By Muhammad Tanko Shittu Jos Herders in Riyom local government area of Plateau state have said it was not true that they were stockpiling arms and ammunition at Mahanga community. Th ey rather urged the security agencies to arrest the journalist, who reported that they were using helicopters to stockpile arms to carry out attacks in some North-central states. The denial was contained in a communiqué, issued by the Ardo of Riyom, Muhammad Adamu, and a statement by the Chairmanof Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association in Nigeria (MACBAN), Plateau state chapter, Muhammad Nuru Abdullahi, respectively. Adamu said: “Th e fact that a national daily newspaper, Th e Sun, on Saturday, July 8, 2017, published a false information alleging that Fulani have been stocking arms and ammunition, using helicopters here in Mahanga, our stand has been that we have no option than to sue the Newspaper and its reporter, one Murphy Ganagana, who had neither visited Mahanga nor cared to seek any information from any of our leaders, as he did to some of the Berom.” He said the author of the
write-up who did not reside in Plateau and had fabricated lies to serve a hidden agenda even when the Commander, Operation Safe Haven, Maj.-Gen. Rogers Nicholas, had told him that his assertions about Mahanga were untrue. He said the report that said: “Mahanga is the headquarters of herdsmen, operations in the middle belt, a camp for their warfare, where sophisticated arms and ammunition are warehoused; it is from where that they plan and attack targeted communities in North Central States, including Southern Kaduna, was a mere false and malicious publication aimed at setting calamity on our community.”
Also, condemning the report, state MACBAN chairman, Muhammad Nura Abdullahi, said the Association would stand put for the community in their bid to ensure that justice was done, “as we have decided to seek redress through the court.” “Even when we invited them to counter the report, they refused to come. Again, they claimed to have spoken to the Berom who provided them with the information, but during a town hall meeting at Barkin Ladi, the Berom traditional leaders said they had nothing to do with the report,” he said.
