Miyetti Allah rejects ‘blanket criminalization’ of herdsmen

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) on Monday condemned what it termed ‘blanket criminalisation’ of herdsmen in the country.

The group lamented that people had been taking advantage of some criminal elements to label all herdsmen killers across the country.

The Chairman of MACBAN, South-east Zone, Alhaji Gidado Siddiki, stated this in a message he signed and made available to journalists in Anambra State.

The statement reads: “As I invite everyone in the celebration of Id el Kabir, I sincerely plead for better understanding in information peddling to avoid the often misinformation, half-truths and outright falsehood that the gullible public are often fed with.

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“I plead with the governments, traditional and religious leaders as well as other influential groups in the South-east region not to relent in their advocacy for peaceful coexistence among Nigerians wherever they choose to live and do their legitimate businesses.

“I plead for truthfulness, fairness and restraints in information management to avoid tendencies of unfair blanket criminalisation of any group of people.”

Siddiki advocated that criminals, wherever they are identified, should be made to face the full wrath of the laws of the land, and that the safety of the citizens is the primary commitment of the government; “it should be so in our country.”

The group, however, appreciated the government and people of the region for providing them with “the opportunity to successfully do our business in the geopolitical zone.”

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