We will form our own security outfit if —Miyetti Allah

THE Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore has threatened that the Fulani will form their own security network to defend its members if what he calls persecution of the Fulani continues in the country.

Secretary General of the body, Saleh Alhassan, stated this on Saturday, in an interview with Sunday Tribune.

The Fulani leader, who spoke against the backdrop of the recent arrest of their members by the Plateau State government, said they could not continue to fold their arms against the various forms of persecution being meted on their members.

Reacting, the pan-Yoruba sociopolitical group, Afenifere, said the threat coming from the leadership of Miyetti Allah calls for the need to examine the mental stability of the issuer of such threat.

Spokesperson of the group, Mr Yinka Odumakin, while expressing worries about the provocation of such threat, said “It is punishing and a reflection of the country of pain we are locked in that we have to be responding to people whose brain is not made of finer stuff than that of a cow.”

But the Fulani leader argued that “If people can form Amotekun or Shege-ka-Fasa to defend themselves as a result of the general insecurity facing the country, what is wrong if we form our own security network to defend our members? Don’t forget we have millions of cows worth billions of naira.

“You know we own the forest. That is where God has destined for us to live. We have nowhere other than the forest.”

He said although their members arrested allegedly on the orders of Plateau State governor, Simon Lalong, has since been released, their detention was unlawful and a breach of their fundamental human rights.

“It is clearly a betrayal of trust for a governor that we gave our votes to now turn around, after he secured his second term, to start witch-hunting us. If not, how could you summon people for a peace meeting and then order their arrest?

“Our members have been in detention for close to three weeks. I think that’s unfair for people who don’t know why they were summoned.

“Now that we have Boko Haram, can we now start arresting all the Kanuri leaders and heap the insurgency on them or can we start to arrest Niger Delta leaders because of the activities of militants in the region?

“If a crime is committed, how would you know those behind the crime? Is it the governor’s duty or that of security agencies to fish out those behind the crime? If the security agencies cannot fish out the criminals, is it he that can fish out those who committed the crime?

“It is apparent that the governor wants to play politics. We understand his game. Everything in Plateau State is attributed to religion or tribe. He doesn’t need us now. He wants to be with his people,” he said.

On the 13 people reportedly arrested and arraigned in Ekiti in respect of recent killing in the state, Afenifere demanded that the authorities concerned should ensure thorough investigation of those arrested leading to diligent prosecution.

According to the group, this becomes imperative because of the need to get to the roots of the killings, adding that one could never know where the lead would come from.

“There should be thorough investigation of those arrested leading to diligent prosecution. We need to get to the roots of these killings and you never know where the lead will come from,” Afenifere said.