Yoruba leaders, under the
auspices of Yoruba Summit, Thursday, called on the Nigerian government to
declare the killer herdsmen and militias as terrorists.
They also rejected the proposed
cattle colony by the Federal Government, describing the proposal as a
“violation of the sensibilities of different nationalities whose lands would be
partitioned for Fulani herdsmen.”
The leaders met in an
extra-ordinary session in Lagos against the background of the incessant
criminal activities of Fulani herdsmen across Yorubaland in recent days.
The meeting, presided over by
Chief Ayo Adebanjo, had in attendance, former governor of Ondo State, Dr.
Olusegun Mimiko; Prof Banji Akintoye, Dr Amos Akingba, Secretary of the Yoruba
Council of Elders, Dr Kunle Olajide; Senator Femi Okurounmu, former Nigerian
ambassador to The Netherlands, Dr Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu; former deputy governor
of Lagos State, Senator Kofo Bucknor-Akerele; Mr Goke Omisore, Chief Supo
Shonibare, Dr Femi Adegoke, Hon Oladipo Olaitan, Otunba Deji Osibogun, Mrs
Tokunbo Ekukinam, and Mr Bolaji Ogunseye, among others.
In a communiqué issued at the end
of its meeting and signed by Mr. Yinka Odumakin, the Yoruba Summit condemned
the assaults and called on the Federal Government “to be alive to its
responsibility by enforcing the laws against these criminal activities and
perpetrators of such in order to regain the confidence of the people.”
Proffering ways to end the menace
of the armed Fulani herdsmen currently threatening peace, order, and
productivity in the country, the Yoruba Summit said it was imperative to
“declare the killer herdsmen and militias as terrorists, disarm the Fulani
herdsmen and militias and probe the source of their arms.”
The communiqué reads: “the
meeting also took strong objections to the obnoxious and vexatious proposal by
the Federal Government to establish cow colonies across Nigeria in aid of
private business and in violation of the sensibilities of different
nationalities whose lands would be partitioned for Fulani herdsmen reminiscent
of the Berlin Conference where Africa was portioned for different colonial
powers as a colony presupposes a settlement of invading power in a given
community where alien laws and values prevail.
“We resolved that no inch of
Yorubaland will be available for cow colony as Yoruba are in favour of only
ranching of cattle, where those in such business will acquire land according to
extant rules and subject their operations to the norms and culture of their
host communities.
“Meeting also called on Yoruba
people to begin venturing into modern ranching for consumption and export while
our state governments should evolve policies in the promotion of ranching by
Yoruba people.”
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