‘Buhari’s Era Worst for Pastoralists in Nigeria’

Cattle breeders in the country are lamenting the increasing attacks on its communities by armed men and bandits across states of the federation, accusing the outgoing administration of President Muhammadu Buhari of failing them on all fronts.

This is coming after the recent attacks on pastoralists’ communities in Oyo, Benue, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba , Gombe and Niger states in the space of one month.

The cattle breeders under the aegis of Coalition of Pastoralists Association in Nigeria (COPAN) in a press conference in Abuja, claimed that Buhari as a cattle breeder himself ought to have brought cattle breeders and farmers together with a view to finding amicable solution to the persistent conflicts that had led to loss of several lives in virtually all states of the federation.

The coalition comprised the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Fulbe Global Development and Rights

Initiative (FGDRI), and the Tabital Pulaaku International Nigeria Chapter.

Besides, COPAN lamented that the president could not secure their lives and property throughout his tenure, adding that they are being killed daily and their cows rustled but the security agencies hardly come to their rescue.

“You see, whether we are happy he’s going or not, one thing is clear. It is on record that after eight years of his (Buhari) administration, over N500 billion was spent on agronomy nothing was spent on livestock farmsteads.

“And we have never had it so bad like when Buhari is in government.

“This is the worst era for the Nigerian pastoralists - we’ve never had it so bad like this time,” Spokesperson of the coalition, Baba Ngelzarma, stated.

According to the coalition, over 400 people including women and children have been killed since October last year till date, by murderous gang of illegal militia disguised as vigilante groups.