Herdsmen Killings: Northern Governors meet with Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association

The Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) met with the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), the umbrella body for herdsmen in the country, Punch reports.

The meeting, held in Sokoto, sought to find a solution to the herdsmen killings plaguing parts of the country.

The meeting had in attendance Borno State Governor and head of the NSGF Kashim Shettima, Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, and Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai.

A source who spoke to Punch said Shettima expressed worry over the rising case of insecurity, and said they are willing to adopt “local conflict resolution mechanism” to restore trust among the herdsmen and the farmers. He said:

We have seen enough crisis in the North East with Boko Haram. We cannot afford to let any other conflict linger without a solution.

We hope to hear from all sides and finally come up with a workable plan that will restore confidence and entrench lasting peace in our region.

Muhammed Kirowa, National President of MACBAN, on the other hand, asked that governors of affected states approach solving the issue from a neutral standpoint, and not be biased.

The source who spoke to Punch said:

In his view, political leaders, especially governors, should approach issues of peace in neutral perspective, not as biased party.

He said their members have lived in many of these conflict-prone communities for centuries without conflict, but wondered why the situation is getting out of hand now.