27th April, 2016
Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta
A call has gone to the federal government to caution Fulani herdsman over reckless grazing on farms and incessant killings of farmers across the country.
The call was made on Tuesday by the Agbekoya Farmers Revolutionary Group (AFRG) against the backdrop of continuous attack meted on innocent farmers by the herdsman in many parts of the country.
Speaking with newsmen, Baale of Ayalu community, Oyo state, who doubles as the leader of AFRG, Pa (Chief) Olalere Ayalu expressed displeasure over recent attack of farmers in some communities in Oyo state, warning that, if herdsmen are not called to order, the scenario of Agbekoya in the 60’s will repeat itself.
Baale Ayalu admonished the federal government not to let the event of 1968 repeat itself when the government of the Old Western Region under Governor Adeyinka Adebayo increased tax levy and forced their wives to pay taxes, which culminated into fighting between the government and the Agbekoya’s.
The Fulani herdsman were alleged to have attacked communities like; Lagun, Iyana Offa, Offa, Alalagba, Lapala and other neighbouring communities in Lagelu local council area of Ibadan, Oyo State, the political headquarters of Yorubaland.
The community leader alleged that a group of Fulani armed herdsmen attacked these communities at night, injuring their guards and carting away valuables worth millions of naira.
He disclosed that the herdsmen have no respect for human life, as they invaded communities and killed innocent farmers unchallenged.
According to him,”in search for grazing pastures, according to them, they have left their footprint in practically every host community in the country that has had the misfortune of having them as visitor.
“They have rendered some villages in Oke-Ogun “a gaping wound,” the community leader explained.
In the same vein, the National Secretary of the association, Mr Sola Ariyibi, urged the Buhari led federal government to call the Fulani herdsmen to order to stop killing of innocent farmers across the states.
Ariyibi explained that the menace is getting out of hands in the country, as some farmers have no interest in farming again for the fear of being killed by the Fulani herdsmen who carry sophisticated weapons.
He further declared that the farmers have been silent because they don’t want to foment trouble, adding that, the present administration is already facing many problems.
He warned that, if the herdsmen don’t stop the killings, they will be forced to raise arms in defence against them.
He advised that the federal government to as a matter of urgency, deploy soldiers to all the crisis ridden areas so as curb the menace of the Fulani herdsman and to put a stop to their killings.
“The President needs to be courageous, we know him as a man of his word and integrity, he will not be swayed away by myopic, parochial, religious and inglorious tendencies.
“We want him to protect his integrity. The Fulani herdsmen have wrecked a lot of havoc in Nigeria, he should act now to stop them before they create more havocs in the country, enough is enough”, Ariyibi warned.
While commiserating with the families of those affected by the recent attacks in the country, especially, in the southwestern region, Ariyibi declared that the Agbekoya’s would no longer condole the incessant killing of farmers, particularly in the southwest region.
He appealed to the Fulani herdsmen not to go beyond their bounds again warning that the consequence will be much. “As it was in the days of our fore fathers, so it is today and it will continue to be so forever”, he warned.