The National Vice President of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBA), Malam Husaini Yusuf Bosso has said that he never warned of the possibility of more bloodbaths over the anti-grazing law introduced by Governor Samuel Ortom as reported recently in the media
Bosso was quoted in one of the national dailies as warning barely 48 hours after the mass burial of the 73 victims of recent clash that gripped Benue state, that only the scrapping of the anti-grazing law would end further bloodbaths’.
However in an interview with journalists over the development on Sunday in Minna Bosso said, “what I told the journalist who called me from Lagos was that as an association, we are ready to collaborate with the Benue State government and other stakeholders towards finding an amicable resolution to the crisis”.
He said as an umbrella herder’s association, “we never supported any form of violence from herders in any parts of the country where they reside and we cannot therefore begin to encourage bloodbath in Benue, which has become home to our members with some borne and breed there.”
He said herders have for many decades cohabited peacefully with natives in Gboko, Katsina Alla, Vandenkiya and other parts of the State before Nigeria independence until now and could hardly trace their roots, adding that the association would do all it can to encourage the communal living that had existed between the two groups for time immemorial.
He explained that the association although was not consulted for its input before the law was passed, it however adviced the Governor to ensure serious enlightment and sensitization before its implementation as well as allocating grazing area for the herders.
He said the state government is aware that it can hardly allocated enough land for ranching like it was done in Obudu, Cross River and part of Tararaba because there is serious competition for available land by farmers
“As you know the Tivs go to states like Niger, Tararaba, Nasarawa and Cross Rivers among others to settle for farming because of inadequate land for agricultural purpose yet the governor talk about ranching. Even the governor’s cows also graze in the open like those of herders”, he claimed.
The vice president said it also adviced the state government to use security operatives in the enforcement of the law but the governor chooses to engage the services of land guards who have been attacking and terrorizing herders.
He also said in the interview he granted, he never said land guards collaborate with security operatives to harass herders as reported.
