* Miyetti Allah reacts angrily
Katsina State governor, Aminu Bello Masari, has sensationally declared that the Fulani constitute majority of the bandits terrorizing and abducting residents of the State.
The governor spoke on Monday as a guest on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme.
Asked about the identities of bandits terrorising the entire North-West and other parts of the country, Masari said: “They are the same people like me, who speak the same language like me, who profess the same religious beliefs like me.
“So, what we have here on ground are bandits; they are not aliens, they are people we know, they are people that have been living with us for 100 of years.
“The infiltration we have from some West African countries and North African countries are also people of the Fulani extraction.
“Majority of those involved in this banditry are Fulanis whether it is palatable or it is not palatable but that is the truth. I am not saying 100% of them are Fulani but majority of them are, and these are people who live in the forest and their main occupation is rearing of cattle.”
The governor also suspended sales of cows, and other animals at markets in 14 local government areas of the state in a move to curb the worsening security situations in the North-West state.
Commenting on Monday, Masari said the measures are “painful” but “necessary”, adding that the efforts are working but it has not recorded the level of results he wanted.
He noted that over 100 groups are in the forest “all made up of bandits, kidnappers, rapists and armed robbers”, adding that all measures would be employed to address the situation before the end of the year.
‘Filling stations in isolated places shut’
Furthermore, the governor said the restrictions in the last few days have drastically reduced the movement of bandits in large groups.
He said some filling stations in isolated locations service the bandits who mostly move on motorcycles.
“We are not totally shutting all the filling stations. In local governments, we said two filling stations will operate and in those filling stations, nobody will sell fuel in jerrycans and gallons.
There may be some hardship but it is better now to take the hardship now in order to restore normalcy. We have a list of some of these filling stations that are dispensing fuel in jerrycans,” Masari said
But in a swift reaction, the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, lambasted Masari for saying most bandits are of the Fulani ethnic stock as himself.
The National Secretary of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Saleh Alhassan, told Nigerians to ignore the governor.
“Did you take that drunkard serious? My governor, do you take him serious? Can’t you see that he is already tired? Records should come from security operatives, not a confused person like Masari.
“He knows them now; is he not a Fulani man? All of them talking, they are stealing security votes; they should find solutions, create ranches for these herders and accommodate them.
“Which people do you find along the Sahel Sahara desert? They are many tribes, is it by physique that you now identify a Fulani man? The bandits are criminals, why should you attach tribe to it, that’s why we are not happy. You don’t need to attach a tribe because it will affect innocent person.
“Forget that man, that man is the worst governor Katsina has had; we are just praying for his time to lapse.”