Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar’s Eid-el-Fitr message to Muslim Ummah last week was instructive. The very substance of his point was his plea to the federal government to probe the source of weapons used by suspected herdsmen in attacking communities across the country. He insisted that genuine herdsmen move with their cows and sticks, and certainly not guns.
“The real herdsmen do not carry guns, but they only move with their cows and sticks. Agreed, there are bad eggs among the Fulanis, but those carrying arms and perpetrating heinous killings are not herdsmen. Those carrying arms are criminals and they should be treated as such. The government should, therefore, probe the sources of these weapons and take the appropriate action.â€
That was quite thoughtful and sure deserves a vote of support from everyone. And quite expectedly, other weighty voices should follow suit. Unfortunately, it should not have taken the Sultan to say this before the concerned authority or agencies knew it was part of their responsibilities. But now that the Sultan has said so, it is hoped that someone would take this seriously and follow it through.
