Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), has alleged that herders in Anambra State are being attacked daily.
This was made known in a statement issued on Friday by the South-East Zonal Chairman of MACBAN, Alhaji Gidado Siddiki in Awka, the Anambra State capital.
Siddiki called on the state governor, Willie Obiano, to intervene and stop the alleged attacks on herders.
Tribune reports that Siddiki pointed out some recent attacks, including one that happened at Ugbene community in the Awka North Local Government Area of the state on Wednesday, December 15, where one herder, Musa Adanmu was attacked by hoodlums in the area while on grazing his cattle.
Siddiki said, "My attention was drawn to a video clip that goes viral about what happened at Ugbene Community, Awka North LGA, yesterday, being Wednesday 15/12/2021.
"I made an enquiry and found out that actually, one Musa Adanmu was with his cattle at Ugbene community land as he spotted someone coming to him violently, he asked the person what happened?
"The person didn’t tell him anything. The person just held his tie, pushed him to the ground and macheted him on his forehead. He also spotted some two persons coming with force towards them. While defending himself, he stabbed the person, and the person left him; that is how he escaped. We have lost many herdsmen and their cattle in Awka North.
“The Fulani people in the South-East are not violent and we are not here to undermine the business of the people of the area."
"Members of the association had enjoyed cordial relationships with their host communities in Anambra, particularly and the South-East region at large until the advent of insecurity across the country that has claimed many innocent lives," he said.
Alleged attacks by Fulani herdsmen have made many residents of Mmiata community in the Anambra West Local Government Area of Anambra State flee their homes and farm settlements.
The residents said the attacks forced some of them to desert their area in droves.