There’ll be no Fulani vigilante, no cattle ranch or colony in Igboland – South East govs

The South-East Governors Forum has described the demand by Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) to set up Fulani vigilante group in the zone as a joke and unacceptable.

The chairman of the forum and Ebonyi State governor, David Umahi, stated this in a statement on Monday, assuring that there will never be “Miyetti vigilante, no cattle ranch or colony” in the region.

The statement, was released by Umahi’s Chief Press Secretary, Emmanuel Uzor, in Abakaliki.

“I find it extremely strange for anybody to think that none locals in any part of the country including South-East can be allowed to form vigilance outfit.

“The Miyetti Allah group may have made that suggestion which I believe will never mean to form a vigilante in South East whichever is the meaning, no governor will allow that.

“South-East governors have their local vigilance groups working with security agencies; any such demand by Miyetti group is a joke and not acceptable.

“Governors of the zone are doing their best and we have no problems receiving insults from our people, it is the price of leadership.

“The important thing to us is the safety and well-being of our people; the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) and other pressure groups may not have found it fashionable to insult their leaders even when their leaders may not be saints.

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“Finally, we insist there will be no Miyetti vigilante, no cattle ranch or colony; but we must live peacefully with herdsmen that do not destroy our farm lands especially those that were born here and have lived peacefully with us.

“All South-East governors are together in this position,” the statement read in part.

The governor meanwhile, frowned at some of the attacks metted out to him and other governors of the region by some Igbo groups following the security demand by Miyetti Allah group.

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