The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammed Sa’ ad Abubakar III, has regretted the involvement of some Fulani in banditry and kidnapping, lamenting that it has given the entire Fulani stock in the country a bad name.
The Sultan, who is also the President-General, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), made the observation on Saturday at the inauguration and swearing-in of the new national executive officers of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) held at the National Mosque, Abuja.
He challenged the group to help find a lasting solution to the issue of banditry and kidnapping in the country.
“People do not want to know the history of this great country. If we had known the history of the Fulani movement in various parts of the world definitely, we would not have gotten to the situation we are in now,” the Sultan who is also Fulani, said.
“Everybody knows that Fulanis move from point A to B. They move everywhere and they inter-marry. And we are peace-loving.
“But how did we come to the situation we are in now, we find our children who are Fulani, but not all of them Fulani have been involved in banditry and kidnapping. What happened?
“When we meet with the executives we will discuss how to tackle this. How do we resolve them because it is high time we did.
“MACBAN by its reach across the entire Nigeria and the Sahel should aspire to be a balance factor to the instability in Nigeria and across the Sahel.
“MACBAN could do this in articulating a Fulbe perspective in response to the present level of violence as a natural reaction to deprivation, marginalization and balkanization of the Fulbe into different nation states in West Africa,” he added.