Fulani herdsmen in Taraba State have committed to purging criminal elements from their company within five months.

The herders’ leadership was made up of Ardos and Fulani community leaders from 14 of the state’s 16 local government areas.

They informed Alhaji Abbas Tafida, the Emir of Muri, on Monday at his palace in Jalingo that the decision was taken after a series of meetings to discuss the issues they face.

The herders, led by Alhaji Sahabi Mahmud, the state chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, urged the Emir to accept their vow, promising that any criminal elements among them would be discovered and driven out within five months, bringing the state’s desired tranquility.

According to NAN, the Miyetti Allah Chairman read out the vow, which was included in a statement published following a multi-hour stakeholder gathering.

The herders and their Ardos and Jauros from across the state, as well as Gov. Darius Ishaku’s Security Adviser, rtd Col. Angyo Agbu, attended the meeting.

The herders and their leaders have promised, according to the statement, to weed out criminals among them within the next five months and report back to the Emir on any accomplishments or obstacles they may encounter during that time.

“Those who repent would be documented, while those who refused to repent and halt abduction and other crimes would be given over to security officials to face the relevant laws of the land,” according to the statement.

“We agreed not to conceal criminals, even if they were our biological children, and we swore an oath to expose their sponsors, regardless of their social standing.”

According to NAN, the herders claimed that the burden of completing the assignment was enormous but important to sanitize the Fulani herdsmen and restore their tarnished image created by criminal actions by a minority of them.