The Punch reported that Alhaji Baba Othman-Ngelzarma, the National President of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, claimed that Fulani pastoralists have no desire to take territory from other communities. He maintained that because Fulani pastoralists constantly migrate in quest of grazing grounds and water for their cattle, they are a landless group even in the northern region where they are originally from.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
Othman-Ngelzarma described Fulani settlements as temporary, often relocating every few months, which reflects their lack of concern for land ownership.
He dismissed allegations of land-grabbing by Fulani pastoralists as baseless and amusing, emphasizing that they have no intention of claiming the land they temporarily settle on.
According to Alhaji Baba Othman-Ngelzarma, “No Fulani man, no pastoralist is interested in grabbing anybody’s land. Even in the northern part of the country where they belong, they don’t have land. They are the only landless society in Nigeria today because they are always on the move in search of pasture and water for the survival of their only source of livelihood, the cattle.
They don’t have land or house. Those hamlets that you see them erect in the forest; after three or four months, they dismantle and go somewhere else to erect another again. They don’t care about land. So, whenever I hear people complaining about land grabbing, it’s just a laughing matter. Nobody is interested in grabbing anybody’s land.”CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
