Attributing killings to Fulani is blackmail- Group

Patron and leader of all Fulani groups  in Nigeria, Ibrahim Dangirka, has described those attributing the killings going on in Zamfara, Taraba, Kaduna and Benue states by armed bandits to the Fulani race as blackmailers.

Speaking at a meeting of the Ardo’s (Fulani Chiefs) Forum in Kaduna over the weekend, he further exonerated the ‎Fulani race from the acts of criminality taken place in those states.

He disclosed that there are more than 53 tribes in the Fulani race and challenged the government to mention specifically which of the Fulani tribe is involved in the killing of innocent people in the country.

He added,  “It’s all lies because a Fulani man knows nothing apart from his stick. Who teaches a Fulani man to go and operate AK 47 to kill people in those states; which Fulani can use AK 47 and do you think using it is easy.

“It is not easy to use AK 47 and those attributing such killings to Fulani are blackmailers and liars and we do not believe it.”

While emphasising that all tribes have bad eggs, he decried the tagging of Fulani as criminals and called on the government to find a way of‎ identify those responsible in the killings and kidnapping with a view to ending the scourge.

‎”Let the government do something about it so as to know the real tribes behind it but certainly not fulanis. We equally want to live in peace because nobody is happy with the happening in the north and Nigeria, those using guns are also rustling the Fulani cows too,” he said.

Also, Secretary of the Ardo Forum in Kaduna, Ibrahim Abdullahi, said they formed the group to sensitize their kingpins on the need to educate Fulani on the importance of using their PVC’s to elect leaders of their choice.