Macban chairman says grazing ranch opponents are just jealous of the Fulani who own land all over Nigeria

MIYETTI Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria ((Macban) chairman Alhaji Abdullahi Bodejo has provocatively boasted that all the land in Nigeria belongs to the Fulani and as such they are free to rear their livestock anywhere they please.

Nigeria has been engulfed in communal violence over recent years as Fulani herdsmen and local farming communities have clashed repeatedly, leading to hundreds of deaths. These heavily-armed herdsmen have been known to attack villages with AK47 assault rifles, often mowing down everyone in sight, including women and children.

Over the last few weeks, the situation has become critical after herdsmen killed over 100 people in Plateau State, claiming it was in retaliation for 300 cattle being stolen. To resolve the crisis, the federal government has proposed opening ranches in several states, so herdsmen can graze their cattle in enclosures away from farmland.

Several state governors have, however, objected to this saying they would not permit cattle ranches within their domains, pointing out that animal husbandry is a private business and herdsmen should source their land like every other commercial venture. Inflaming the situation further, Alhaji Bodejo said those claiming to own land who would not release it to government for ranching were being selfish and do not want peace in the land.

Alhaji Bodejo said: “It is because there are no ranches that some Fulani elements from other states are opposed to anti-grazing laws but with the intervention of the federal government, the Fulani can now confine their grazing activities to a particular area.

“They are raising opposition to it because the president of the federation is a Fulani man. I don’t know the basis of the opposition, but those people who are opposed to it are enemies of the Fulani and they are trying to gang up against the Fulani because of their personal interests."

Macban, which has been described as a terrorist organisation that arms these herdsmen, has come in for sharp criticism of late, with several civil society groups calling for the prosecution of its leaders. Several human rights ground have also called on the federal government to classify Macban as a terrorist organisation.

“Is it not a good idea to also settle the Fulani? This will be a solution to the herders-farmers’ conflicts Insha Allah.

“If we close all the cattle markets in this country, the economy will come down. Take the case of Lagos where they slaughter almost 6000 cows per day, now go and ask the governor how much revenue they are raking from there, yet for almost 60 years, Fulani have not gained anything from government," Alhaji Bodejo added.

Adding that the Fulani are one of the most maligned ethnic groups in the country, Alhaji Bodejo said some people are just envious of then. Coming on the back of recent comments by Alhaji Danladi Ciroma the chairman of Macban's north central zone who appeared to justify the recent Plateau killings, Alhaji Bodejo's coming are likely to heat up the situation more.

Alhaji Bodejo added: “Some people are just bent on destroying the Fulani economy. As far as I am concerned, they have no reason for opposing creation of ranches and it is just a demonstration of their hatred against the Fulani.

“Everybody has a right to his opinion but the hatred is too much for us, so let us have a rethink and build Nigeria together. The day those people were born, were they born with the land?"

Critics of the Fulani have claimed that the grazing law plans are just an attempt by them to expand their control over other ethnic groups in the country. Many people have described it as a form of jihad to extend the Fulani traditional kingdom the Sokoto Caliphate across the rest of Nigeria.

Dismissing this, however, Alhaji Bodejo added that traditionally, the Fulani have always had a presence across the rest of Nigeria. He added that historically, the Fulani have always had land in other parts of Nigeria.

Alhaji Bodejo said: "The people who are claiming land are the ones causing crisis in this country because if Fulani have the culture of staying in one place, do you think anybody can claim land more than Fulani? If you don’t know, land all over Nigeria belongs to the Fulani but the only thing is that we don’t have business to do with the land.”

Already, the Middle Belt Forum has called on Plateau State residents and other Nigerians in the Middle Belt to defend themselves against armed herdsmen with anything at their disposal. Insisting that the government had failed to protect middle belters, the forum asked the citizens to organise vigilance groups and use anything within their reach to fight the killers.