The umbrella group for Fulani herdsmen, Miyeiti Allah Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in plateau state has accused the Special Task Force (STF) of complexity and connivance with the state government to eliminate them from the state following the protected crises lasting more than one decade now.MACBAN has said that it is on records that they earlier alerted security operatives in their petition addressed to the Special Task Force Commander over the impending plan to attack and destroy Fulani villages in a desire to send them packing from the state .
The group explained in another petition signed by Mohamed Nuru issued on Sunday to the STF Commander and copied to all the security chiefs in Jos that “it was on (Thursday) morning that some STF soldiers and police stormed the Fulani villages in Gashish district in Barkin Ladi local government where they started shooting as a result of which our (cows) went on rampage and entered into Beroms farms including some Fulani farms”.
He said the following day being Friday “the sector commander in charge of the local government Colonel Victor Boyiter let some Beroms to inspect the damages done to their farms as a result of yesterday’s event before they started shooting us randomly.
Our correspondent quotes the petition as saying that “The soldiers later reinforced heavily with more than six vans loaded apart from their sophisticated machines ,with a helicopter on the sky bombarding Fulani’s as if we are now in war with the STF”.
It could be recalled that on 28 May 2012 a petition was written to the Chief of Defense Staff alleging and complaining over “cases of intimidation, harassment and threat to lives and properties of Fulani in Riyom and Barkin Ladi local government areas of plateau state by Berom war Lords”
Continuing he said , it was surprising after their complains of the move to attack them which they brought to the notice of the STF commander, the chief Security Adviser in Abuja, the Chief of Army Staff, inspector General of Police and other security agencies in the country “such threat was perfected by the men of the STF on Saturday where the burned houses over 30 (sic)”’.
According to him, “this is the plan of our neighbors who are bent on ensuring that they engaged us in fighting with the help of the state government led by their kinsman but we are surprised that the solders are now fighting for the Beroms”.
The petition addressed to the Special Task Force Commander in Jos, the National Security Adviser and the Inspector General of Nigerian police is calling for the immediate probe in to the “illegal” action of the solders “before the situation will get out of hand” even as they are now compiling their losses on the Saturday incident.
