The Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, South-East, Gidado Sidikki, has said that not all herdsmen were not killers.
Sidikki, in his Eid el-Kabir goodwill message in Awka, insisted that criminals irrespective of status or region should not be protected, but must face the wrath of the law.
The MACBAN leader who accompanied by the Sarkin Hausa, Haruna Garuba, said: “I maintain that criminals, wherever they are identified, should be made to face the full wrath of the laws of the land.”
He sued for a peaceful coexistence among Nigerians as well as an improved peace and understanding between their host communities in the South-East and herdsmen who are genuinely engaged in the business of cattle rearing in the Eastern part of Nigeria.
He posited that the safety of the citizens remain the primary commitment of government world over and that Nigeria’s case should not be different.
“As I invite all in the celebration of Eid-el-Kabir, I sincerely plead for better understanding in information peddling, so as to avoid the misinformation, half-truths and outright falsehood that the gullible public very often gets fed with.
“I plead with the government, traditional and religious leaders, as well as other influential groups in the South-East not to relent in their advocacy for peaceful coexistence amongst Nigerians wherever they choose to live and ply their legitimate businesses.
“I plead for truthfulness, fairness and restraints in information management so as to avoid tendencies of unfair blanket criminalisation of any group of people,” Sidikki said.
In his own remarks, the Sarkin Hausa in Awka, Garuba, and Special Adviser on Non-Indigenes to Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, called on Muslim faithful in the state to use the occasion to reflect and pray for peace and harmony in Nigeria.
“My message to my Muslim brothers in Anambra State is to pray for the peace of the country and Anambra State. We will continue to pray for the governor and people of the state for peace to reign,” he said.
