Mallam Nura Mohammed is the chairman of the Plateau State chapter of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association(MACBAN). In this interview with ISAAC SHOBAYO, he claimed the Irigwe were responsible for the killing of the 25 travellers last Saturday in Jos North Local Government Area of the state.
The Fulani have been accusing the Irigwe of being behind the attack on travellers along Rukuba road last week. What evidence do you have to support this?
It is clear to everybody that these passersby in five vehicles were from Bauchi State where they had gone to attend an Islamic function, that is, the annual prayer with Sheik Dahiru Bauchi. On their way back from Bauchi, heading to Ondo State, they were trying to avoid hold-up in the town and decided to follow Rukuba road. They were seen as Fulani and Fulani have been profiled and labelled for killing in the state. As a result of this, they were attacked. What we are very sure of is that the Irigwes are the ones that attacked the travellers. We have facts to this effect. One of the facts we can reveal now is that they have admitted that they had taken three of their corpses from the Plateau State Specialist Hospital to Miango by trekking; it was when they were passing through Rukuba road that the incident happened. Also, somebody among their leaders whose name I would not like to reveal for now except to the security, had called one of our leaders telling him that ‘you sent these mercenaries to come and kill us and we have killed them, if you send another set we shall kill them as well.’
Also, they claimed that the travellers were caught with caskets containing arms and ammunition. The question is: where are the caskets and where are the arms and ammunition recovered from the caskets? And finally what I can reveal to you is that some of the indigenous Fulani from Rukuba were on that road when the incident happened. They were coming from the other direction of the road and they saw everything that happened, they identified them and their villages. So, with this evidence that we have, we are sure that the Irigwe carried out the act.
What concrete evidence do you have to support these assertions because they said they were not on that road when the incident occurred?
It is a lie. They were there. They were the ones that attacked the people. They were many on that road. The mob was already there before the five buses arrived. At the appropriate time, we shall mention those behind the killing.
The Fulanis are also being fingered to be behind the destruction of farm crops as a way of crippling the source of livelihood of the natives (cuts in)
On the destruction of farms crops, it is not cows that are causing this but human beings using cutlasses to mow down crops. Those behind this are criminals and since they have not being arrested, it would be difficult to identify them or unravel their identities. I believe cows belong to the Fulani and they may destroy farms, but in this case it is human beings that are behind the destruction, not cows.
The Fulani and the Irigwe have had several peace meetings. Why is it difficult to resolve the crisis?
We are missing something. The government, security agencies, NGOs are trying their best to see that we resolve the issue, but something is missing somewhere. I think that the discussion should continue. We need to re-strategise, continue with the dialogue. Above all, we must tell ourselves the truth, no matter how bitter it may be if actually we want to resolve the issue.
What is that thing that is missing?
Something is missing somewhere. We should work tirelessly to resolve that thing that is missing. But surely something is missing somewhere. The question is why is it that other communities don’t have problems with the Fulani except for the Irigwe. We are at peace with others; why the Irigwe? We are at peace with everybody; what is the problem with the Irigwe? People should ask them. They should answer this question so that we can address the issue squarely. Above all, justice must be done. The act of profiling Fulani as bad people, criminals should stop. When anything happens, the media will say it is done by suspected herdsmen. But if it is against the herdsmen, the community will not be mentioned. I have never heard anybody saying suspected Irigwe or Berom. Everybody is looking at Fulani as a criminal. That perception led to the killing of the 25 people last Saturday. The stereotype or perception must stop.
While the government is trying to find a solution to the crisis on the ground, five Irigwe people were killed on Tuesday. They were alleged to have been killed by Fulani militias. Don’t you think this will further escalate the problem?
Has the death been confirmed? I want to tell you that this is mere propaganda; nothing like that happened. If it happened, let them produce the corpses. That is their stock in trade for cheap sympathy. It is not true. Nothing like that happened.
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