Herders to boycott Niger market over killings

Leaders of Fulani herders have asked their members to boycott the Beji Weekly Market in Bosso LGA of Niger State for eight weeks over alleged killing of herders by suspected Gbagyi vigilantes. Alhaji Hassan Shiroro, the Niger State Coordinator of Nomadic Affairs and Fulani Representative in Minna Emirate Council, disclosed this while featuring in a […]

Leaders of Fulani herders have asked their members to boycott the Beji Weekly Market in Bosso LGA of Niger State for eight weeks over alleged killing of herders by suspected Gbagyi vigilantes.

Alhaji Hassan Shiroro, the Niger State Coordinator of Nomadic Affairs and Fulani Representative in Minna Emirate Council, disclosed this while featuring in a Hausa programme, “Tsalle Daya”, on Prestige FM, Minna.

He said the directive was due to the recurring feud between Gbagyi farmers and herders that had caused several deaths, especially on the part of Fulani herders in the market.

He said, “We the stakeholders of Fulani in Bosso, Chanchaga, Wushishi and neighbouring LGAs met to discuss the recurring crisis between Fulani and Gbagyi farmers in the Beji market and resolved that our members should not take their animals to the market. We are not stopping them from taking their farm produce to the market to sell. Women can also take their milk to the market to sell, but no Fulani should take his animal there to sell.

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“The crisis has happened three times and the authorities have taken measures. During the last crisis, commercial vehicles were stopped and searched; any Fulani found was brought out and killed by vigilantes and nobody said anything. So, Beji market has become a crisis ground between farmers and herders; which shouldn’t be. So, Fulani herders have been stopped from taking their animals to the market to see if they are important or not.”