Northern States Christian Elders Forum warns Emir of Kano over his inflammatory comments

OFFICIALS of the Northern States Christian Elders Forum (Noscef) have warned the Emir of Kano Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II over his recent utterances which they say are capable of endangering the unity of the nation.

Nigeria is currently facing a grave security crisis due to the ongoing brutal attacks by Fulani cattle herdsmen in which they carry out murderous raids against farming villages. Recently, Benue State suffered one of the most horrific such attacks, resulting in the death of over 80 and the incident has sharply polarised the nation.

Responding to the attack, Emir Sanusi allegedly accused Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State and his Benue counterpart Samuel Ortom, of training militias to confront the Fulani people in their states. Both states now have large numbers of refugees camps where villagers who have been attacked have fled to and local people have formed vigilante committees to protect themselves.

Criticising the emir in s statement yesterday Bishop Isaac Philip and Reverend David Ibi, the respective Noscef chairman and secretary, said:  “We have not forgotten that the injurious statement made by the same Emir Sanusi where he specially alleged that the Taraba State government masterminded the genocide against the Fulani on the Mambilla Plateau, in Sardauna Local Government Area where over 800 were killed last year.

“The allegations by the Emir of Kano and his cohorts are to aggravate the bloody crisis between the indigenous farmers and the herdsmen in the aforementioned two states. It is indeed curious and suspicious that the emir, who is an avowed member of the board of trustees of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association worldwide, would be making spurious statements of such inflammable magnitude."