According to the report from the Punch, the National President of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Baba Othman-Ngelzarma asserted that Fulani pastoralists have no interest in seizing land from other communities.
He argued that even in the northern region where they originate, Fulani pastoralists are a landless community due to their constant migration in search of grazing pastures and water for their cattle.
Othman-Ngelzarma described Fulani settlements as temporary, often relocating every few months, which reflects their lack of concern for land ownership.
He dismissed allegations of land-grabbing by Fulani pastoralists as baseless and amusing, emphasizing that they have no intention of claiming the land they temporarily settle on.
According to Alhaji Baba Othman-Ngelzarma, “No Fulani man, no pastoralist is interested in grabbing anybody’s land. Even in the northern part of the country where they belong, they don’t have land. They are the only landless society in Nigeria today because they are always on the move in search of pasture and water for the survival of their only source of livelihood, the cattle.
They don’t have land or house. Those hamlets that you see them erect in the forest; after three or four months, they dismantle and go somewhere else to erect another again. They don’t care about land. So, whenever I hear people complaining about land grabbing, it’s just a laughing matter. Nobody is interested in grabbing anybody’s land.”….Vïêw–Môrê