Herdsmen want establishment of Fulani vigilantes in S-East

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, Thursday called for establishment of Fulani Youth Vigilante body in the South-East to compliment host communities' counterparts and other constituted security apparatus in the zone.

MACBAN and security stakeholders spoke Thursday, during the South-East Security summit organized by the South-East Chambers of Commerce, Mines and Agriculture, SECCIMA, in collaboration with South-East Governors Forum, SEGF, in Enugu.

The National President of MACBAN, Alhaji Mohammadu Kirowa, regretted that once insecurity was mentioned in Nigeria, the first idea that came to mind was Fulani herdsmen.

MACBAN noted that South-East was a good host, which was the reason it condemned all forms of violence and criminality in the same manner patrons such as the Sultan of Sokoto, the Emir of Kano and the Lamido of Adamawa did.

The group said it wanted an establishment of Fulani Youth Vigilante group, noting that the youth body would work with security agencies, the neighbourhood watch or vigilante to ensure security in all communities, as was done in Enugu State.

National Secretary, Alhaji Baba Usman Ngelzerma said, “We will solicit your support and cooperation in adopting dialogue where problems exist as a means of brokering peace and to report cases against our members to either the Fulani Youth Vigilante Group, state or local branch of the association.”

Chairman of South-East Governors Forum and governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. Dave Umahi, stated that the region would not engage in policy of exclusion to limit any farmer or herder, but stressed that rules of engagement should be observed in every relationship.

Dr. Kelechi Igwe who represented Umahi said: “We will continue to accommodate the Miyetti Allah but our plea to them is that as we are magnanimous to allow settlers, every community has a custom that needs not to be violated. It is the violation that breeds problem.

“I believe that at the end, resolutions will generate further national dialogue, promote agenda setting and a solution to the lingering national insecurity. All we need is the good idea of one or two men to find direction and I believe this summit will do that.”

The Commissioner in charge of Human Rights in the Police Service Commission, Mr. Rommy Mon, lamented the inadequacy of Police personnel, noting that at present, Nigeria could only boasts of fewer than 350, 000 police officers.

“This translates to 1.6 police officers to every 100,000 Nigerian, which is a far cry from the world standard of 225 police officers to every 100,000 people. In some local governments, you have less than 10 police officers.

“Lack of data is a major challenge, to the extent that even the Inspector General of Police is not very sure of the exact number of police officers under his command. Electronic data is very important,” Mon said.