NO INFLUX OF ISLAMIC MILITIA AND ALMAJIRAI IN SOUTHEAST — ACF
The Patron, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Southeast, Alhaji Baba Ali Muhammad, has urged residents of Enugu to disregard reports making the rounds that some armed Islamic fundamentalists and Almajirai were been imported into the State to unleash terror on the people.
Alhaji Ali Muhammad insisted that those coming to Southeast were labourers.
Addressing journalists in Enugu, Alhaji Ali Muhammad, maintained that he was not aware of the importation of any trained militias in the State and existence of any training camps for jihadists herdsmen.
He said he was only aware of labourers who came in trucks from the North to East solely on business travels and not aware of any Almajiri migration into the zone.
Alhaji Ali Muhammed maintained that Northerners had been moving from North to East for business purposes using the same trucks over decades before Presidential directive banning interstate movement to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Alhaji Ali Muhammed condemned the insinuation of Northern influx into Southeast and insisted that those following the trucks to the east were labourers whose jobs included the feeding of the live stocks, offloading and other menial jobs at the various cattle markets as well as their state of resident.
“I don’t know about Almajiri coming to Enugu. Those people coming to Enugu are coming before Almajiri ban in the North. Some of them are labourers, and they are coming for some years before the ban on Almajiri.
“I am in Enugu since 1970. What we are seeing now is what we have seen before. Whether almajiri are coming here, we did not see them, especially here in Gariki, Enugu. Most of them have travelled back due to lack of jobs to do” he stated.
Radio Nigeria visited the livestock market following reports that some herdsmen were using various Hausa settlements in the zone as training fields for the imported trained militias herdsmen, including sinister plans to lunch coordinated attacks on the people.
However, on arrival at the premises, no serious activities were going on there, as the environment was calm and with a few Hause traders, and cow sellers who complained of low patronage due to COVID19.
The tour also took our correspondent to the abattoir and meat sections, including where cattle transported into the market were kept, all those areas where empty, except the butchers and those washing meats with few buyers carrying out their normal businesses.
CHRISTIAN NWANGENE