Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has stated that the Fulani ethnic nationality has suffered greater hate and blanket condemnation by most of the other tribes in Nigeria.
MACBAN is the socio-cultural umbrella body of cattle breeders in Nigeria.
Chairman of MACBAN south east, Alhaji Gidado Siddiki, stated this while reacting to the banning of open grazing by southern governors.
He said Fulani cattle herders were highly misunderstood and have been poorly treated.
According to him, the rising state of insecurity in Nigeria had increasingly fanned the embers of suspicion among the different ethnic nationalities in the country.
“In recent times, however, the Fulani ethnic nationality has suffered greater hate and blanket condemnation by most of the other tribes in Nigeria.
“Evidently, the major occupation of the greater Fulani which is cattle rearing has exposed the tribe to such ill.
“But, the Fulani, or maybe I say the itinerant Fulani cattle herders are grossly misunderstood and have been poorly treated with this misconstrued impression others have on them.
“They have increasingly continued to suffer under this cloak because they do not seem to have a strong voice to articulate their corporate responsibility and project their commitment to a commensal fellowship in a democratic republic that Nigeria presents.
“Because of the nature of cattle rearing, the herders are more on transit and so always interfacing with multiple cultures amongst their host communities, they are equally exposed to the wanton camp infiltration by often migrant fellows who are criminally minded and who do not spare the law-abiding herders the venomous effects of their criminal acts for their lawless acts, the entire Fulani suffers odium, unfortunately.
“I always insisted that the government and the statutory security and law enforcement organs of government should and must not shirk from their primary responsibility of securing the lives and properties of all law-abiding citizens of Nigeria.
“Criminal of whatever tribe or Nationality in Nigeria, should be traced and appropriately neutralize for the greater interest of the society.
“No singular group ought to be blamed for the failure of a system to protect and preserve the essence of its being,” he said.