The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Mohammed Sa’ad Abubakar III on Thursday blamed the Federal Government and security agencies in the country over the killing of farmers by Fulani herdsmen in several parts of the country.

Speaking at the General Assembly of Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace (IDFP), the Sultan expressed disappointment and shock that the FG and security agencies had done nothing about the gun -wielding herdsmen despite the attacks they had carried out in different communities across the nation.

Sultan Abubakar III noted that Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) which was formed 32 years ago to cater for the growth and welfare of Fulani businesses had no control over any Fulani man, attributing the loss of innocent lives to the handiwork of some criminal elements.

He said: “Miyetti Allah doesn’t control any Fulani man. Calling for proscription of Miyetti Allah is equivalent to calling for the proscription of other ethnic organisations like Afenifere, ACF, Ohanaeze and others.

“It was formed 32 years ago and these crises were not there.   I am the patron and we have never asked Fulani herdsman to kill anybody. Any Fulani man caught killing is a criminal and should be treated as such. What are the security agencies doing? If they have failed, they should accept that they have failed.

“What is going on is not an ethnic problem; it’s not a religious problem, it’s an economic problem.”

To the Sultan, the solution to the violence and bloodletting lies in dialogue between the groups. He stated: 

“What we need is to sit down and dialogue.   As religious leaders, we have to be very careful what we say, because it carries weight; our followers listen to us very seriously. We must believe in one another, trust and love ourselves because that is what our two major religions advocate. We must continue to speak with one voice.  We should not be labelling everybody a criminal because his brother is a criminal.

“People are saying, label Miyetti Allah a terrorist group. No, we are not terrorists and can’t join terrorism. This thing didn’t start today. In the past eight years, I have been to Benue many times to discuss this issue.

“We had met for hours and reached agreements, yet nothing has been implemented. Why? The former governors of Benue are still alive and they know all these. Even the present governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, had written to me to come again with my peace mission, but we had not had the opportunity before this round of crisis.

“We must come to the bottom of this issue.  How come these Fulani men are carrying guns without the security men knowing? I keep on repeating it, things are not okay, but they are not as bad as they are made to look, especially in the social media.  Let’s go round and speak to one another, not just staying in our comfort zone. “

He therefore called on the current administration and concerned security agencies to urgently fish out all the perpetrators of the heinous crimes and prosecute them.