Fulani Herdsmen not Muslims, no plans to Islamize Nigeria ~ Sultan of Sokoto
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| Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III |
The Sultan, who is also the president general of Jaama’tu Nasril Islam (JNI) further said that Nigerians should “stop taking the devilish act of the killers herdsmen as acting the script of the Fulani community or Muslim community in Nigeria” and added that there are few bad eggs in the Fulani clan.
The traditional and Islamic leader said this, yesterday, in Kaduna, at the opening ceremony of the 2-Day Annual Pan-Northern Groups Summit on Security, Socio-economic and political development.
Daily Sun quoted Sultan as saying that clashes between farmers and herdsmen are purely economic clashes and not ethno-religious as speculated in some quarters.
“There are very terrible herdsmen who kill.
“But, they are acting on their own; they are criminals and they must be treated as criminals.
“Therefore, the Federal Government should prosecute them. “It is disheartening to hear when people say Fulani herdsmen want to Islamize Nigeria and that is why they are killing.
“Any Fulani herdsman who kills is not acting the script of the Fulani community in Nigeria, neither is he working for the Muslim community,” he said.
Speaking on the state of Northern Nigeria, the Sultan said “unity of the North is non-negotiable if the region must develop and have a common front.”
He added that, the North of today was not the North that Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello left behind. He also acknowleged there is ethnic awareness among northerners now, than ever before.
“There is more ethnic awareness now than ever before. The question is why the sudden consciousness in ethnicity and religion?
“I will not attempt to provide answer to this question, but, we must, therefore, strive to re-unite the North. Only then, we can have a common front and build a united and cohesive North.”
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