The National Secretary, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Mr Saleh Alhassan, has admitted that their group demanded for N100bn from the Federal Government.
According to Miyetti Allah, the N100bn they are demanding from FG, is for the construction of ranches and not for amnesty as reported on social media.
In an interview with Punch, Mr Saleh Alhassan further revealed that Goodluck Jonathan promised to give them the money upon his reelection, but the initiative was suspended after he lost in 2015.
He said; “That is a mischievous statement. Do they pay money like that? Have they ever paid any money like that? That N100bn has been on the table for mini-ranches since 2014 when (former) President Goodluck Jonathan was trying to address the lingering crisis between farmers and herders. So, part of that money was, I think, used by state governors under the committee chaired by the then Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam. But I don’t think the bulk of the money has reached the pastoralists, the herders.
As part of that policy, they (the Federal Government) are trying to see how they can now assist livestock producers to address farmers/herders conflicts via a policy. So, people now saying they have given Miyetti Allah N100bn to stop kidnappings are just being mischievous because from what we have observed, there are certain people that are twisting narratives.”
