Coalition decries neglect of herders by Nigerian govt

A group under the aegies of Coalition of Pastoralists Associations of Nigeria (CPAN) on Tuesday called the attention of the Nigerian government and the international community to the plight of herdsmen in the country.

The CPAN, which comprises MACBAN, the Tabbital Pulaaku International (TPI), and Jonfe Jam Youth Development Association of Nigeria (JJYDAN), the Fulbe Development Association of Nigeria and other groups, alleged that the Nigerian authorities had allowed the “cattle-rearing business to go down the drain due to natural and man-made disasters.”

The President of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Baba Othman Ngelzarma, who addressed journalists at a press conference in Abuja, accused the Federal Government and states in the country of attempting to destroy the businesses and chasing the Fulani away from the country.

He said: “Backed by the conspiratorial silence of government, many citizens, especially sub-national entities, have adopted the culture of intolerance towards Fulani and their ventures.

READ ALSO: Miyetti Allah accuses Buhari of abandoning herders after re-election

“While the Nigerian government has not lifted any finger to recharge Lake Chad and make it habitable for our people, it has watched helplessly as different communities and governments treat the Fulani as irritants.

“The state governments formulate obnoxious laws. They ban open grazing without providing infrastructure for alternatives. They seize our cows and arrest our people recklessly and fine them unreasonable amounts.

“The Fulani have been the target of stereotypes, ethnic cleansing and mass murder in almost all states. Fulani people have been a subject of hatred, annihilation for unjustifiable reasons.”

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