Food, Cattle Dealers Seek Protection For Members

Amalgamated Union of Foodstuffs and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria has called on the federal government to fish out the alleged killers of its members in various parts of the country. This is even as the group demanded protection for their members.

It alleged that its members have always been subject of attack nationwide which sometimes led to loss of property worth several millions of naira.

The national chairman of the association, Dr Muhammad Tahir, made the appeal at a press conference in Abuja after submitting their petition to security agencies.

Tahir said they are people who always abide by the law of the land, which he said was the reason why whenever something like this happens, they file a petition to the right authorities to investigate and bring the perpetrators to book.

“We have written a petition on the Yoruba Vigilante group that killed our people for no reason. Many things had happened. But the one that worries us the most is the issue of killing our member Abubakar Abdullahi Naraha who was arrested and killed mercilessly.

He was brutally murdered. Therefore, the federal government should know this and act on it”, he said.

Tahir said they have written a petition to the Inspector General of Police, the Director of the DSS, and other security agencies.

In his response, the director of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, Dr Usman Muhammad Jahun, said some criminals disguise as their members to paint them black but promised to investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice.

“We will investigate and take action and hand it over to the appropriate authority”, he stressed.

Alhaji Babuga Mairali Ardo, one of the leaders of the Fulani group in Nigeria from Kogi State who travelled to Ondo State to inquire about what happened, promised to work together to get rid of the bad eggs that perpetrate crimes in their name.

He also added that they are ready to ensure that the rule of law works.

Last Thursday, the federal government launched a committee to look into ways to solve the conflict between farmers and herders and to provide ways for food security in Nigeria.

The committee is headed by the former governor of Kano State and the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.