A group, Agbarijo Egbe Odo Yoruba (Grand Council of Yoruba Youths) has called on all governments in Nigeria including stakeholders to take decisive action against the escalation of Fulani herdsmen’s menace across the country.
A press statement issued within the week and signed by the President-general of the group, Comrade Awa Bamiji and circulated to media houses, warned that Nigerians have had enough of attacks of herders terrorism here and there and that this portends a great danger to the peaceful co-existence of various ethnic groups in Nigeria.
It warned that Nigeria faces the risks of breaking up if nothing is done to stem the tides.
The statement entitled Fulani Herdsmen Crisis: Now taking a dangerous dimension called for a meeting of stakeholders, governments and host communities to work out a permanent solution to these crises.
Bamiji continued “it is unbelievable that despite the crucial meeting of the Southwest Governors’ Forum held with the Fulani Herders held in Akure last week Monday, the Fulani Herders’ crises still remain unabated and it is even on a larger scale with the series of shootings, killings and unlawful occupations of hectares of farmlands and 5 Villages – Kajola, Gbagan, Idere, Konkon and Magbeje farmers of Ayete area of Ibarapa by the Fulani Herdsmen headed by a Warlord, Iskilu Wakili, who is said to command dozens of herders and an increasing battalion, hoisting red flags on in locations on the invaded farmlands and villages as a “no cross zone”. These “conquered” places are now being called Iga Wakili.
“Drawing from startling revelations by Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, of Ondo State, that Nigerian borders are still porous and that these notorious Criminals among the Fulani Herdsmen from the neighbouring Countries have been seizing this opportunity, one can understand why these dangerous Immigrants are now in our midst in their large number.
“We recall with a shock that one of these Criminal elements was arrested recently by residents in Oluwatuyi area of Akure while trying to pluck the eyes of a traumatized Victim; Woman, after raping her despite the recent meeting with MACBAN.
“We also recall that this development is not limited to the Southwest alone but now a daily occurrence in other regions where residents have been pushed to the wall by the unfriendly attitudes of the Criminals among the herdsmen.
“To mention a few examples, Lagos/Abuja Express, Abuja/Kaduna Express, Kaduna/Kano, the Benin/Ore Express has become a death trap for the innocent travellers, no thanks to the activities of these notorious criminals among the herdsmen and this is one of the reasons why the frustrated Uromi Women in Edo state protested and blocked major roads in town during the week. In Kwara, Ekiti, Ogun States and several other States in Nigeria, there is a similar outcry and the whole episode appears as if we don’t have the competent law enforcement Agents in place or there is no matching order from the above for them to act on.
“We have been witnessing attacks and counter-attacks here and there and this portends a great danger to the peaceful co-existence of various ethnic groups in Nigeria. We ought to have learnt our lesson from the prolonged #EndSARS Protests that were staged continuously for two weeks across the country in October last year which negative socio-economic and political impacts the Nation is not sure of surmounting in a few years to come. We dare request the authorities to quickly nip this looming danger in the bud before it snowballs into a major ethnic war.
“As a panacea, the Grand Council of Yoruba Youths is advocating a convocation of a peace meeting between host communities, Fulani herdsmen and critical Stakeholders like traditional rulers and the representatives of the various socio-cultural and political groups in Yoruba land to be convened by President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, himself, which resolutions must be put into immediate action across all the regions to avoid further loss of lives and properties.
“We strongly feel that the failure of the last week Southwest Governors’ Forum meeting with Fulani herdsmen to attract the leaders of the host communities and other major stakeholders has given a room to this ongoing jungle justice in Yoruba land with the increasing volume of a chorus: ‘Secession of Yoruba land is now’.
“If the government fails to meet the people’s yearnings, especially when it comes to matter of life and death, the alternative will be forcibly sought for and this is the situation we found ourselves now”.
Packaged by Dare Raji
