Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has called on the Federal Government to leverage on the Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS) transhumance certificate protocol, to check influx of herdsmen from neighbouring countries.
The call was contained in a statement jointly signed by Alhaji Muhammad Kiruwa, President, and Alhaji Baba Ngelzarma, National Secretary of the Association respectively on Thursday in Abuja.
Ngelzarma, who explained that the advice was part of resolutions reached at the end of a one-day National Executive meeting of the association with its Chairman, Board of Trustees, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, held in Abuja.
He said the meeting was convened to review the deteriorating security situation in the country, as it affected its members and the continued stereotyping, by the social and the mass media, that all herdsmen were criminals and bandits.
Ngelzarma also stated that the meeting called on the Federal Government to carry out sensitisation and re-orientation programmes for pastoralists, as well as revamp the nomadic education programme for their children.
Similarly, he urged the Federal Government to decisively deal with the issue of porous borders, which made it possible for the massive proliferation of arms.
“The meeting also called on the Federal Government to introduce social support programmes, as is done to other sectors of the economy such as farmers and miners, the petroleum sector.
“This will alleviate the huge losses of livestock; taking into consideration the over five million cattle that have been lost as a result of banditry, cattle rustling, kidnapping and climate change.
“The meeting expressed its outrage at how 1,730 cows were allegedly rustled in Kafin Koro, in Mariga Local Government Area in Niger State, on February 2, which rendered several families destitute, without any means of livelihood.
“The meeting once again called on the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to distinguish its name (Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association of Nigeria) with that of a newly registered organisation bearing the same Miyetti Allah, so as not to confuse the public.
“The meeting also appealed to the Federal Government to take immediate action against local criminal gangs known as “Yansakai” in Kebbi and Niger states, who are involved in wanton killings of 153 innocent pastoralists.”
He pledged the co-operation and support of the association to the federal and state governments, traditional rulers and security agencies, in the fight against banditry and kidnapping in all parts of the country, saying that such co-operation would bring peace, stability and harmonious co-existence.
