BY Favour Oyinade
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammed Sa’ ad Abubakar III, says the involvement of some Fulanis in banditry and kidnapping is giving a bad name to the entire Fulani stock in the country.
The President-General, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) made the observation on Saturday at the inauguration and swearing-in of the new national executive officers of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN).
“People do not want to know the history of this great country. If we had known the history of the Fulani movement in various parts of the world definitely, we would not have gotten to the situation we are in now,” the Sultan who is also Fulani, said.
“Everybody knows that Fulanis move from point A to B. They move everywhere and they inter-marry. And we are peace loving.
“But how did we come to the situation we are in now, we find our children who are Fulani, but not all of them Fulani have been involved in banditry and kidnapping. What happened?
“When we meet with the executives we will discuss how to tackle this. How do we resolve them because it is high time we did.
“MACBAN by its reach across the entire Nigeria and the Sahel should aspire to be a balance factor to the instability in Nigeria and across the Sahel.
“MACBAN could do this in articulating a Fulbe perspective in response to the present level of violence as a natural reaction to deprivation, marginalization and balkanization of the Fulbe into different nation states in West Africa,” he added.
