Renowned Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has announced the formation of an organisation for the protection of the rights of Fulani, the Nomadic Rights Concern (NORIC) with a sole mandate to protect the interests of herders across Nigeria by the use of legal means. 

Sheikh Gumi while reeling out  the objectives of the  Nomadic Rights Concern in Kaduna, lamented over  “unjust persecution and stereotyping of herdsmen in the country”, insisting that the  nomadic Fulani had been victims of banditry.

He explained reasons for registering NORIC with the  Corporate Affairs Commission in June 2021 to include; bridging  gap between herdsmen and the larger society, addressing issue of banditry, developing modern scientific methods of livestock breeding, overall development of livestock rearing sector among others.

He said that most frictions , particularly between pastoralists and others could be traced to injustice meted on either of  the parties involved.

He pointed out that the newly formed group would not only stand for the oppressed Fulani herders, adding that all individuals who may have been affected by any form of injustice or the other would as well be the primary concern of NORIC.

” The issue that stands out glaringly is  that pastoralists are both victims and villains largely because their voices are muffled by an unimaginable level of illiteracy and lack of know-how.”

” Often their rights are trampled upon or denied, leading to in many cases avoidable violence in the Nigerian society.”

” Thus, the necessity to establish a nongovernmental and apolitical organization dedicated to peace and harmonious coexistence between various groups and ethnicities, especially amongst headers and farmers, ” he said.

He stressed the need for interface between herders and host communities for lasting peace, saying bullet approach alone cannot end violence and banditry in Nigeria.

Source: The Vanguard