By Salim Yunusa
Bala Muhammad, the Governor of Bauchi state, during the Press Week Celebration organised by Correspondents’ Chapel of Nigeria Union Journalists Bauchi State Council has defended the stance of Fulani pastoralists that take up arms and accused his Benue counterpart in fuelling the ethnic profiling of Fulanis.
“Nobody owns the forests in Nigeria, the forests belong to Nigerians. You have seen what our colleagues in the South West are doing and some of them in the South East.” He said.
Bala Muhammad also accused his Benue State counterpart, Samuel Ortom, of heightening the smear campaign against Fulani ethnic group in the media.
He said the situation has worsened the Herder-Farmer crisis; accusing him of criminalizing the entire Fulani across the country.
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“Some of us told them with all modesty and humility, you are wrong. But the person that is most wrong is the Governor of Benue state, my brother and colleague , Governor Samuel Ortom. He started all this.
“If you don’t accommodate other tribes, we are also accommodating your people in Bauchi and other places. “We have so many Tiv people working and farming in Alkaleri, farming in Tafawa Balewa, farming in Bogoro Local Government Area of Bauchi, has anyone asked them to go?
“We have Yoruba people in Bauchi for over 150 years even before the birth of Nigeria. Nobody has told them to go, some of them have risen to become Permanent Secretaries in Bauchi, Gombe and Borno.
“Now the Fulani man, exposed to the dangers of criminals, cattle rustlers who carry guns, kill him and take away his commonwealth, his cows. He has no option than to defend himself… Nobody owns any forest in Nigeria, the forests belong to Nigerians.”
