The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) has appealed to the Federal Government and the Borno State Government to factor its members into the authorities’ various humanitarian programmes, saying these individuals were also victims of insurgency.
The group said that the herders were among those hit by the Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorism in Borno, with most of them displaced and their cattle carted away by the insurgents who also took over most of the forests in the state.
Speaking on Wednesday during the inauguration of the executive members of the association in Maiduguri, the Chairman of MACBAN, Alhaji Abba Kawu, said most of its members who lost their cattle lost their means of livelihood.
Kawu, who was represented by the member of Borno State House of Assembly representing Kukawa State Constituency, Hon. Haruna Kujawa, urged members to cooperate with the security agents by reporting any suspicious movements or objects noticed around to the nearest security formations.
“We are appealing to Borno State and Federal governments to consider our members who lost their means of livelihood to the Boko Haram/ ISWAP activities in the North East. They were displaced and their cattle rustled,” he said.
He called on the newly elected executive to work for the improvement of the welfare of the members, noting that leadership was all about sacrifices and working for the people.
On his part, the outgoing state Secretary of MACBAN, Dr. Ibrahim Ahmed, urged members of the executive of the association to carry all members along, saying that unity of members was paramount towards the development of the association.
He commended members for being law-abiding, despite the Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgency in Borno and other states of the North-East.
In his remarks, the newly inaugurated Chairman, Alhaji Amadu Musa, promised to carry everybody along for the progress of the association and urged the members to cooperate with the executive.
