MBYC Insists On Self Defence To End Fulani Herdsmen Attacks

The Middle Belt Youth Council (MBYC) says the way forward to end the attacks by Fulani herdsmen is for communities to carry weapons to protect themselves.
The MBYC states that if communities under attack are not allowed to protect themselves, the situation would be worse just as Governor Samuel Ortom tells Fulani herdsmen to ignore a quit notice issued to them by a coalition of middle belt youths.
The Middle Belt Youth Council (MBYC) has taken a radical stand against herdsmen attacks by calling on victims of such attacks to carry arms and other weapons to defend themselves.
The president of the MBYC in southern Bauchi, Emma Zopmal, made the call in an interview with the Punch on Sunday, August 27, shortly after a communique signed by its representatives in 15 states.
The MBYC said the way forward to end the atrocities of Fulani herdsmen is for communities under attack to bear weapons to protect themselves. The group said: “We support victims under the attacks of Fulani herdsmen to take up arms to defend themselves. You don’t protect yourself in the grave.
If someone decides to kill another person, how can the person protect himself? “The way forward to end the atrocities of Fulani herdsmen is for the communities to be given the right to protect themselves because the first line of defence is the individual who is the target. If he is allowed to defend himself, one would be mindful of attacking the person.
“So, these people that are targets should be given arms to protect themselves. The communities should be given the right to possess arms to protect themselves. If these people are not allowed to protect themselves, it is going to be worse than what we are seeing today.”
Meanwhile, Fulani herdsmen residing in Benue have been ordered by the state governor, Samuel Ortom, to ignore a quit notice issued to them by a coalition of middle belt youths, asking them to leave the middle belt before October 1, Vanguard reports.
The governor made his comments in Abuja, the nation’s capital, while fielding questions from journalists. In a communique, the youths had threatened war against the herdsmen if they failed to vacate the region by the deadline.