The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeder’s Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) on Sunday advised the Federal Government to allow every Nigerian bear firearms to protect themselves considering the security challenges in the country.
Miyetti Allah, the umbrella association for herdsmen in Nigeria, while defending Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed’s assertion that herdsmen are only carrying firearms for self- defence, said there is nothing wrong with the Governor’s stand since he didn’t say herdsmen should go and cause chaos with it.
Governor Mohammed had drawn heavy criticism after defending the right of herders to go about with AK-47 to defend themselves against cattle rustlers.
Bauchi State chairman of MACBAN, Alhaji Sadiq Ibrahim Ahmed, said that since the Federal government can no longer protect citizens, it’s better for every citizen to protect themselves from bandits.
According to him, “the government has become irresponsible. That is why a Fulani man has become an outcast in his own country. All his wealth has been crippled to activities of cattle rustlers. What do you expect him to do?
“Let everybody protect themselves. Let everybody carry arms. You don’t allow few bandits to come and ruin you, kill you, kill your family as few people cannot be terrorizing everybody.
”Though in a normal situation nobody should be allowed to carry arms except those that are legalised to do so but if the Federal government had taken the responsibility of protecting lives of citizens serious, no one would dare have reason to carry arms. You need to ask yourself is the government doing enough to protect the lives of herdsmen.
“I won’t fault Governor Bala Mohammed for the statement. He is very right. After all, he did not say herdsmen should go and cause chaos. No one faulted Benue Governor, Ortom, when he said herdsmen should leave his State. So why are they criticising Bauchi Governor?”
