Plateau State chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, has reacted to allegations raised by a social critic and advocate, Emmanuel Jelan, that about 16 communities in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of the state have been forcefully taken over and occupied by Fulani terrorists
Jelan, who raised the alarm in an open letter to Governor Caleb Mutfwang, stated that despite denials by the government and Fulani groups claiming there are no communities that terrorists are occupying, available records show that about 16 rural communities have been annexed either completely or partially by terrorists.
He went on to list the affected communities, noting that in most of the villages, the villagers no longer have access to their houses and farmlands for fear of their lives. Schools, hospitals, and worship places have all been shut down.
However, while responding to the allegations, MACBAN, in a statement on Thursday, signed by its Chairman, Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, refuted the claims, insisting that no part of Plateau State is being occupied by the Fulani people.
In the statement titled “Re: Response to recent allegations against the Fulani community in Barkin Ladi LGA”, the herders’ body said the allegations were not only unsubstantiated but misleading and unsupported by verifiable facts
“The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Plateau State Chapter, has taken note of the recent press conference in which certain individuals made allegations against the Fulani community in Barkin Ladi LGA, Plateau State,” the statement said.
Continuing, it
