The Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, a Fulani sociocultural association has threatened to drag no fewer than ten northern states to court over alleged diversion of billions of naira meant for the establishment of cattle ranches in their domains.
Secretary General of the group, Alhaji Saleh Alhassan at a press conference in Abuja identified Plateau, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Katsina and Niger states as some of the recipients of the monies ranging from N5 – N10 billion made available by the federal government.
The Miyetti Allah scribe said he is at pains that there were still disgruntled government officials bent on capitalizing on the plight of his members in pursuit of ill-gotten wealth and self aggrandisement.
He acknowledged that the establishment of cattle ranch in the designated states would go along way in curtailing the recurring problem of farmers herders clashes and rustling of their cattles in the country.
Said said:”Nasarawa State Government have collected money for ranching, Katsina State government have collected money for ranching, Kaduna state government have collected money for ranching. States like Niger are also in the line of collecting money for ranching. Plateau state have collected the money for ranching.
“We are yet to see the ranches because we don’t want the state governors to use the misery and the hardship of the pastoralist to continue to divert these funds. Because we really need to address this issue of farmer-herder conflict, which we believe a sustainable land use management, which is through the ranching will be a solution for for the crisis.”
He particularly decried the alleged unprovoked killings of hundreds of cattles and Fulani herders by suspected indegenous peoples of Biafra (IPOB) militants and Benue forest guards.
Flanked by aggrieved fulanis from across the country, he disclosed that the group have concluded plans to drag the Benue state government to court over the damages running into billions of naira inflicted on herders in the state.
Displaying a trending video on the social media that depicted how a trailer load of cattle were set ablaze by suspected IPOB members, he called on the authorities to nip the menace in the bud.
Lamenting the situation, he warned the continuous killing of Fulani herders will not only affect the conduct of the 2023 poll, but could worsen the security situation in the country.
He added: “This latest attacks, they are carried out by IPOB because if you watch the videos which I will share with members of the press in case you don’t have it, they are proclaiming it they are speaking Igbo language, they are proclaiming their organisation is behind it.
“They want to make sure they chase out every Fulani man in the Southeast destroy their cattle. So it’s not debatable. It’s there on the on the media. Then on the issue of our members being part of the insecurity. Let me state it without any doubt. Our members are not part of the bandits.
“Please take it for the records. We are a herders organisation. If you are a bandit, you don’t have herds of cows. You are a bandit who should be treated as a bandit.
“We will take legal actions against those perpetrating acts of violence against people who also take actions against the ineptitude of the government of the day for align all this injustice and atrocities to be meted out when our people on the issue of the official rustling of our cattle in Benue we’re already taking the stock, and we’re going to sue the Benue state government to pay compensation for all those stolen cattle officially, in the name of arresting cattle across the borders of Benue and Taraba state, Benue and Nasarawa state.
“Because as far as we are concerned, there is no cattle herding in Benue since Ortom put in his law.”
