Updated: February 26, 2021
Revelations on what led to the massacre of as many as 200 people in Nigeria’s central state of Plateau on Sunday are just filtering in.
The killings were a retaliation by the Fulani herdsmen, after 300 of their cows were killed by farmers in Plateau state, Danladi Ciroma, the Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) said in a statement. The cows killed, he said, belonged to members of his association.
But the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) dissociated itself from the statement.
According to the National Secretary of Miyetti Allah, Mr Othman Ngelzarma, who appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, the comments did not reflect the true position of MACBAN.
“The statement made by the zonal chairman should be credited to him,” he said, according to Channels TV. “That should be his personal opinion because I believe he should be an indigene of Plateau State.”
The national secretary faulted the comments and condemned the attack which left at least 100 dead and several others displaced, and as many as 200 murdered, according to another account.
He also commiserated with those who lost their loved ones to the attack, as well as the government and people of Plateau State.
Ngelzarma added, “It is so wicked, it is condemnable. We don’t condone it, we do not like it. It is really unfortunate and we sympathise with the communities in that area.”
Reacting to the allegation that some members of the association go about heavily armed, he noted that such persons should be treated as criminals.
“Whoever is holding a dangerous weapon up to the level of AK-47, we consider that person to be a criminal as far as we are concerned.
“We know these are prohibited arms that should not be held by any other person apart from the security operatives. Apart from that, I don’t think it is allowed for anybody in this country to hold a dangerous weapon as AK-47,” the MACBAN stressed.
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