“If you come here and tell us a few criminal elements are spoiling the reputation of everyone, the first thing you must do is drive out the madmen among you,” he said.
The Tor Tiv of Benue State, Prof James Ortese Iorzua Ayatse, has called on the leadership of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) to expel violent herders from among them.
Speaking during a meeting with MACBAN officials, Ayatse warned that the era of excuses was over. “If you come here and tell us a few criminal elements are spoiling the reputation of everyone, the first thing you must do is drive out the madmen among you,” he said.
He described the traditional Fulani herders as peaceful, noting, “The original herders we knew used sticks and avoided farmlands.” The monarch condemned violence attributed to herders, calling it an alien culture. “Any culture that kills, maims, and destroys does not deserve to continue,” he said. He urged MACBAN to acknowledge and deal with internal offenders, stressing, “They dress like you, talk like you, and carry AK-47s like you… how can you claim they are not part of you?”