Akpokabayen gave this appealed in a statement release to The Nation recently in Lagos, said that he is concerned about the incessant killings and destruction of properties in the country by the Fulani herdsmen and the response of the federal government is worrisome.
He noted that from time immemorial Nigerians have coexisted with cattle rearers for ages, said “even while I was in the primary school, I still remember we were taught about the numerous occupations of Nigerians, if you mentioned farming, the next will be cattle rearing among others”.
He asked how did we degenerate to this level now where cattles has suddenly overtaken our human population and has also assumed more rights than humans beings?
The trend, according to him is really disturbing, stating that the Nigerian elites should start asking questions now, a situation where human lives are been taken without any more regards to the sacredness of the life itself must be stopped forthwith.
“The government in power should measure up fast in containing this ugly menace especially now that it is rapidly spreading to every part of the country, the government must come out open and tell Nigerians why they are showing so much interest in the cattle grazing business, has it now become the federal government business”, he asked.
He stressed that every concerned Nigerian should be very worried about this trend, every ethnic nationality in this country has a particular trade or preoccupation they are identified with, and non have ever used theirs to disturb or trample on others neither by common agreement nor by force as we have it today, so what went wrong, what informed this confidence in this herders that they now rule the Nigeria grasslands without any regards to the laws of the land.
He said “I strongly urge Nigerians to vehemently stand against any laws that will forcefully cede their ancestral lands to foreigners in any disguise, all over the world the acceptable standard for the cattle business is ranching, as a private business, the players must be able to abide by the laws of the respective states they found themselves, just as every other private business entities anywhere on the planet earth”.
He continued “I strongly stand with those well meaning Nigerians who are kicking against the ill motive of enshrining cattle colonies everywhere in Nigeria, so does it now mean that after we got Independence from the British colony, we are now going to be colonized by the Fulanis and their cattle? God forbid.
He noted that at a time when the world is shifting to technological advancements and food security, Nigeria government is infusing so much time and energy discussing cows and cattle colonies, one that have never added nothing to the GDP growth of our dear nation.
Akpokabayen said “It is a call to duty for every Nigerian lover of freedom. It is a decision making time for us all, we have no other country than this very one and we can not afford to lose it to marauding Fulani foreigners whom all access to our boarders have been granted with protection and immunity to plunder our lands, our national population commission put our population as a country at a whooping 180 million, we must unite and fight these common enemies that has been unleashed on us”.
He urged President Buhari to rise up to the occasion to restore the trust and dignity of the larger Nigerian citizens who have been subjected into living in fear in their own ancestral homes.
“Let it end now, fish out these people and get them to pay for all their atrocious acts against our people and tighten up our porous boarders with immediate effect, get the military to defend our territorial integrity as they are saddled to do so by the laws of our land, we are now a besieged nation by external militia and terrorist troupe, use our military now, he concluded.