By: Abdullahi Inuwa
The Emir of Zamfara and Chairman of the Zamfara State Council of Chiefs, Alhaji Attahiru Muhammad Ahmad CON, has strongly rejected media reports linking him to comments on the origins of banditry in Zamfara, describing the publication as a deliberate distortion of his earlier remarks.
Speaking with journalists on Friday, the traditional ruler said the report misrepresented his position by lifting portions of an old discussion on the farmer-herder conflict and portraying them as comments on the state’s current security crisis.
The Emir explained that the controversial publication wrongly attributed to him claims that Fulani herders invited armed groups from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic into Nigeria. He maintained that he never made such remarks in relation to the present wave of banditry.
According to him, the statement originated from a previous public engagement where the then Chairman of Miyetti Allah, Alhaji Bello, discussed the historical farmer-herder conflict. Ahmad said his comments were taken out of context and incorrectly presented as his own views on today’s insecurity.
He described the publication as a glaring case of misquotation and wrongful attribution, warning that such reports undermine public trust and could strain relationships between traditional institutions, government authorities and neighbouring countries.
The Emir stressed that the security situation confronting Zamfara today has evolved far beyond the earlier farmer-herder disputes, noting that the state is now battling organised kidnapping, banditry, cattle rustling and deadly attacks.
He explained that the earlier conflicts largely revolved around disputes over grazing routes and damaged farmlands, which sometimes triggered retaliatory clashes. Drawing parallels between those incidents and the current security challenges, he said, is both inaccurate and misleading.
Ahmad further criticised the publication for using only selected portions of an old event without indicating the date or providing the full context, saying the omission created a false narrative capable of confusing the public.
He called on media organisations to uphold professional ethics by verifying facts before publication and avoiding reports capable of inflaming tensions or spreading misinformation.
The Emir also appealed to news platforms that circulated the report to withdraw it in the interest of public understanding and peaceful coexistence.
He urged Nigerians to support ongoing efforts by government and security agencies to tackle insecurity instead of promoting outdated information that no longer reflects the realities on the ground.
