National President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Abdullahi Bello Bodejo, has revealed that Fulani herdsmen residing in other countries do not need visa to come into Nigeria.
He stated this in an interview with one of the National dailies, The sun.
The leader of the association claimed desperate politicians were behind the seemingly unending herders- farmers clashes.
He stated: “The elections are over, and winners have emerged and there are also losers. The crises were mostly engineered by desperate politicians, who tried to use the clashes to score political points.
These clashes reached their peak during the electioneering campaigns and after the elections, they have come down drastically. Fulani herdsmen don’t have cattle colony, they don’t have grazing reserve, they don’t have RUGA, yet, the farmers are there and the herdsmen are also there and we are no longer hearing of clashes; that shows there is something to it that many people don’t understand, and we should begin to ask questions.
In essence, there are no real herdsmen and farmers’ crises; it is purely hatred some people have for the Fulani. Some desperate politicians ignite trouble here and there so that the blame will be Fulani.”
Questioned about the group’s position regarding the elections to be held 2023, the leader had this to say:
“Nobody can say where political power should go, it is God that gives power and He determines where power should go. My concern is that people should stop igniting crisis in order to win election. Our group has not decided on 2023 be- cause the journey is still very far.”
Asked about the accusation that the free visa policy the federal government is proposing is merely to bring in more Fulani, as part of the Fulanisation agenda, he said:
“This is democracy, anybody can say and criticise anything. Fulani are all over Africa and they are the biggest ethnic group in the world, they don’t have border; nothing concerns them with visa.
With their cows, they can cross any border and go anywhere they want where there is green pasture. What concerns Fulani with visa? The Fulani that need visa are very few, and they are the very educated ones and are in government in other countries. Free visa or no free visa, Fulani don’t have any border.
The interviewer Vincent Kalu, went on to ask the cattle association leader whether herdsmen could go in and out of the country at any time without a visa. He replied:
“Oh yes. They go anywhere they want from anywhere without visa all over the whole world, not only in Africa. They can migrate from Sahel, from Sudan, from Chad, from Niger, from Cameroun to here (Nigeria), nothing concerns them with visa.
Even before now that bandits are trying to spoil Fulani name and image, there is nothing that concerns them with visa; the country where they just want to enter, they will enter and you can just see them.
So, those who are troubling themselves that the free visa policy that President Buhari wants to introduce was aimed at bringing in the Fulani from other countries should hold their peace as there is nothing that concerns the Fulani with visa, as they are well organized and already know how they do their movements with their cows; anywhere they see grass they start grazing in that area.
They don’t need visa, you can see them they just appear there and start their grazing business.”
