Open grazing of herdsmen have been banned in South West states, Nigeria. Oyo state governor, Engr Seyi Makinde revealed this via his tweets as follows;
” Today, the SW governors held a security stakeholders’ meeting in Ondo State. The meeting was attended by our brother governors from Kebbi and Jigawa States; security chiefs, SW zone led by the AIG Zone 11 and leaders from the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria.”
“Collectively, we resolved to ban open grazing in all parts of the south west. In Oyo State, we already have a law against open grazing which will continue to be implemented by our security agencies.”
Governor Seyi Makinde.
“I restated that we will not permit criminality as a response to criminal actions. Instead we will continue to support our security agencies to do their duties. Also, we will work with our people to face our common enemies – the criminals; kidnappers, armed robbers and bandits.”
The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) has said that there was no eviction order to herdsmen in Ondo State or any part of the South West region.
The Chairman of NGF and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who spoke to newsmen after a meeting with the national leadership of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) today January 25, said the speech of Ondo state Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, was misconstrued.
Some of the governors in attendance include Ondo, Osun, Ekiti, Oyo, and Jigawa, and Kebbi states.
Recall that on Monday, 18, Governor Akeredolu ordered all unregistered herdsmen to vacate the state’s forest reserves. This generated a lot of controversies as many people interpreted it as the governor asking the Fulanis to vacate the state.
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.
Speaking to newsmen after the meeting with Miyetti Allah members, Governor Fayemi said Akeredolu didn’t talk about herdsmen vacating the state but about the registration of herdsmen who want to operate within the reserves.
”Many members of MACBAN were born in the South-West. So, Akeredolu cannot ask Fulani to vacate Ondo State. The area concerned is the forest reserves and it is about registration and also to work in line with the law.
What we are after is the criminals, not Fulani herdsmen, criminals are criminals irrespective of their ethnic group.”he said
Recall that there was violence at Igangan on Friday when a popular Yoruba freedom fighter, Sunday Adeyemo, well known as Sunday Igboho, alongside his followers, stormed the Fulani settlement in the ancient town to eject Seriki Fulani, Salihu Abdukadir, and herdsmen accused of perpetrating crimes ranging from kidnappings, killings, rape to invasion of farmlands with their cattle.
Two Fulani leaders, the Seriki Fulani of Igbo Ora, Alhaji Idris Abubakar, and the Seriki Fulani of Eruwa, Alhaji Sule Mohammed, have solicited for forgiveness, assuring the people of Oyo State that they would facilitate peaceful coexistence in Ibarapaland.
The community leaders spoke during a visit of the state government delegation to the town on Sunday.
At the meeting, residents of Igangan in the Ibarapa area of Oyo State recounted their ordeals in the hands of Fulani herdsmen.
The community also presented to the delegation, pictures and other evidence of ransoms paid to the herdsmen. They accused the Seriki Fulani of complicity in the negotiation of ransoms.
During the meeting, those who paid ransoms to the bandits presented pictorial evidence to back up their claims.
The traditional ruler of Igangan, the Asigangan of Igangan, Oba Abdulazeez Adeoye, whose cousin was kidnapped, tendered the evidence of the ransom he paid to secure his release.
Residents also stormed the venue of the meeting with photographs of those who were killed and those who suffered attacks in the hands of criminal herdsmen.
Oba Adeoye confirmed to Punch that victims and their families came to the meeting with photographs to back up their claims.
He said, “Our people brought photos. I also showed the evidence of ransom paid for one of my children.”
The PUNCH gathered that despite that Seriki Fulani in Igangan had fled; there were still some Fulani living in the midst of the people in the town unmolested.
Some youths were also bearing placards, with inscriptions, which condemned the atrocities perpetrated by herdsmen in the community.
The Commissioner of Police, who led senior police officers, including Deputy Commissioners of Police and Mobile Police Commanders on a tour of Igangan, Tede and Ago Are communities, urged the residents to toe the path of peace.
She expressed the police’s readiness to carry out a thorough investigation to ensure justice for victims of kidnappings, rape and other crimes committed in the areas.
But Fulani leaders, who attended the meeting, begged for forgiveness, saying the Fulani were ready for peaceful coexistence with their hosts.
The Secretary of Igangan Development Advocates, Lawal Akeem, said the people were tired of the antics of the Seriki Fulani of Igangan, whom he accused of complicity in different kidnap cases.
He also said that the community had been forced to pay about N50 million in ransoms for different kidnapping cases while also accusing Fulani herders of regularly vandalising farms and raping women of the community.
A youth in the town, Taiwo Adeagbo, said that no fewer than 15 women had been raped in recent weeks.
A member of the state House of Assembly, Peter Ojedokun, also told the delegation that the peace in Ibarapaland had been stirred by the Fulani herders with the incessant attacks on community members, kidnappings and other crimes.
The Caretaker Chairman of Ibarapa North-West Local Council Development Area, Okediji Olusegun, corroborated the allegations levelled against the Seriki Fulani of Igangan, saying that the Seriki had been fingered in the series of security challenges in the area many times.
Prof. Akintola advised the Federal Government to consult widely with elders from all the states of the federation concerning the issue.
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called for dialogue over tribal clashes in Oyo State and appealed to the Federal Government to apply caution in handling the fragile situation.
The group’s director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, made the appeal in a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday,
“A tribal activist who gave quit notice to non-indigenes in Igangan, Oke Ogun area of Oyo State, allegedly led indigenes of the area to attack the latter on Jan. 22.
MURIC President, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
“The incident allegedly resulted in the destruction of houses and vehicles. The Igangan incident must be condemned by all lovers of peace.
“At the same time, we cannot close our eyes to the pain and suffering of farmers and indigenes of the area that criminals regard as soft targets for kidnapping, armed robbery.
“It is crystal clear that it is not a religion matter though some have been misled into labelling it as such. Our focus must be the criminals, not any tribe,’’ he said.
Prof. Akintola advised the Federal Government to consult widely with elders from all the states of the federation concerning the issue with a view to finding a comprehensive solution.
“Federal Government should also seek advice from other African countries where the same crisis has been on the front burner at one time or the other since this conflict is not restricted to Nigeria alone.
“To douse tension immediately, both the Federal Government and the Oyo State government should undertake to speedily and adequately compensate victims of the latest conflict in Igangan, Oyo State.
“MURIC’s avowed motto is: `Dialogue, Not Violence’. We, therefore, advocate wide-scale dialogue in the present circumstances,’’ he stated.
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