We decided to kill 50 people for every slain herdsman–Head of Zamfara bandits who renounced violence

Hassan Dantawaye is the commander of bandits who recently renounced violence following peace talks in Zamfara State. The bandits, who are Fulani herdsmen, had been engaged in killing, kidnapping and other crimes, which they blamed on cattle rustling and harassment by security agencies and local vigilance group.

Let me tell you the truth of the matter, cattle rustling was the genesis of armed banditry in this country. Many Fulani like me have lost their cattle to the rustlers. You know that the Fulani are neither farmers nor traders; they depend solely on the rearing of animals. So when cattle rustling started in our state in 2013, we did all we could to draw the attention of the government to the problem, to do something about it, but nothing was done to stop the menace.

A: Of course, we faced serious harassment and intimidation from the security personnel and the vigilance group, a factor that further worsened the security situation in the state. The security agents, particularly the police, have been levying charges on our people. They had been collecting money from us unnecessarily simply because both the government and society consider every Fulani man as a criminal.

Q: In the course of all that, did you share your concerns with the government before your people resorted to kidnapping and killing? Q: How was the group formed? Did you all come together after identifying one another as victims of cattle rustling and so on? A: The peace talks were initiated by the state police commissioner, Alhaji Usman Nagogo, who invited all the stakeholders, that is the Fulani people, vigilance group and Yan Sakai to a meeting where every group was given a chance to voice their grievances. After a series of meetings, we all agreed that there was a need for all of us to forgive one another and embrace peace. We agreed to release the people we had abducted if the government could also release our people that had been imprisoned.

Nigeria Latest News, Nigeria Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Bandits killing people ’re not Muslims, Buhari tells Katsina IDPsPRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has sympathised and commiserated with internally displaced persons (IDP's) in eight local governments of Katsina State
Source: TheNationNews - 🏆 6. / 69 Read more »

Jakana Ambush: Army Gives Slain Personnel State BurialJakana Ambush: Army Gives Slain Personnel State Burial.
Source: channelstv - 🏆 7. / 63 Read more »

Buhari's Katsina Among Bottom Five As Abia, Anambra, Edo Emerge Best Performing States In 2019 West African Council Examination | Sahara Reporters.MBuhari's Katsina Among Bottom Five As Abia, Anambra, Edo Emerge Best Performing States In 2019 waecnigeria | Sahara Reporters According to the chart, followlasg is the only state in the South-West that made the top 10. READ MORE:
Source: SaharaReporters - 🏆 9. / 63 Read more »

How ‘drunk soldiers’ allegedly killed three, injured sixSoldiers drafted to secure Kara market have allegedly killed three people and injured six. The incident occurred on Monday during the Isheri Day...
Source: TheNationNews - 🏆 6. / 69 Read more »

Group urges Nigerian govt to reconsider nuclear energy plan after Russia...Last week, Russian scientists were working on miniaturised sources of nuclear energy when a rocket engine exploded. The explosion killed five people and...
Source: PremiumTimesng - 🏆 3. / 78 Read more »

Our Yoruba hosts will defend us if there’s attack on Fulani - The Nation NewspaperThe abduction of Prof. Olayinka Adegbeingbe, a lecturer at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile Ife, by suspected herdsmen on Ibadan-Ife Road in Osun State
Source: TheNationNews - 🏆 6. / 69 Read more »