Most Bandits Are Fulani Who Profess Same Religious Beliefs As Me — Masari

*To Consider Law Banning Open Grazing

Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari, says most bandits are of
the Fulani ethnic stock as himself, adding that they speak Fulfulde
and profess the same religious beliefs as himself.

He said many northerners might not like his revelation but
maintained that his disclosure remains the truth.

The governor spoke on Monday as a guest on Channels Television’s
‘Politics Today’ programme.

When asked about the identities of bandits terrorising the
entire North-West and other parts of the country, Masari said,
“They are the same people like me, who speak the same language like
me, who profess the same religious beliefs like me.

“So, what we have here on ground are bandits; they are not
aliens, they are people we know, they are people that have been
living with us for 100 of years.

“The infiltration we have from some West African countries and
North African countries are also people of the Fulani
extraction.

“Majority of those involved in this banditry are Fulanis whether
it is palatable or it is not palatable but that is the truth. I am
not saying 100% of them are Fulani but majority of them are, and
these are people who live in the forest and their main occupation
is rearing of cattle.”

The governor also suspended sales of cows, and other animals at
markets in 14 local government areas of the state in a move to curb
the worsening security situations in the North-West state.

Commenting on Monday, Masari said the measures are “painful” but
“necessary”, adding that the efforts are working but it has not
recorded the level of results he wanted.

He noted that over 100 groups are in the forest “all made up of
bandits, kidnappers, rapists and armed robbers”, adding that all
measures would be employed to curtail the situation before the end
of the year.

Furthermore, the governor said the restrictions in the last few
days have drastically reduced the movement of bandits in large
groups.

He said some filling stations in isolated locations service the
bandits who mostly move on motorcycles.

“We are not totally shutting all the filling stations. In local
governments, we said two filling stations will operate and in those
filling stations, nobody will sell fuel in jerrycans and
gallons.

“There may be some hardship but it is better now to take the
hardship now in order to restore normalcy. We have a list of some
of these filling stations that are dispensing fuel in jerrycans,”
Masari said.

Speaking on the programme, Masari hailed the decision in
Zamfara. He said bandits operate on the strength of their
informants whom he said were scattered all over the state,
dispensing security information to the criminals in the bush
through the use of mobile phones and other communication
gadgets.

He said many military operations have been sabotaged due to the
activities of informants, thereby, affecting the onslaught of the
Nigerian Air Force and other sister agencies against the
bandits.

The governor urged the Federal Government to shut down
telecommunication sites in at least 13 local government areas in
Katsina rife with banditry.

“We are not advocating the total shut down in Katsina State but
we have about 13 local government areas on the border that should
be shut and this will give us the opportunity to operate without
informants,” he said.

Masari also faulted the movement of herders from one part of the
country to another.

He explained that before the state would create a law banning
the open grazing of livestock, the government would make provisions
to house the animals.

“We intend to have a law banning (cattle) roaming but before we
do that, we would make provisions for where the animals would
stay,” the governor said during the programme.

“Herdsmen should stay in one place. Roaming about should not be
encouraged. In fact, for us, it is un-Islamic. Why do you have
animals that you cannot feed and you have to go to other people’s
land and farm and you say that is right? I don’t think it is
right.”

He explained that as part of the efforts to kick start the
ranching programme, the Federal Government disbursed N6.2 billion
for the project.

Masari added, “We already have started. The Federal Government
has given us N6.2 billion and as a state government, we are also
investing N6.2 billion. The objective is to have Fulanis stay in
one place.”

*To Consider Law Banning Open Grazing

Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari, says most bandits are of
the Fulani ethnic stock as himself, adding that they speak Fulfulde
and profess the same religious beliefs as himself.

He said many northerners might not like his revelation but
maintained that his disclosure remains the truth.

The governor spoke on Monday as a guest on Channels Television’s
‘Politics Today’ programme.

When asked about the identities of bandits terrorising the
entire North-West and other parts of the country, Masari said,
“They are the same people like me, who speak the same language like
me, who profess the same religious beliefs like me.

“So, what we have here on ground are bandits; they are not
aliens, they are people we know, they are people that have been
living with us for 100 of years.

“The infiltration we have from some West African countries and
North African countries are also people of the Fulani
extraction.

“Majority of those involved in this banditry are Fulanis whether
it is palatable or it is not palatable but that is the truth. I am
not saying 100% of them are Fulani but majority of them are, and
these are people who live in the forest and their main occupation
is rearing of cattle.”

The governor also suspended sales of cows, and other animals at
markets in 14 local government areas of the state in a move to curb
the worsening security situations in the North-West state.

Commenting on Monday, Masari said the measures are “painful” but
“necessary”, adding that the efforts are working but it has not
recorded the level of results he wanted.

He noted that over 100 groups are in the forest “all made up of
bandits, kidnappers, rapists and armed robbers”, adding that all
measures would be employed to curtail the situation before the end
of the year.

Furthermore, the governor said the restrictions in the last few
days have drastically reduced the movement of bandits in large
groups.

He said some filling stations in isolated locations service the
bandits who mostly move on motorcycles.

“We are not totally shutting all the filling stations. In local
governments, we said two filling stations will operate and in those
filling stations, nobody will sell fuel in jerrycans and
gallons.

“There may be some hardship but it is better now to take the
hardship now in order to restore normalcy. We have a list of some
of these filling stations that are dispensing fuel in jerrycans,”
Masari said.

Speaking on the programme, Masari hailed the decision in
Zamfara. He said bandits operate on the strength of their
informants whom he said were scattered all over the state,
dispensing security information to the criminals in the bush
through the use of mobile phones and other communication
gadgets.

He said many military operations have been sabotaged due to the
activities of informants, thereby, affecting the onslaught of the
Nigerian Air Force and other sister agencies against the
bandits.

The governor urged the Federal Government to shut down
telecommunication sites in at least 13 local government areas in
Katsina rife with banditry.

“We are not advocating the total shut down in Katsina State but
we have about 13 local government areas on the border that should
be shut and this will give us the opportunity to operate without
informants,” he said.

Masari also faulted the movement of herders from one part of the
country to another.

He explained that before the state would create a law banning
the open grazing of livestock, the government would make provisions
to house the animals.

“We intend to have a law banning (cattle) roaming but before we
do that, we would make provisions for where the animals would
stay,” the governor said during the programme.

“Herdsmen should stay in one place. Roaming about should not be
encouraged. In fact, for us, it is un-Islamic. Why do you have
animals that you cannot feed and you have to go to other people’s
land and farm and you say that is right? I don’t think it is
right.”

He explained that as part of the efforts to kick start the
ranching programme, the Federal Government disbursed N6.2 billion
for the project.

Masari added, “We already have started. The Federal Government
has given us N6.2 billion and as a state government, we are also
investing N6.2 billion. The objective is to have Fulanis stay in
one place.”