The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, on Thursday said the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) is not a terrorist organisation.
He said herdsmen who carry weapons and wreak havoc are not members of the group.
According to him, MACBAN is a socio-cultural group like the Afenifere, Arewa Consultative Forum and Ohaneze Ndigbo of the Igbos.
He pointed out that it was formed over 32 years ago to cater to the welfare and advance the growth of Fulani business.
Speaking at the General Assembly of Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace, IDFP, in Abuja, the Sultan asked, “How is it possible for Fulani to attack settlements or communities to carry out killings of innocent people, destroy property and disappear without trace?”
He rejected the terrorism tag being placed on members of Miyetti Allah, warning that “We should not be labelling everybody a criminal because his brother is a criminal”.
“Miyetti Allah doesn’t control any Fulani man. Calling for proscription of Miyetti Allah is equivalent to calling for the proscription of other ethnic organisations like Afenifere, ACF, Ohanaeze and others,” he added.
