The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria has dismissed insinuations that herdsmen can kill human beings to protect their cows.
Many indigenes of Benue state have lost their lives in clashes involving farmers and Fulani herdsmen in communities in the state.
At least 20 persons were killed on New Year’s Day in Guma and Logo areas of the North-central state, while many others were seriously injured.
And following the recent attacks, many have accused the herdsmen of killing humans in order to protect their cows.
But the Assistant Secretary of the breeders association in the state, Ibrahim Galma, said that notion was far from the truth.
He said the herdsmen carry sharp cutlasses and knives around for the sole aim of defending their cows from dangers.
“That is obviously not true. How can the life of a cow be more important than the live of a human being or a child. It is not true at all,” he told Vanguard.
“Though we love our cow and we would not want anything to hurt them but the life of a human being or our children cannot be compared to the life of an animal. So those saying that are not aware of what they are saying.”
