By Baba Yusuf
Following the killing of Fulani herdsmen across the country, the National President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, a Fulani socio-cultural association, Alhaji Bello Abdullahi Bodejo, has called on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Solomon Arase, to provide security to Fulani communities, especially their leaders.
Bodejo made the call during the association emergency meeting at Tudun-Wada, in neighbouring Nasarawa state, headquarters of the association.
He said the IGP should accord priority to Fulani leaders by giving them security because of their relationship with the Police in fighting crime and criminality in the country.
He said: “I am appealing to IGP to provide security to Fulani leaders; they always help the security agencies in their investigations and because of that synergy, criminal elements would trace them to their residents and kill them and nothing would be done about it.
“Even to compensate their families, it is not done by the government.”
The Fulani leader also condemned the killings of their people in Zamfara, Bauchi and Kogi states, including other parts of the country and FCT, were the herders would be killed and their houses set ablaze by the criminal elements.
According to him, the Fulani herders have lived in every community peacefully without any problems; they rear their cattle and involved in other economic activities.
“The herders contribute 90 per cent to Nigeria’s economy; I don’t see why they should be targeted by those criminals. If they are guided by the security agencies, all this would stop.”
It would be recalled that some hoodlums recently attacked a Fulani community in Ketti Pyakassa, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), killing six persons.
Bodejo called on Fulani pastoralists to remain calm and law abiding for the interest of peace in the country, urging them to continue to support the security agencies, especially the Police.