The Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore has warned the newly-inaugurated security outfit, Amotekun against targeting herdsmen in the South-West geopolitical zone.
The group said it had no problem with the outfit as long as it does not subject herdsmen to injustice.
National Secretary of Miyetti Allah, Alhassan Saleh, who spoke on the group’s behalf, said it would not hesitate to activate its defence mechanisms should it find out that its members are being unfairly treated.
“We have no problem with them as long as they will not target our herders. We have our own defence mechanisms. We fight injustice anywhere, not only in Nigeria. So, if they end up meting out injustice to us, we will fight back. That is the truth but we are law-abiding.
“And as herders, we must herd our cows until there is an alternative provided for us. If they give us alternative, we will go there and if they say they don’t want us, those that want to leave, will leave but what we will not sanction is anybody taking the law into their own hands because we have a history of fighting injustice anywhere there is oppression,” Saleh was quoted by The Punch as saying.
He added that instead of establishing Amotekun, the South West governors should have stuck to their demand for state police.
The group expressed worry that the Amotekun members could be used to rig elections.
Saleh noted “When you empower groups and give them arms, the possibility is that others will follow suit and the central government will begin losing its power. Definitely, our politicians will begin to abuse these outfits.
“When it is election time, sitting governors will use the outfits to their advantage. The first casualties of such malfeasance will be the people of that state, because when they want to impose themselves, they use these people because they are already trained and armed just like in Benue State.
“At the end, the livestock guards ended up killing people. It is on record because people have been tried and jailed. So, it is not the way forward. If they cannot push the debate for state police, they should not do such half measures.”
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