Northerners in Abia Cattle Market Deny Harbouring Criminal Herdsmen

By Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo

Leaders and stakeholders of the northern community at Umuchieze cattle market in Abia State yesterday raised the alarm over plots by “disgruntled elements” to incite their host communities to attack them “based on rumoured presence of criminals at the cattle market.”

The northern community raised the alarm at a press conference held at the office of the cattle market in Lokpaukwu, Umunneochi Local Government Area of the state. They expressed worry over “rumours flying around” that bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers and criminal herdsmen were living in the market, adding that such rumours could incite host communities to attack northerners in the state.

Spokesperson of the northern community in the area, Buba Kedemure, who read the statement signed by the leaders and stakeholders, noted that the northern community has lived in peace and harmony with their host communities for over 16 years.

According to him, the cattle market has continued to serve as “a unifying factor between the North and the South,” as people from both regions of Nigeria intermingle and do business together.

He said it was unfortunate that some people were not happy at the peaceful co-existence between the host communities and the northern community hence the allegations aimed at undermining the peace in the cattle market.

However, he admitted that criminal elements could have passed through the cattle market on their way, as there has been exodus of northerners, including herdsmen, some of who come to the cattle market with their families to board vehicles home.

“We are law-abiding citizens who are engaged in legitimate business,” he said, adding: “For the avoidance of doubt, we want to state in unequivocal term that we did not authorise, harbour or in any way involve or connect with criminals or herdsmen.”

Kedemure insisted that if strange elements pass through the cattle market, “it does not mean that we harbour or are harbouring them to commit crime anywhere.”

He lamented that there has been the tendency to generalise and label every Fulani as a criminal because of the activities of some criminal herdsmen.

“It is not proper to say that every Fulani man is a criminal. In every ethnic group, there are good and bad people,” he said.

In his remark, the Chief Imam of the cattle market, Mallam Bashir Sale, underscored the need for people to differentiate cattle traders from the cattle rearers in the bush, who are generally believed to be the group causing trouble.

In her remarks, a stakeholder, Tina Ihesiulo, who spoke on behalf of women, said the rumours of insecurity in the cattle market was creating panic and fear, thereby hampering economic activities in the market.

“We don’t understand the anxiety from outside, because we are comfortable here,” she said.