We'll remain in Nigeria and Continue our open grazing and nothing will happen - Miyetti Allah dares Nigerians

National President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Abdullahi Bello Bodejo, has said herdsmen are not the problems in the country because they do not burn police stations or kill security agents as can be seen happening in some parts of the country.

He said the ban on open grazing by 17 Southern governors in that part of the country, is illegal, and is purely an attempt to hijack their cattle business because according to him, even Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, is a herdsman.

Bodejo who made the statement in an interview with Saturday Sun, also made it clear that the only thing that would stop herdsmen from grazing in any part of the country, is lack of grass. Otherwise, they'll continue to graze and nothing would happen.

Asked how the Fulani herdsmen would cope with the ban on open grazing declared by the Southern governors, he said, "We are going to follow the law and see how to approach some good leaders in the South-East, South-West and the South-South. We will also approach the Inspector General of Police and other security agencies to protect our people.

"It is not about grazing; it is a plan against Fulani people. Some people want to hijack the cattle business from us. Anywhere you go now, you see Fulani grazing cows and you will think they belong to them. No! The cows belong to some people in that area or community. 

"If you go to Benue, the state that first promulgated the anti open grazing law, you can see cows grazing; their owners are Tiv people. Even the governor, Samuel Ortom, has so many cows. They want to chase us away and continue with our business.

"What these Southern governors are trying to do, some other African countries tried it, but it didn’t work. So, this one will not be an exception. You can’t just wake up without plan B, and say you have banned open grazing. 

"This business has history; we didn’t just wake up and start cow rearing. It is a blessing from God; it is God that blesses us with this business, it is not like farming or palm wine tapping business. This is from the beginning; the only thing is how to transform the business.

 

"These governors are confused; they are trying to deny Fulani their rights and means of livelihood. Nigeria has only one constitution, which the governors are breaching. We may approach the court to stop them from carrying out their plans.

"The process by which they arrived at their decision was wrong. They were supposed to have invited us because we are part of their various states. If you are a governor, you are a governor for everybody living in that state. Since we live in all the states doing our business, it behooved them to have invited us to the meeting. 

"I don’t know who is giving them this evil idea. No state can progress without Fulani being in that state; any state without Fulani is backward and poor. Fulani attract blessing. They don’t have problem, but unfortunately, people attribute kidnapping, robbery and banditry to them. It is not fair. 

"They have not seen their people killing police and other security personnel. How many police stations have Fulani burnt? How many policemen have Fulani killed? But they want to tamper with the business God has blessed us with. The governors are very wrong."

When told Southern governors are determined to e x e cute the recent ban, he said, "I say it categorically that this ban on open grazing by the Southern governors will never work. The only thing that can stop us from grazing in any area is if there are no grasses and water in such place. Fulani don’t have borders or boundaries; they don’t need permission to graze their cows from one area to another area.

"There is no law, no constitution prohibiting them from doing so. Fulani are educated and they believe in leadership. They follow the constitution, which permits them internationally to graze anywhere. ECOWAS permits us to graze anywhere, but any person that commits a crime, let the law of the land be visited upon such a person," he added.