The Kwara State chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has called on the state government and security agencies to investigate the alleged killing of Fulani residents in Edu Local Government Area.
In a statement issued in Ilorin, the state chairman of MACBAN, Alhaji Shehu Garba, urged the government to also compensate Fulani families for the deaths of their loved ones and the destruction of their property, as had been done for other ethnic groups.
Garba expressed concern over the handling of issues affecting the Fulani community, saying their investigations revealed that “at different times in Oke-Ode, Ifelodun Local Government; Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government; and Gbugbu in Edu Local Government Areas, about 20 Fulani have been killed.”
He added that “42 cows, sheep, and goats are missing, while 1,200 bags of grains and several shelters were destroyed.”
The chairman also alleged that local vigilante groups conducting stop-and-search operations along the Omu-Aran road had arrested over five Fulani travellers, who were reportedly handed over to security agencies but have since gone missing.
He said, “The recent attacks on Fulani wearing state government-approved vigilante uniforms in some parts of the state are worrisome.”
Garba called on the government to treat the Fulani fairly, stating that “justice and fairness demand that we be compensated for our losses as it was done for others.”
He also urged security agencies to investigate the whereabouts of Fulani individuals allegedly handed over to them by vigilantes in Omu-Aran to “unravel the mystery behind their disappearance.”