The Amalgamated Union of Foodstuff and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria has begun stoppage of its members from moving food items from the North to the South.
The body said it commenced an indefinite strike following the government’s failure to address the alleged killings of its members in parts of the country.
ThePunch reports that the union is also stopping its members from moving cattle and foodstuffs to the country’s southern part.
Many trailers transporting cows, tomatoes, onions, pepper, grains and other commodities were prevented from leaving a border town in Niger State to the southern part of the country.
A viral video of a long line of trailers stopped by the union had circulated on social media.
The trucks, reportedly conveying agricultural goods owned by Fulani cattle merchants, were reportedly stopped from entering the Jebba town, Kwara State border town with Niger State on their way to the South-West on Thursday.
Reacting to the video, the Financial Secretary of the AUFCDN, Kabiru Salisu, said a task force set up by the union was enforcing the strike in Niger State and other areas.
He said the government had not reached out to the union on its demands, hence the strike, which he said was indefinite.
Salisu said, “There is a task force that we set up to enforce the directive by the union that there would be no transportation of cattle and foodstuffs to the South with effect from Thursday. So, the union set up the task force to prevent sabotage.
“In the communiqué we issued, we said the strike would start yesterday (Thursday), and so, we have started the strike. Now, there is no loading of commodities to the South, but those who attempted to violate the directive were stopped in Niger State.”
Also, confirming the stoppage of cattle and foodstuffs to the South on Friday, the Coordinator of Miyetti Allah in Kwara State, Aliyu Mohammed, said the development was factual.
Mohammed also claimed that his members were being killed.
”We are not doing anything wrong and yet our people in the forests are being killed for no just cause,” he said.
