Fulani threaten to withdraw cattle from market

By Boluwaji Obahopo

LOKOJA—Kogi State chapter of  Miyette Allahi Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, has threatened to withdraw its animals from the state markets over harassment and arrest of its members by the police.

Chairman of the association, Alhaji Shuabu Idrisa, weekend, after a stakeholders meeting between Fulani Ardos and Miyette Allah cattle breeders on problems affecting them, said the threat to withdraw cattle had become necessary following the way security agents were arresting their youths, women and cows in the event of robbery on the highway.

He added that they were made to pay huge sums of money to secure their release, a development, he said, had made some of its members to move to South-West, where they are not harassed or taunted as Boko Haram.

He said: “If there is any robbery on the highway, security agents will swoop on all Fulani settlements in that area and arrest their people, including cows. But when a bank is robbed in town, people of the town are not arrested.

“Also once they see any Fulani man ridding Okada, they will arrest him, calling him Boko Haram and, in the process, extort him.”

He alleged that people always kill any cattle that mistakenly enters their farmland in the area.