The Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, a Fulani Socio-Cultural Association, Monday called for establishment of a federal ministry of nomadic affairs to broaden educational opportunities and address pastoralist challenges.
The demand was tabled by the Association’s president, Abdullahi Bello Bodejo and the national secretary, Saleh Alhassan.
They made the call in Abuja after the national executive meeting with state chairmen of the association.
The association also demanded immediate designation, gazetting and development of all the 415 grazing reserves across the states “as the only first strategic step in addressing the challenges confronting Fulani herders in Nigeria.”
“This will include building of earth dams and solar boreholes, building of veterinary clinics, development of diary (milk) collection centres.”
The association condemned the recent massacre of Fulani pastoralists in Taraba State and urged the Inspector-General of Police to fish out the perpetrators and ensure justice is done to the victims’ families to prevent people resorting to self-help.
They said, “The meeting dismissed the consistent claims of farmers-herders’ conflicts as a major setback of instability and insecurity in Nigeria. But rather, the conflicts are exacerbated by activities of states sponsored vigilantes and tribal hordes who willfully continue to carry out extra-judicial killings of Fulani pastoralists.”
The meeting also condemned “the continuous profiling of Fulani pastoralists by Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom through the anti-grazing law.”