Bauchi gov: Herders have no option than to carry AK-47
Bala Mohammed, Bauchi state governor, says herders carry weapons because they need to protect themselves.
The governor ascribed the practice to the failure of society and government to guarantee the safety of herders while in the forest.
Commenting on recent developments in the south-west, Mohammed warned against the criminalisation of the entire Fulani tribe.
The governor spoke on Thursday during the press week celebration in Bauchi.
“Because the Fulani man is practising the tradition of pastoralism, he has been exposed to the vagaries of the forest, cattle rustlers who carry guns, kill him and take away his commonwealth, which is the cows,” he said.
“He has no option than to carry AK47 because the society and the government are not protecting him, what is his fault; it’s the fault of the government and the people. You don’t criminalize all of them, because, in every tribe, there are criminals.”
Mohammed also criticised Samuel Ortom, the governor of Benue, whom he accused of fuelling the criminalization of the Fulani tribe.
He said: “The governor that is most wrong is the governor of Benue State, my brother and colleague Governor Samuel Ortom; he started all these.
“If you don’t accommodate other tribes, we are also accommodating your tribes in Bauchi and other places. We have so many Tiv people farming in Alkaleri, in Tafawa Balewa, farming in Bogoro LGAs; has anybody told them to go?
“We have not; because it’s their own inalienable rights to be there. We have Yoruba people in Bauchi, for over 150 years, even before the birth of Nigeria; some of them have risen to become permanent Secretaries in Bauchi, in Gombe and in Borno.
“You can see what our colleagues in the south-west and some from the south-east are doing. If cyber crime is practised by one tribe, you don’t criminalise all the tribe that they are criminals.”
Now that Nigeria is a no man’s land. Every man for himself AK 47 for us all. It is clear to all where the impunity is from! When T Y Danjuma warned, we did not heed his advice. I hope it is not too late!
Every Nigerian is free to live in any part of the nation. That we know for a very long time that we all have been living together without AK 47 guns. In every tribe, we have the good, the bad, and the ugly – godly and ungodly people. We have ritualists, armed robbers, murderers, terrorists, etc. To protect ourselves then we need AK 47.
But Bauchi State Governor, Why talked like this? If the guns are for their protection against wild animals, Are the guns also for human killings, rapping, kidnapping, and collection of ransome? Everybody then must have guns to protect themselves from all deadly attacks most especially from killer herdsmen. Since they have been carrying the guns, how many wild animals like lion, tigers, etc has been reported killed by them in the forest? The farmers they are destroying their crops should also be given AK 47 to protect themselves. The herdsmen should carry hunters guns who also parade the forests looking for bush meat to kill. They should not be allowed to parade the streets moving from one place to the other and messing up the roads, other people’s farms, communities, towns and villages. We are not animals. Station your animals in the bush if you don’t have hidden agendas.
Mr Governor, we are human beings and not forest animals for God sake. Are cows lives more precious than human lives?
We should let truth and godliness prevail in our dear country Nigeria. God help us
What goes around comes around. This buffon will pay for his complicity in this crime against humanity one day. That is sure. Those that promotedyand tactically supported the heinous crime of Boko Haram at the beginning of their criminality are the greatest victims today.
I totally agree