The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji
Mohammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has
exonerated Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders
Association of Nigeria of any culpability in
the recent killings of farmers in some parts of
the country by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
Speaking at the General Assembly of
Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace, IDFP,
Thursday, in Abuja, Sultan Abubakar III, said
the organisation has no control over any
Fulani man.
The religious leader, who rather attributed the
massacre of innocent lives to the handiwork
of some criminal elements, however, charged
the Federal Government and the security
apparatus to urgently fish out perpetrators of
the heinous crime and prosecute them.
Sultan asked, “How is it possible for Fulani to
attack settlements or communities to carry out
killings of innocent people, destroy property
and disappear without trace?
Sultan Abubakar III, said the Miyetti Allah
was formed over 32 years to cater for welfare
and advance the growth of Fulani business.
He said that any Fulani man carrying arms
and ammunition is not a member of the
Miyetti Allah, because the group which is
now under his leadership as Grand Patron
was never a criminal group.
Sultan Abubakar, who berated those calling
for proscription of the group, challenged them
to as well call for proscription of other Socio-
ethnic organisations like the Afenifere,
Ohanaeze ndi Igbo and Arewa Consultative
Forum, among others.
According to him, “Miyetti Allah doesn’t
control any Fulani man. Calling for
proscription of Miyetti Allah is equivalent to
calling for the proscription of other ethnic
organisations like Afenifere, ACF, Ohanaeze
and others
“It was formed 32 years ago and these crises
were not there. I am the patron and we have
never asked Fulani herdsman to kill anybody.
“Any Fulani man caught killing is a criminal
and should be treated as such. What are the
security agencies doing? If they have failed,
they should accept that they have failed.
“What is going on is not an ethnic problem;
it’s not a religious problem. It’s an economic
problem.”
On the way out, the Sultan who advocated for
dialogue, said, “What we need is to sit down
and dialogue. As religious leaders, we have to
be very careful with what we say, because it
carries weight, our followers listen to us very
seriously.
“We must believe in one another, trust and
love ourselves because that is what our two
major religions advocate. We must continue
to speak with one voice. We should not be
labelling everybody a criminal because his
brother is a criminal.”
The royal father also added that, “People are
say, label Miyetti Allah a terrorist group. No,
we are not terrorists and can’t join terrorism.”
On the situation in Benue state, he recalled,
“This thing didn’t start today, in the past eight
years, I have been to Benue many times to
discuss this issue.
“We had met for hours and agreements
reached, yet nothing has been implemented.
Why? The former governors of Benue are still
alive and they know all these.
“Even the present governor of Benue state,
Samuel Ortom had written to me to come
again with my peace mission, but we had not
had the opportunity before this round of crisis.
“We must come to the bottom of this issue,
how come these Fulani men are carrying guns
without the security men knowing.
“I keep on repeating it, things are not okay,
but they are not as bad as they are made to
look especially in the social media. Let’s go
round and speak to one another, not just
staying in our comfort zones”, he said.
In his address, the President, Christian
Association of Nigeria, CAN, Dr. Samson
Ayokunle accused some religious leaders of
being insincere while commenting on the
issue of killing of innocent people in the
country.
Ayokunle, who was represented by the
Bishop of Yola, Bishop Stephen Manza, said,
as religious leaders, we need to condemn evil
in this country. We seated here today as
religious leaders, but how sincere in what we
say?
He said, “Christians at all levels believe in
peace. This is time for us to speak with one
voice. But my concern is whether we are
sincere in what we are doing.
“We religious leaders, we crevice people a
lot. We say one thing when we have another
thing in mind. Our tribal and religious
affiliations have overshadowed our
Nigerianness.
“The problem is that we keep mute once a
person is killed and a member of our faith is
not the victim.
“Another thing is that we identify with people
of our faith even when the person is doing the
wrong thing. We all know that President
Muhammadu Buhari is not handling the
security situation in the country well but
certain persons are not talking may be
because he is a Muslim.
“And when Jonathan was there, some
Christian leaders kept quiet because he’s a
Christian.”
On his part, Archbishop of Abuja Catholic
Dioceses, John Cardinal Onaiyekan,
however, assured Nigerians that the problem
of insecurity threatening the soul of the nation
was surmountable if Nigerians build trust
among themselves.
According to him, “Nothing happening in this
country now that is beyond us, it is within our
hands. But just like the Bishop of Yola has
said, we need sincerity.
“We shouldn’t be praying for peace, when in
the real sense, we are the ones causing crises
everywhere. Talking for peace will give
peace if there is truth. So, we must learn to
build trust, trusting one another. We must join
hands to do what is right.”
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