Herdsmen Killings: Yoruba Leaders Spit Fire

WARN BUHARI AGAINST CIVIL WAR

Prominent Yoruba leaders have sent strong worded message to President Muhammadu Buhari to quickly put an end to spate of herdsmen killing in the south west failure which may lead to reprisal attacks from the people of the region.

The warning came following the killing of daughter of leader of Afenifere, Pa Reuban Fasoranti by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

Funke Olakunrin, was killed along Ore, ondo state by the killers who are now being hunted by security forces.

The assailants were said to have shot at the vehicle carrying Olakunrin and others in their vehicle along the very busy road.

President Muhammadu Buhari has however directed the police and other security agencies to track down the killers.

But the president’s resolve seems not enough for some leaders who have condemned the sporadic attacks and killing of their people by suspected armed cattle herders.

Recall that a prominent Yoruba leader and former Secretary to the Federal Government, SGF, Chief Olu Falae was abducted two years ago in his farm by the suspected criminals, but was later released after the issue attracted national condemnation.

The killing of Fasonranti’s daughter has drawn more anger against the Buhari led administration for failure to rein in the killers.

Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams fired the first salvo against calling on President Buhari to use the machinery of state to checkmate the killings of his people.

In a statement made available to newsmen by Kehinde Aderemi, Adam’s media aide, the generalissimo said the Yoruba race was prepared to end the killings in their own way.

Yoruba are not short of ideas needed to put an end to atrocities by Fulani herdsmen in the region, he said.

Adams, who is the leader of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), a militant group said the region was under invasion by marauding Fulani cattle herders.

The OPC leader has recently warned that he was prepared to mobilise one million militants to defend his people against their enemies.

Adams said while reacting to Mrs Olakinrin’s murder “We only want the whole world to know what has been done and being done to our people.

They should be aware of the actions that preceded our reaction when it eventually comes,” he said.

According to him “We are not bereft of ideas of how to stop this criminality on our land. It is just so that we should not be blamed when the reaction comes.

“We are like the proverbial goat that it being chased. When it gets to the wall, it will certainly react. We are at that stage now.”

He commiserated with Fasoranti, praying God to comfort him and his entire household.

“Papa, this is a very trying time, but it is certain justice will come,” he said.

On his part, Yinka Odumakin, spokesman of Afenifere said the cattle herders have declared war on his people.

He said the spate of killings have remained unchecked by the federal government despite repeated calls by south west leaders.

Odumakin said “When they started with the kidnapping process, they started with Olu Falae, a prominent leader in Akure.

Whether deliberately or intentionally, this is clearly a declaration of war on the Yoruba.

They shall hear from the Yoruba nation.”

He explained that the killing of the daughter of the Afenifere leader was too painful to bear.

Narrating the sad event Odumakin said “When she got to Ore, shortly as she was to hit the express, Fulani herdsmen emerged from the bush, started shooting at her car, maybe they wanted to kidnap her or not, shot at her car and she died from gunshot while her maid who was with her in the car sustained gunshot injury.”

The Afenifere spokesperson stated that the group would not continue to turn the other cheek while its people were being killed.

“The people will hear from us. They started with Olu Falae. They macheted him, kept him in the bush for four days before Ondo State government paid a ransom to get Falae out.

“With this, this is the beginning of the end of their kidnap in Yorubaland,” Odumakin said.

May be.

Meanwhile, the youth wing of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, in its reaction said the federal government must move fast to avert had reacted to the killing,  another “tribal war” in the country.