The leader of the Fulani community in Ladduga in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Ardo Goge, has hinted that contrary to the reports making the round that 4000 herders have returned from the South, he said only 107 herders have returned to his community.
Recall, that the social media, as well as the traditional media, had reported the return of 4000 herders from the southern states to Kaduna.
However, in a swift reaction, Ardo Goge who spoke with journalists at the weekend contended that only 107 had so far returned since the crisis erupted in South-West two weeks ago.
He lamented that when he heard that 4000 herders from South came back to his community, he and other members were shocked.
“Honestly, as a leader, I know those who came back from the south in recent times,” he said.
“I can tell you that only 107 of them arrived Kaduna with their children, wives and elders.
They told me that they trekked through the bush paths for 4 days and later joined vehicles to Ladduga.
Ardo Goge also confirmed that the returnees were well known, saying, “this is their base. They are welcome. They are our blood.”
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He noted that unlike the narrative that most of the herders are criminals, he said these herders are peace-loving people adding, they have an impeccable good record even before they left ladduga community to the south.
To this end, he faulted the claim that 4000 herders have arrived in his domain saying let the Sema officials and the NGOs who said such numbers are in his domain show him the herders.
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“We visited all the new settlements with some journalists and other stakeholders so as to debunk the report on social media.
“These herdsmen are our own people, and we have been living with them in peace and harmony for many years before they migrated to the south, now they are back due to threat of attack.
“They are not foreigners, they are Kaduna state indigenes, it’s the crisis in the South-West that brought them back.
“We have given them a place to stay. I told them to clear the bush so that they can start building their new homes.
Speaking in the same vein, Dr Saleh Momale who was a former Permanent Secretary with the Kaduna State Peace Commission, and now a senior lecturer at Bayero university also contended that since the report of the 4000 herders he had spent the whole day with other stakeholders transversing the forest.
He said they moved from one mountain to another in the search of the migrated Fulanis from South, but they couldn’t see them.
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107 not 4000 herdsmen have returned from South, says Fulani leader
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