A coalition of Fulani youth groups has called on the federal and state governments to ensure a halt to what they described as “the extra-judicial killings of Fulani in the country” by those opposed to the existence of the race.
The coalition in a communiqué after a press conference, Tuesday, in Abuja said they would not sit and watch their people labeled as miscreants and killing them like fouls in their own country.
The coalition under the aegis of Fulbe Umminobe Sukabe Development Association of Nigeria (FUSADAN) dissociated themselves from the group that reached an agreement with state governors over the recent crisis in parts of the South west.
Speaking on behalf of the group, the leader of FUSADAN, Comrade Mohammad Ardo, said of all the tribes in Nigeria, non is as law abiding as the Fulani, insisting that the stock have benefited the least from the Nigerian government.
He said the Fulani nation is fed up with being described as criminals whenever security challenges occur in the country.
“Of all the tribes in Nigeria, none is as law abiding as the Fulani but the Fulani have not benefited in any way from the Nigerian government; no schools, no place to graze, no electricity, water etc. This accusation of criminality must stop.
“Miyetti Allah is a Fulani group but they are not delivering their responsibilities, which is why the Fulani youths have gathered themselves to take a stand because they are not delivering what we want.
“A meeting was held recently in the South-west where some Fulani organisation signed and accepted an agreement that grazing should be stopped. If it was a real Fulani organisation, they wouldn’t have accepted because if the government wants us to stop, they must provide certain things for the Fulani because we have had grazing reserves before independence.
“Fulani are fully Nigerians and they have the right to travel, live and graze anywhere in Nigeria as enshrined in the Constitution of the country. Any newspaper, magazine, journal or any other news channel that uses the name ‘Fulani’ to qualify any crime or criminal should be ready to meet our lawyers in court. We say emphatically that, enough is enough of these senseless killings of innocent Fulani and their herds across the South-West and South-east states of the country.”
