We lost 1000 members, 2 million cattle — Pastoralists

Pastoralists, under the aegis of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), said they have lost over 1000 people including children, women and the aged and over 2 million cattle.

The National Secretary of MACBAN, Alhaji Baba Ngelzarma, who spoke on behalf of the pastoralists, also appealed to the Federal Government to pay compensation to their members affected by the crisis.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja yesterday, Ngelzarma also called for the setting up of a Federal Judicial Commission of Inquiry in order to unravel the truth and offenders. The National President of MACBAN, Alhaji Muhammadu Kirowa also attended the briefing.

“We call on the government to pay compensation to victims of all crises to reduce their level of suffering,” adding that “We have a document of members that were affected by the pastoralists in the North-East but what we discovered is that none of them were captured in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) programme because they are not sedentary.”

The group also appealed to the Federal Government to set up a Federal Ministry of Livestock Development to attend to the multidimensional needs of the industry.

Ngelzarma said the association welcomed the current resolve by the Federal Government to address the lingering crises, adding that “We submit ourselves for any positive participation to restore mutual and harmonious relationship in the country. We dissociate ourselves from any other group or individual that is out to foment trouble in the country.”

“We demand for immediate disarmament of all illegally armed militias across the country in the interest of peace, security and stability,” he said, adding that the armed militia gang arrested in Taraba State are putting their people in unbearable pains as they operate with the greatest impunity under the protection of the state government.