How we lost over N500m to crises, by Seriki Fulani

AMIDDLE-AGED cattle dealer and his septuagenarian counterpart have lamented how they lost over 600 cattle worth over N500 million, family members and property, including houses and livestock worth several millions of naira to the recent Yoruba/hausafulani crises in Ogun State.

The duo, Alhaji Aliu Musa (middle-aged) and Muhammed Musa, are cattle dealers that resided in Agboro and Yewa Disu areas in Yewa North Local Council of the state for over 50 years. The Seriki Fulani in the market, Alhaji Ibrahim Adamu, who spoke with The Guardian at Aiyetoro-atokun International Cattle Market, Aiyetoro in Yewa North Local Council, yesterday, said the perpetrators were invaders from the neighbouring Republic of Benin.

He said that Aliu in Agboro alone lost over 500 cattle to looters who hid under the misunderstanding to steal, main and kill.

According to him, the hoodlums stormed Agboro with vehicles, shooting sporadically and eventually killed one Alhaji Abdullahi Musa before making away with beasts valued at over N125 million.

Besides, he said that household items and domestic animals were also loaded into the invaders’ waiting vehicles.

The Fulani chief also disclosed that no fewer than 25 households were wrecked when they burnt houses, looted property and maimed the residents.

In particular, Adamu also recalled that the middle-aged Muhammed Musa of Yewa Disu lost 16 cattle, his son, Abubakar Muhammed, domestic animals and property that were torched valued at over N10 million. He pleaded with the federal and state governments to enact laws that would forestall further wanton destruction and worthless killings in the country.

He said: “All the killings and destructions were undeserved in Nigeria, it ridicules our esteemed position among black race.”

The Seriki Fulani alleged that the state and local councils had been collecting N100 each on a cow while the Federal Government takes N1,000 from each owner of cattle irrespective of the number.