Dambazau Calls for Cleanup of Weapons, Drugs Among Fulani Youths
- Lt-Gen Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd) has called for the immediate cleanup of weapons and drugs among Fulani pastoralists
- Dambazau who is a former minister of interior and one-time Chief of Army Staff made the call at a conference in Abuja
- The former minister stressed the need for urgent practical solutions to kidnapping by the Fulbe youth across the country
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FCT, Abuja - A former minister of interior, Lt-Gen Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd), has called for an urgent cleanup of weapons and drugs among the Fulani youth as part of practical solutions to the ugly trend of kidnapping in the country.
Dambazau made the call in his paper, titled “Dilemma of the Fulbe pastoralist,” presented at the Pastoralists and Fulbe Security Conference, in Abuja.
Source: Twitter
Vanguard newspaper reports that the conference was held with the theme:
“Exploring the contemporary challenges facing pastoralism and Fulbe with a view of proffering workable solutions in curbing insecurity across the nation.”
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It was jointly organised by Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and the Northern Consensus Movement (NCM).
According to him, one of the steps should be blocking access to weapons and cleaning up all the weapons already in circulation within the Fulbe pastoralist youth environment.
His words:
“We must also clean up the stable, and by this, I mean, with the help of the NDLEA, the society must work on the drug abuse among the Fulbe pastoralist youth.
“We must ensure justice and pursue human capital development that would improve the education and health of the Fulbe pastoralist to open more opportunities for him for self-development in the society.
“To do this, access to quality education and healthcare facilities should be provided for the Fulbe pastoralists, in addition to skills acquisition.”
He said that another dilemma was that the group remained in the forest hiding because of the new criminal trade of banditry and kidnapping for ransom, which many of its youth are involved.
He added:
“While in the past he was easily identified by his stick with which he controlled the movement of his cattle, today he is identified with the AK47 and other light weapons he uses to attack rural communities and also ambush to kidnap passengers and motorists traveling on the highways.
“The Fulbe pastoralist was known to be humble, kind, gentle, disciplined, honest, and selfless, but today he is perceived as a bandit, murderer, rapist, cattle rustler, and kidnapper.”
FCT Minister lauds policy dialogue on Fulani Pastoralists
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Tribune newspaper reports that the minister of the Federal Capital Capital, Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello, described the conference as a laudable initiative.
He said it will ensure peaceful co-existence, security of lives and property as well as unity and development of the country.
Bello also noted that the interactive dialogue was timely, as it aims at finding lasting solutions to the challenges of herders and pastoralists clashes in some parts of Nigeria and the sub-Saharan region of Africa.
Bandits invade Catholic Church in Katsina, kidnap priests, others
Recall that armed bandits early Wednesday, May 24 broke into the rectory of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Gidan Maikambo, in the Kafur local government area of Katsina state.
The armed hoodlums kidnapped two priests and two others in the church.
The director, social communications of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Rev. Fr Christopher Omotosho, confirmed the development.
Source: Legit.ng
