Fulani vs South-West: Yoruba leaders divided

Following the threat by prominent Yoruba leaders of thought last week Thursday in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, that nomadic herdsmen should vacate the South-West states as a result of their alleged involvement in the kidnap of Chief Olu Falae and subsequent destruction of his farm, the Yoruba Community in the Northern States and Abuja, have argued that Fulanis should not be made to leave the South-West on mere allegations.
The group suggested that instead of instigating intertribal crisis, the Yoruba leaders who have issued the threat should be careful in jumping to conclusions over Chief Falae.

The Yoruba leaders rose from the meeting held yesterday in Kaduna to issue a communique which was jointly signed by its Ambassador Mohammed Arigbabuwo, Chairman, Major-General Lawrence Jokotola (Rtrd) and Justice Saka Ibiyeye (OFR) and made available to the media.

Part of the communique said:

“The meeting condemned the activities of the alleged kidnappers in its totality which, if not handled with maturity, may lead to crisis.

“The meeting dissociates the entire Yoruba community in the Northern states from the threat of some Yoruba leaders who were alleged to have threatened to send the Fulani away from the South-West.

“The meeting noted that it is not only in the South-West that conflicts have taken its toll between the Fulani and other tribes such as in the case of Benue, Nasarawa and Edo states, without any threat to forcefully eject anybody from their land, rather they should sit together and find lasting solutions to the crisis.

“Nigeria belongs to all Nigerians and all tribes have the right to reside in any part of the country.”

The group, however, suggested that the way forward is for the Federal Government to immediately set up an inquiry to look into the remote and immediate causes of the crisis with a view to finding a permanent solution.

Yoruba leaders have said they would not allow activities of nomadic herdsmen on their farmlands and brutal attacks on their people, adding that “all nomadic herdsmen are to wind up their criminal nomadic activities in Yorubaland. Failing to do so may attract several consequences.”

(Ojo Sola, DAILY SUN)