By Taye Obateru
Jos – The Berom of Plateau State say they have lost over 10,000 people and property worth more than N180 billion to Fulani herdsmen since the attacks began.
This was disclosed, weekend, by Chairman of the Berom Community in Abuja, Mr. Peter Gai, who told journalists in Jos that his people had always been at the receiving end of the attacks and were always having to react to defend themselves.
He said given their experience with the Fulani, they would resist any attempt to carve out any part of Berom land as grazing reserve as being proposed in the Grazing Bill currently before the National Assembly.
He said: “If the National Assembly insists on passing that bill into law, as far as Berom land is concerned, that law is dead on arrival because no one would like to surrender his land to somebody who would not want to live in peace with his host.”
The group called for the evacuation of the Fulani inhabiting Berom land as a way out of the spate of attacks and clashes that have resulted in the loss of innocent lives.
It said it was unfortunate that the hospitality the Berom people accorded the Fulani by accommodating them had become a nightmare as they were being paid back with violence.
The Grazing Bill seeks to carve out grazing reserves for Fulani herdsmen in different parts of the country where they can graze unmolested and without straying into people’s farms which is often a source of clash between them and farmers.
SOURCE: 16 July 2012.
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