MACBAN, community leaders pledge support to end kidnapping in Nasarawa
The Nasarawa State chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and Fulani community leaders at the weekend pledged to partner security agencies to tackle the menace of kidnapping and other crimes.
They made the commitment in Lafia during an emergency meeting of the state and local government officials of MACBAN, and Fulani community leaders across the state.
Speaking at the meeting, the state Chairman of MACBAN, Alhaji Mohammed Hussaini, said the decision was necessitated by their determination to address insecurity in the state.
Hussaini said that most of the criminals involved in kidnapping in the state were displaced from other states.
“We will continue to monitor the activities of kidnappers, especially around Nasarawa and Toto Local Government Areas where cases of kidnapping are more rampant.
“The Fulani people in the state have suffered a lot as victims of kidnappers and their cattle are also often rustled for ransom.
“Majority of the kidnapped victims are Fulani people because our people live in the bush and are vulnerable to the activities of criminals.
“Our people are being subjected to payment of up to N5 million ransom to kidnappers, yet everybody blame us for kidnapping instead of sympathising with us,” he said.
He however, noted that there were also some criminal elements in the Fulani communities in the state.
” The few criminals among us are giving the entire Fulani people a bad name. We all being branded now as kidnappers and armed robbers,” the MACBAN chairman said.
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He urged all Fulani families to expose criminal elements among them in order to redeem their image as good and peace-loving people.
Also speaking, Chairman of Fulani community leaders in the state, Lawal Dono, said as leaders they would not harbour criminals.
Dono said that they would direct their people to provide security agencies with relevant information about criminal elements in order to stem the tide of crime in the state.
He also pledged their support to the state government’s efforts at ensuring a peaceful and crime-free Nasarawa.
