Fulani herdsmen's association in the southwest to establish register of its members

FULANI cattle herders operating across southwest Nigeria have submitted proposals to the Oyo State government recommending that their members be registered as part of a move to ease the growing tension between herdsmen and the local populace.

 

Recently, tension between the cattle herders and local people across southwest Nigeria became very tense after repeated instances of livestock damaging crops. Things came to a head on September 21 when former finance minister Chief Olu Falae, 77, was abducted from his farm near Akure by armed hoodlums said to be Fulani herdsmen, who subsequently released him after his family paid them a ransom of N5m (£17,000).

 

This led to calls for Fulani cattle herders to be banned from operating across the geo-political zone but to ease the tension, the herdsmen have asked that the Oyo State government register their members. Fulani socio-cultural organisation the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (Macban) has said it is willing to enter into dialogue with any community in search of peace in the country in response to the growing criticism of its members.

 

As part of this drive, Alhaji Haruna Maiyasin, the leader of Fulani herdsmen in the southwest, has said he is awaiting the approval of Oyo State governor Abiola Ajimobi over the registration of his men. He added that all herdsmen in the zone would soon be registered to make monitoring them easy but until the state government gives him the go-ahead he cannot do anything.

 

Ibadan lawyer Adeola Fehintola, said: “Although the move will identify the herdsmen, it may not address the real problem. Unless there is re-enactment of a colonial law, which regulates how domestic animals should be kept, the encroachment of their cattle on our farmlands may still continue.

 

“So many farmers have come to me complaining about how herdsmen’s cattle destroy their farmlands and if you tell the farmers to report at the police station, they will tell you nothing would come out of it. If you advise them to go to court, they will complain that their time will be wasted, so they choose to suffer in silence.”

 

However, Alhaji Maiyasin, assured residents in the zone of his cooperation to stem the tide of reported violence by his members. He advised leaders in the country to exercise caution in their comments, adding that such could fan ember of disunity and should be avoided.

 

So far, the police have arrested about six of Chief Falae's kidnappers and they too have been keen to stress that they are just common criminals. According to the police, it is wrong to give their criminal acts an ethnic slant.