Sultan Defends Fulani Folks, Insist They Are Not Involved In Herdsmen Attacks

BEVERLY HILLS, December 19, (THEWILL) – The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Jama'atul Nasir Islam, Sa'ad Abubakar lll, has insisted that the Fulani were not responsible for herdsmen's attacks in different parts of the country.

Speaking on Monday at a grand reception in honour of Nigerian Professional Football League Champions, Rangers International of Enugu, at the Michael Okparaa Square in Enugu, the Sultan noted that it was wrong to attribute all herdsmen-related attacks to the Fulani.

“It is not only the Fulani that are herdsmen, there are herdsmen from other ethnic groups in the country,” he said

“Those who commit crimes in the guise of cattle rearing should be described as criminals, and not as Fulani herdsmen.

“If anybody commits any crime, he should be given his real name, which is a criminal, whether he is Hausa, Fulani, Yoruba, Igbo or Ibibio.

“Fulanis have been living in peace with the people in communities where they rear their cattles, will they wake up one day and start attacking and killing these people? It is not possible. Something must be wrong somewhere.

“We (Fulanis) will never support killing, we will not support killing. I want to tell you that the Fulani people cannot do that.

“Until we give these killers there reals name, which is criminals, we will not overcome the security challenges we have.”

Story by Oputah David