Group says nobody has the right to stop them from grazing openly

chika ebuzor

January 28, 2018 5:43 PM

MACBAN also vowed to resist attempts by the Federal Government to establish cattle colonies for them.

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has said that nobody has the right to stop them from grazing openly.

According to Daily Post, the group said that open grazing is their tradition.

They also said that they will challenge the anti-grazing laws put in place by some state governments.

According to reports, states like Taraba, Benue and Ekiti have signed laws banning open grazing.

Speaking further, MACBAN’s North East Chairman, Alhaji Mafindi Danburam said that settling in a cattle colony is not their culture.

Danburam said “You see, we know the plan of the Federal Government and I tell you that anything that infringes on our rights, we will go to court.

“Open grazing is our culture and you cannot wake up one day and stop me from practising my culture.

“Cattle colony is not our culture . We have our culture and tradition and we want to maintain it.”

“As the Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria in the North-East, who is also the immediate past Chairman of the group in Taraba State, I want to tell you that we do not accept the open grazing prohibition law being implemented in Taraba State.

“We don’t need it, we don ’t want it and that is why we are challenging the law in a court of competent jurisdiction — the state High Court.

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“The case is before her lordship, the Chief Judge of Taraba State, Justice Josephine Tuktur. So, we won’t do anything before the outcome of the case in court,” he added.

MASSOB kicks against cattle colonies

The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has condemned the idea of establishing cattle ranches in military barracks.

Sunday Okereafor, the spokesman of MASSOB, also told newsmen that there is nowhere in the world where cattle ranches are established in a military base.

Okereafor alleged that it is a plan by the Federal Government to shield Fulani herdsmen.

chika ebuzor