The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has called on the federal
government to engage in dialogue and consultation over the crisis between
Yoruba youths and Fulani herdsmen in the Southwest.
Recall that an activist, Sunday Adeyemo Igboho had issued a
quit notice to the Hausa-Fulani in Igangan, Oke Ogun area of Oyo State.
The incident allegedly resulted in the destruction of houses
and vehicles.
Reacting, MURIC advised the Federal Government to apply
caution in handling the fragile situation.
A statement signed and sent by the
organization’s Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola said the government should
dialogue with stakeholders with a view to finding solutions to the crisis.
According to MURIC, “The Igangan incident must be condemned
by all lovers of peace. But at the same time, we cannot close our eyes to the
pain and suffering of farmers and indigenes of the area whom criminals see as
soft targets for kidnapping, armed robbery, etc. It is however crystal clear
that it is not a religious matter, though some have been misled into labeling
it an Hausa-Fulani affair. Our focus must be the criminals, not any tribe.
“While we do not endorse violence, we opine that people
whose farms have been destroyed have the right to express indignation. In the
same manner, those whose relations or friends have fallen victims to criminal
activities like kidnapping and armed robbery are justified to speak up. The
only difference here is that no single tribe should be held responsible for all
the crimes.
“This is because criminals abound in all faiths and tribes
everywhere in the world, not only in Nigeria. We should therefore address crime
and criminals. We should target kidnappers and armed robbers, not any
particular ethnicity. Those who make the mistake of profiling people of certain
tribes will end up hurting decent elements within that tribe and this is
against the law of natural justice.
“With particular reference to the Oyo and Ondo State
incidents and the quit notices, MURIC reminds people of the South West that the
crisis cuts across ethnicities. The same herdsmen are involved in several
states. Benue, Kaduna, Adamawa, Taraba, Enugu, Onitsha, PortHarcourt, etc, are
facing the same problem of herdsmen versus farmers. In essence, the phenomenon
is general and not targeted at the Yoruba per se.
“Almost all the northern states face the herdsmen versus
farmers conflict, banditry and kidnapping. People of the South West must
consider the fate of thousands of their kinsmen from Ogbomosho, Offa, Iwo,
Ibadan, etc who have resided in the North for more than a hundred years before
insisting on a general expulsion of Northerners.
“Truth is bitter, but the earlier we say it the better.
Herdsmen have no right to destroy crops. This is where people have genuine
grievances against herdsmen. But indigenes should not label all herdsmen as
kidnappers because there are law abiding citizens among them. Yet the most
disturbing thing is that many of the criminals are foreigners. Our suggestion
is that it is these criminals and foreigners that the security agencies
(including amotekun) should go after.
“Instead of applying the big stick, MURIC advises the
Federal Government to consult widely with elders from all the states of the
federation concerning the issue of herdsmen versus farmers with a view to
finding a comprehensive solution. FG should also seek advice from other African
countries where the same crisis has been on the front burner at one time or the
other since this conflict is not restricted to Nigeria alone. It is national,
continental and universal in dimension.
“To douse tension immediately, both FG and the Oyo State
government should undertake to speedily and adequately compensate victims of
the latest conflict in Igangan, Oyo State. FG in particular should take greater
responsibility because it is the nationwide lacuna in security matters that has
been responsible for the breakdown in law and order.
“Instead of issuing threats and counter-threats, we appeal
to the various ethnicities in the country to understand the nature of the
conflict. Herders and farmers crisis is not a Nigerian problem alone, it is
universal. Nigeria needs to seek an enduring panacea to its own peculiar
problems instead of aggravating the conflict. We must learn from the war in
Rwanda, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, etc and the attendant humanitarian
disasters. This is still avoidable in Nigeria.
“MURIC’s avowed motto is ‘Dialogue, Not Violence’. We
therefore advocate wide scale dialogue in the present circumstances. MURIC
advises the FG to apply caution in handling the fragile situation. FG should
take responsibility, compensate victims of the attack in Oyo State and engage
all stakeholders in dialogue. We call on governors in affected states to
consult traditional rulers on the best solution to the crisis. All forms of
confrontation and muscle-flexing should stop in the interest of peace.”
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