“You Collect Tax On Every Cow Sold, But You Don’t Protect Us” — Maryam Bayaro Challenges Gov Mutfwang Over Repeated Harassment, Killings And Stereotyping

The Woman Leader of FUDECO, Plateau State Chapter and member of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Maryam Yusuf Bayaro, has accused the Plateau State Government of collecting tax on every cow sold at the Bukuru Kara cattle market without protecting pastoralists from repeated harassment, killings and stereotyping.

Maryam said pastoralists returning from the Bukuru Kara market to their houses were attacked in Bukuru town along a federal road, not in a rural hideout.

“Because what I want to ask the Plateau State Government is that these are pastoralists. They came out from the cattle market, from the Bukuru Kara cattle market on their way to their houses, and they were attacked.”

“Are they not paying tax to the government? For every cattle that is being sold in that market, the state government has its tax, and it’s collecting it every day. The local government is also collecting tax. The Ministry of Agriculture, for every Fulani man that sells his animal, is paying tax to the ministry. But what have you done in return for these people?”

She said the victims are indigene and citizens who deserve equal rights, as guaranteed by the Constitution which gives every individual the right to live free from discrimination, harassment and stereotype.

“These people are indigenous. They are also citizens; they deserve equal rights. The Constitution has given every individual to live free from discrimination, harassment, and stereotype. But the Fulani communities and the other Muslim communities, we are facing harassment. In our houses, we are battling with securities. Every day, they will enter and arrest our husbands, our sons.”

She lamented that the pastoralist community has suffered genocide, leaving behind widows and orphans.

“Because we, the pastoralist community, we have suffered a lot of genocide. What we have in our communities is widows and orphans. The majority of our lifestyle is pastoralism, but the majority of us are Fulani by tribe. But we all know that this is beyond the Fulani tribe. Because the people that were attacked yesterday, among them, are Hausa members. Two people were killed out of many that were shot, and two people died instantly—one is from the Hausa community and the other one is from the Fulani community.”

Bayaro questioned why such an attack could happen in Bukuru town on a federal road.

“How can this happen in Bukuru town around a federal road? This is a town, this is not a rural area. If at all you have an issue with any Fulani community or any herder or pastoralist community, you can follow them where they are and fight the fight together. But a road is supposed to be safe for everybody. People going for their normal livelihood, their crime is just to go to the market, and coming back they were attacked. What is their crime? Is it now a crime to go to the normal activities of the market?”

On the plight of families whose men have been arrested and whose whereabouts are unknown, she said:

“We have a lot of people that we don’t know how to address. Should we address them as widows? Because their husbands were arrested and their whereabouts are unknown? We don’t know whether they have sent them to heaven or they have a special detention unit in heaven where they are sending our people. Who will take care of these children? Who will take care of the orphans? Who will take care of these young mothers?”

She said pastoralists have been victimized since 2001 and always blamed despite peaceful coexistence and intermarriages before the crisis.

“We, pastoralists in Plateau State, are crying with a louder voice that we have been victimized from 2001 to now. We have been victimized several times, and yet every day, a finger is always being pointed at us. Why? We are also citizens, we deserve equal right to be treated with respect, just like any other tribe. We are not against any other tribe in the state. We have lived peacefully with them prior to the 2001 crisis. There have been intermarriages between us; we lived in peace. Some of the so-called indigenous tribes are bearing our names because of the mutual relationship we lived in.”

Issuing a direct challenge to Governor Caleb Mutfwang, Bayaro said the attack at Kara market is the fifth time traders doing normal market activities are attacked in the middle of the town. She also cited a recent incident last week where five people were killed at Kasa in Barkin Ladi and Mangu while going with their animals.

“I am calling you and challenging you, the Governor of Plateau State, Barrister Caleb Mutfwang. I am calling you with a louder voice that the Fulani communities, the pastoralist communities, the Muslim communities have been suffering a lot of genocide. Most of our people have been voiceless. I am voicing it out today with a louder voice that we also deserve to be protected.”

“This is not the first time. From the Kara cattle market, this is not the first time. I believe this is the fifth time. People are going to do their normal market activities and will be attacked in the town, in the middle of the town! And then people coming from other places like Barkin Ladi and Mangu—last week, five people were killed at Kasa. They were also going with their animals.”

She defended the indigenous status of Fulanis in Plateau:

“Those who want to say Fulanis are non-indigenes, what proof do you have? If you deny them, they are still indigenes. How can you send somebody out of the state? From 2001 to now, I believe it is enough evidence to prove to everybody that no tribe has the audacity to send one out. If it could have been successful, one tribe or religion could have chased another outside.”

Bayaro accused uniformed security personnel of raiding communities in Barkin Ladi, destroying properties belonging to women.

“The security agencies are supposed to protect every life and individual, but what happened in Barkin Ladi? Where security personnel wearing uniforms enter communities, attack, and destroy their belongings! They are destroying the properties of women. Every time you destroy the property of a pastoralist man, just know you are destroying the belongings of a woman, because what belongs to the room belongs to the woman alone, not the man.”

She concluded with a call for respect and justice:

“So we deserve to be treated with respect. We are calling with a louder voice that we are all human beings, we are all citizens, and what we want is respect and justice. We all deserve to be treated with respect. All of us have been traumatized, and we are saying enough is enough! We can no longer tolerate this.”

Watch the video: Click here