently in Benue and Taraba states.
“We have lost over 1,000 people, including children, women and
the aged and over 2 million cattle to this gang. We are more disturbed,
today, as this state government hides under the self-created crises and
blackmails the federal government into releasing to them security
operatives to achieve their illegal and wicked agenda on our people…”