Facts have emerged on tbe circumstances that may have led to the murder of the Chairman of the Miyyeti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Kwara state, Alhaji Idris Abubakar.

ROYAL NEWS reports that the MACBAN chairman was ambushed and killed in front of his house in Oke-Oyi in the Ilorin metropolis last Saturday night.

Meanwhile, the association on Tuesday disclosed that Fulani cattle breeders have become targets of suspected assassins and criminal elements in in state stressing that about four cattle breeders have been trailed and killed in recent time.

MACBAN Secretary in the state, Mallam Abdulazeez Mohammed, said that, “Idris Abubakar was killed last Saturday because of efforts of Fulani leaders to rid the state of kidnapping and other criminal activities.

“The Fulani cattle breeders have become endangered species because of their sworn determination to join security agencies to rid the state of kidnappers and criminal elements.”

He also said that the murdered chairman of the association was trailed for over five months by his assailants before he was eventually killed last Saturday in front of his residence.

According to the secretary, “Our chairman was a great warrior. He fought kidnappers and was determined to rid the state of criminal activities. He told us, the members of the association, that the hoodlums had been calling to threaten him. He said that they warned him that he would be killed if he did not stop coming to disturb their criminal activities in the state. He had been their target”.

Describing the death of the MACBAN chairman as unfortunate and pathetic, Abdulazeez said that Abubakar had gone to break Ramadan fast and pray Ishai with a prominent politician in the state, called, Yahaya Seriki and returned to his house to meet hoodlums who killed him in front of his house.

The MACBAN secretary, who said that he was not sure if Abubakar reported the threat by his assailants to law enforcement agencies, added that, “The people shot him and pieces his head”.

“He reported the threat to us, the Fulani leaders, during our meetings five months ago”, he said.

Abdulazeez lamented that about three Fulani leaders had been killed before the murder of Abubakar last Saturday, saying that Fulani leaders are becoming targets of criminals.

“These are the people fighting criminal activities. These Fulani leaders always come out at gathering and meetings to tell criminal elements that they should stop their nefarious activities or they’ll be arrested and prosecuted or killed. They usually do this without fear. And that’s why they don’t like him”.

Similarly, family of Alhaji Idris Abubakar Sakaina, the murdered Kwara state chairman of the Miyyeti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), has called on the government and law enforcement agencies in the state to help members of the family left behind.

Speaking with journalists in their Oke-Oyi residence, Ilorin, wife of the deceased MACBAN chairman, Aisha Abubakar, in tears, appealed to government for assistance, especially, for the educational needs of the young children left behind by the deceased.

Aisha, who narrated how the gunmen shot her husband, Abubakar, to death, described the death of her husband as shocking and tragic.

“I was at home at about 10:00 pm on Saturday night, when my husband called me to ask me to open gate for him to enter the house.

“As I opened the gate, I saw two strange men. I’ve never seen them before. They brought out their guns immediately they saw me and actually shot at where I was standing. Seeing this, I quickly rushed back inside for safety.

“I tried to reach out to some people to help my husband left with them outside, because I sensed danger. But there was no one around.

“I kept hearing gunshots sound while inside the house. By the time I summoned courage to come outside again, the gunmen had left, leaving corpse of my husband on the ground, where he was shot dead”.

Also speaking, an elder brother to the late MACBAN chairman, Idris Ali Kau, called on both the state and federal governments to assist the family of the deceased.

Idris said that his late 32-year old younger brother left behind two wives, seven children and mother.

He described Abubakar as a wise and peaceful individual, saying he had only spent one year as MACBAN chairman.

Also,bthe Fulani leader (Ardon Ardodi) in Kwara state, Alhaji Ojonla Mahmud, urged the security agencies to track down the fleeing assailants and ensure they face justice.

He appealed to the state government to assist the family of the deceased in the provision of quality education for the children.

He advised the people of Fulani community in the state to ensure peaceful coexistence at all times.