Herders beg Taraba’s emir for more time and promise to sack criminal herders

On Tuesday, the leadership of Fulani herders in Taraba State appealed to Alhaji Abbas Tafida, the Emir of Muri, for five months to flush out criminal elements among them.

Herders were given a 30-day ultimatum by the emir two weeks ago to leave Taraba forests or face being forced out.

On Tuesday, the emir met with the leadership of Fulani Ardos (chiefs) and community leaders from 14 of the state’s 16 local government areas in Jalingo, pleading for more time to flush out the criminal elements.

The herders, led by Alhaji Sahabi Mahmud, state chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, pleaded with the emir to assist them in their prayers for success.

The leaders pledged a comprehensive approach to the issue in a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, which was attended by the Security Adviser to Governor Darius Ishaku, Col. Angyu Agbu and representatives of security agencies in the state.

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“Those who repent would be documented, while those who refused to repent would be handed over to security agencies,” the communiqué reads in part.

“Even if they are our biological children, we have agreed not to harbor criminals. We have taken an oath to expose their sponsors, regardless of their social standing.”

‘This is my ultimatum to deal with insecurity.’

Meanwhile, Emir Tafida stated that the utlimatum he delivered during the Eid- el- Kabir celebration was intended to address security issues in his domain.

The order, he said, was aimed at criminal elements among the herders.

“As a leader who stands firmly on the side of truth and honesty, I would never allow injustice or shield criminals,” the Emir said in the communiqué.

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The Emir bemoaned the fact that the Fulani’s image as a race was being tarnished by the criminal activities of a few of them.

Mahmoud, for one, promised to track down criminals who are tarnishing the Fulani’s image.

“What we’re going to do, as stated in our communiqué, is check and fish out the bad apples among us,” he said.