By Emmanuel Oladesu, Deputy Editor; Sam Egburonu; Bisi Oladele, Ibadan; AbdulGafar Alabelewe, Kaduna; Frank Ikpefan, Abuja; Yinka Adeniran, Ibadan
A furious Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) warned on Saturday that continued attacks on herders in the Southwest may trigger a civil war in the country.
It asked the federal government and the Southwest governors to step in immediately and stop what it called the drift.
It also called for immediate arrest of the Southwest activist, Sunday Igboho, who issued the quit order on criminals in Ibarapa area of Oyo State.
The ACF statement drew an instant response from the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, who dismissed the statement from Kaduna as hypocritical tears, arrogant and insulting.
The Afenifere declared that the South-west cannot be threatened with “a war at this stage as we will not provoke war but never are we going to run for anybody on our land.”
But another group of Yoruba leaders – Coalition of Oduduwa Elders- condemned the Friday arson attack on the property of Sarkin Fulani in Ibarapa, Alhaji Saliu Abdulkadir.
It said the development is inimical to the unity of the country which the Southwest stands for and does not represent the Yoruba people.
Second Republic member of the House of Representatives, Dr.Junaid Mohammed, said it is illegal, immoral and irresponsible for any Nigerian to order fellow Nigerians to quit any part of the country.
The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) also condemned the attack which it said was part of a grand design to destabilise Nigeria and in particular bring the North to its knees.
The ACF, in a statement entitled ‘Stop the drift in the South West’ and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Emmanuel Yawe, said the Nigerian civil war was triggered by attacks and counter-attacks akin to what is happening in the Southwest.
It said the brains behind the quit order on herders in Oyo State should, therefore, be apprehended and be made to face the full wrath of the law.
It said: “The Arewa Consultative Forum this morning (yesterday) received reports of an attack by Yoruba Youths on Alhaji Saliu Abdulkadir, the Serki Fulani in Oyo State.
“In the reports, he was attacked and driven out of his house, 11 cars and his house burnt with his family members now living in the bush.
“There are allegations that one Sunday Igboho, an agitator for Oodua Republic and who issued an ultimatum giving Fulani people seven days to leave Yorubaland, is the instigator of the attack.
“The most disturbing aspect of the attack is the allegation that the security agents who were earlier warned about its imminence stood by helplessly as the attack was carried out.
“The ACF is worried about this trend and calls on the federal and state governments in the Southwest to move quickly to avert a social upheaval that may destabilise the whole country.
We recall that the civil war in the 60’s started with attacks and counter-attacks like this.
“The governments must be proactive and stop history from repeating itself.
Those who carried out these attacks must be apprehended and the due process of the law allowed to take its course.
“If this is not done, there may be counter-attacks in the north and the country will be up in flames. The authorities must act. The ACF is very worried and calls on them to act fast.”
Afenifere to ACF: Your statement is arrogant, hypocritical, insulting
In a swift response to the ACF comments, Afenifere frowned at what it described as threat by the northern group and its reference to the 1966 event that created tension in the country.
Afenifere said in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, that while it had always appealed to the people of the Southwest to remain calm despite their alleged harassment by herders, ACF had reacted with insulting and arrogant statement to the Ibarapa crisis.
His words: “The attention of Afenifere has been drawn to the hypocritical tears of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) over clashes in Ibarapa Local Government Area of Oyo State occasioned by the inimical activities of Fulani herdsmen against indigenous Yoruba people.
“While we have gone to a great length to sue for peace and have appealed to our pained people to be law abiding even with the daily provocations of the Fulani and harassment of our people, we frown at the very arrogant and insulting ACF statement, especially their reference to the event of 1966.
“We must make it clear to them that they cannot threaten us with a war at this stage as we will not provoke war but never are we going to run for anybody on our land.
“We are miffed that a body like ACF that has never shown any remorse over the killing of our people can open their mouths anyhow now because there are consequences for the irresponsible actions of their people.
“We advise them to call their criminals to order and not expect our people to sheepishly wait to be killed by those who value cow lives more than human beings.
“We do not want a repeat of 1966 event, but if there are people plotting such event again, the rain will be over their heads.”
Nigeria’s unity can’t be sacrificed on alter of criminality, says Coalition of Oduduwa Elders
However, another group of Southwest leaders – Coalition of Oduduwa Elders- differed from Afenifere.
The coalition condemned the attack on Alhaji Salihu AbdulKadir and called for the arrest and prosecution of perpetrators of the act immediately by security agencies.
They stated that the unity of Nigeria cannot be sacrificed on the altar of criminality.
The coalition in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Dr. Tunde Aremu and National Secretary, Mrs Folake Ajasin, said the attack was inimical to the unity of the country which they stand for.
The action, according to them, does not represent the Yoruba people.
“This action is unacceptable to us. It is criminal, barbaric and uncivilised,” they said.
Continuing, they said: “While we acknowledge the criminal activities of some suspected Fulani herdsmen in the state, we must state that the attack of the Sarkin Fulani Oyo is madness taken too far.
“The Sarkin Fulani has lived in Oyo State for a very long time and has been known to be very peaceful.
“He has spoken publicly and privately against the criminal activities of some of their deviant youths and tasked security agencies to go after them.
“The Sarkin Fulani Oyo deserves commendation for his actions against the few criminals masquerading as herdsmen in Oyo and not this kind of evil and injustice meted on him by some of the criminals in our region.
“This is highly condemnable and must be condemned by all.
“Criminality is not a tribal trademark but a global trend involving people from every tribe.
“We all know that they are more good Fulani people than bad ones, just like there are also criminals of Yoruba extraction. Hence it will be wrong to attribute criminality to every Fulani person in the Southwest.
“We must remember that we have our brothers in the North who have been living there for ages as well. We shouldn’t set this country on fire for our selfish interest.
“We, therefore, urge all the governors in the Southwest states to take responsibility of their states’ security by ensuring that every lawful Fulani man and woman living in the Southwest is safe and protected from any form of attack and violence in the interest of peace and national unity. Tthey must commence an immediate, robust stakeholders’ meeting to engage all parties.
“We call on our Fulani and Northern brothers not to see this act as an act of Yoruba people but a clear act of criminality perpetrated by some misguided youths that will be brought to book in no time.
“The unity of Nigeria cannot be sacrificed on the altar of criminality.”
Olubadan sues for peace
The Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, asked farmers and herders in Ibarapa area of Oyo State and Nigeria in general to live in harmony for the unity and development of Nigeria.
Speaking on Saturday during the Royal Festival of Praise organised by the Holy Ghost Royal House of Restoration Church in Ibadan, the traditional ruler, represented by Mogaji Okiti-Aresa, Chief Adeshina Olatunji, said blaming a particular ethnic group for insecurity in the country would only further breed disunity in the country and should not be allowed.
Adetunji called on Nigerians to support the security agencies in the country in tackling criminal activities and refrain from taking the law into their own hands.
The Olubadan also called on religious leaders and traditional leaders to complement government’s efforts in preaching unity in their various domains and constantly pray for peace and unity of the country.
“As leaders, it does not mean we are above God. Traditional rulers, religious leaders should know that they are not God, and we must lead our people in a Godly manner,” Oba Adetunji said.
Convene council of state meeting immediately, Alao-Akala advises Makinde
A former governor of Oyo State and Chairman Elders Advisory Council, All Progressives Congress (APC), Oyo State, Adebayo Alao-Akala, advised Governor Seyi Makinde to convene a council of state meeting immediately to brainstorm on the security challenges facing the state.
Alao-Akala gave the advice while speaking with reporters after an expanded meeting of the Elders Advisory Council of the APC in Ibadan.
According to him, a council of state meeting comprising all former civilian and military governors was necessary at this point to save the state from total security collapse.
A council of state meeting is a statutory organ of government whose functions include advising the executive in policy making.
Alao-Akala said: “Governor Seyi Makinde needs help in the area of maintaining law and order in the polity hence he should not shy away from that fact.
“He needs to sit down and brainstorm with people who have been there before him to share from their wealth of experience on how certain things are done, especially in the area of security.
“Take for instance, at the national level, the President meets periodically with former heads of state and former presidents and all former chief justices among others at the Nigerian Council of State meeting to review activities of government and seek for advice and interventions where need be.
“This is exactly what he needs in Oyo State at the moment. The peace and stability of Oyo State is a collective responsibility of all. We are all stakeholders in the Oyo State project.
“We have seasoned, well trained retired generals who have been military administrators of Oyo State at one time or the other, who are still alive.
“We have civilian governors who have been on that seat before Governor Makinde. So also are retired chief judges of the state who will have one or two pieces of advice to offer to nip in the bud all these security challenges before they get out of control.
“Part of the duties of the council of state is also to advise whenever requested to do so on the maintenance of public order within the federation and any part thereof and in such other matters as may be desired.
“So, Governor Seyi Makinde will very much be in order if he convenes this strategic meeting as a stitch in time saves nine.”
It’s grand plan to cripple North – North’s Coalition
The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) believes the Ibarapa attack is not an isolated incident but part of a grand design to destabilise Nigeria and in particular bring the North to its knees.
Spokesman for the coalition, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, warned the instigators of the attack to desist, as the North knows how to retaliate such attacks.
He said though the coalition is still meeting over the development, it is already considering a number of options, starting with recalling all Northerners in the south back home before considering the next move.
The CNG Spokesman alleged that for too long, enemies of the North, both foreign and local, have worked strenuously to ensure that the region remains backward, divided, weak, confused and bewildered by myriads of challenges.
He said: “It is no longer in doubt that for too long, enemies of the North, both foreign and local, have worked strenuously to ensure that the region remains backward, divided, weak, confused and bewildered by myriads of challenges and problems.
“Today, everyone can see a clear pattern drawn from the strategies employed to achieve these results, namely the diminishing of North’s viability and, in particular, bringing the population down by direct annihilation or political and economic incapacitation.”
It’s illegal, irresponsible to order quit notice on fellow Nigerians – Junaid Mohammed
Second Republic federal lawmaker, Dr Junaid Mohammed, yesterday told The Nation that it is illegal, immoral and irresponsible for any Nigerian to order fellow Nigerians to quit any part of the country.
He said: “Any attempt by anybody to serve notice on a fellow Nigerian to quit where he is normally residing, where he does his business or where he works, or whatever, is illegal, immoral and thoroughly irresponsible.
“And the intention of the governors who have been giving such notices has nothing to do with insecurity; it has nothing to do with harmonious existence among the ethnic groups involved. It is nothing but politics.
“For example, the one in Ondo, everybody knows that he has his political ambition. He and the governor of Ekiti, Fayemi, have their political ambitions. They have been going round, trying to overheat the polity because they believe that somehow, by overheating the polity and presenting themselves as being anti-certain people and therefore pro-certain people, they will derive some political benefits from it.
“But as far as I am concerned, whatever we do, and that includes all of us from Buhari down to Akeredolu or Makinde, has to be within the law. We cannot dictate to another Nigerian where to reside in or say that his stay is at the sufferance of certain people.
“I had cause to make statement before when some young boys here, who called themselves Association of Northern Youths or whatever, served notice to the Igbo, saying the Igbo must leave the North, I think about two years ago.
“I said then and I repeat it now that such a call is unconstitutional, illegal, immoral and thoroughly irresponsible.
“If we want to live in peace and we believe in the Nigerian project, then we must find a way of living within the law.
“If there is no law, then we must create the law. If there is an existing law today that says a governor or whoever has the right to ask a certain group of Nigerians to leave or to quit a certain area of his jurisdiction, then, of course, it will be perfectly within the law.
“In that case, anybody that disagrees with such a law can go to court or ask the federal government to intervene.
“But today, I don’t believe any Nigerian has the right to come and simply announce that herders are troublesome; that the Fulanis are not exactly wanted because Buhari is a Fulani man; that as a leader he is a disgrace; that he is thoroughly incompetent and that he is running a corrupt government and therefore every Fulani man must be guilty. I don’t understand this logic at all. “But if that is what they want to do and they want to use brute force to kill people and destroy their properties, they should also remember that their own tribes people also live in other parts of the country and that other irresponsible people like them in those parts of the country can also issue such senseless notices, and at the end of the day, it would be nothing but mayhem.”
No fewer than four buildings belonging to herders were razed at Alagolo in Igangan, Ibarapa North local government area of Oyo State during the Friday attack.
Eleven vehicles were also set ablaze allegedly by youths in the area after the visit of Sunday Adeyemo a.k.a. Sunday Igboho to enforce his seven-day quit notice to the herdsmen in the area.
Spokesman for the herders, Alhaji Mustafa Aliu, confirmed the destruction when contacted on the phone.
The Sarkin Fulani, Salihu Abdukadir, who was most hit by the arson, said he had to flee as all his vehicles were burnt.
He said: “As we speak, we are in the bush. Our cars numbering about 11 were burnt. Some of my children sustained injury and we are finding a way to take them to hospital.
“My children have left their houses for the bush. We need the government to help us. Police, Operation Burst and other security agencies were there when they set my house ablaze.”
Also speaking on the development, the Chairman Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN), Alhaji Ibrahim Jiji, described the incident as unfortunate.
