Fulani herdsmen warned to desist from armed robbery

Tamale, Sept.7, GNA - The Northern Regional Security Council (RESEC) on Wednesday warned Fulani Herdsmen to desist from highway armed robbery and other anti-social activities in the region or face the rigors of the law.

Intelligent reports about the activities of the herdsmen indicated that they had been involved in armed robbery, raping of women in the bush, cattle rustling, luring of traders to buy their cattle and killing them and making away with their moneys. The REGSEC gave the warning at a meeting in Tamale with the leadership of the Fulani community in the wake of the spate of criminal activities in the area in recent times.

It urged the Fulanis to return to the police within two weeks, all weapons including shot machine guns (SMGs), "G3" and "AK 47" assault rifles, which the reports said were used in their operations, especially along the Kintampo-Buipe, Walewale-Bolgatanga, Walewale-Bunkprugu, Yendi-Bimbilla, Tamale-Salaga and Tamale-Daboya roads. The reports said 80 per cent of suspects on prison remand involved in such cases were of Fulani origin.

In one of such armed robberies, the attackers forcibly removed a passenger's eye while a cattle trader who was lured to buy cows in a Fulani settlement in the bush near Daboya in West Gonja District was shot dead and the money on him taken away, the reports said. The reports said most of the Fulani herdsmen in the region were operating illegally and the REGSEC had requested them to register with the Ghana Immigration Service for identification and monitoring purposes.

The REGSEC said it would embark on a search to retrieve the weapons if the Fulanis failed to heed the warning, pointing out that it was an offence for a civilian to own such weapons.

It cautioned the Fulanis to subject themselves to good behaviour and live peacefully with 00their hosts so that they could go about their businesses without intimidation.

While the meeting was going on, RESEC received a report that a Fulani herdsman had been arrested at Jerimoape in Central Gonja District for allegedly stealing a cow.

The REGSEC assured the Fulanis that the meeting was not an attempt to chase them out of the country but it was aimed at ensuring the security of the people. It therefore urged them to co-operate for the mutual benefit of Ghana and their countries of origin.

The Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, who is also the Chairman of REGSEC, said the security of the region was dear to the Council and as such, the security agencies would swiftly deal with any group of persons or individuals whose activities threatened the security of the people.

He urged the Fulanis not to take the Ghanaian hospitality for granted, saying: "We have very good relations with our neighbouring countries where some of you are coming from and we do not want your activities to create misunderstanding among us".

Alhaji Idris urged them to help "weed out the bad nuts" among them by volunteering information to the security agencies. "This would enable us to build trust and further strengthen the already existing good relations with our neighbouring countries," he said.