By Ayodele Oni
The Federal Government has vowed to support Fulani Herdsmen and do everything possible to prevent their being sent packing from Ondo State forests reserves.
The FG’s backing is coming less than 48 hours after Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu gave an ultimatum to the Fulani Herdsmen to vacate the forests over the wanton killings of people on the farms, and kidnappings on the highways by suspected herdsmen.
Governor Akeredolu had given the Fulani herdsmen a seven-day ultimatum to vacate all forests in Ondo State, and relocate elsewhere outside the State.
Presidential Spokesman, Garba Shehu, in a statement on Tuesday, insisted that the Fulani are constitutionally entitled to live in any part of Nigeria.
According to him, it was cruel and atavistic to blame kidnappings, banditry and rustling on the basis of geographical location or the language of some people.
“We want to make it clear that kidnapping, banditry and rustling are crimes, no matter the motive or who is involved.
“But to define crime from the nameplates, as a number of commentators have erroneously done- which group they belong to, the language they speak, their geographical location or their faith is atavistic and cruel.
“Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, a seasoned lawyer, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and indeed, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has fought crime in his state with passion and commitment, greater sensitivity and compassion for the four years he has run its affairs and, in our view, will be the least expected to unilaterally oust thousands of herders who have lived all their lives in the state on account of the infiltration of the forests by criminals.
“If these were to be the case, rights groups will be right in expressing worries that the action could set off a chain of events which the makers of our constitution foresaw and tried to guard against.
“We need to delink terrorism and crimes from ethnicity, geographical origins and religion—to isolate the criminals who use this interchange of arguments to hinder law enforcement efforts as the only way to deal effectively with them.
“The President, who swore to defend the constitution has spoken against the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in asking citizens of Northern origin to leave; he did not spare the group based in Sokoto, ‘Muslim Solidarity Forum,’ which asked the Bishop of Sokoto to leave and is prepared to do all that the law permits to protect citizens all over the country in their choice of where they wished to reside and are treated as equal citizens.
“There is little to be said other than to call for restraint on both sides and urge the state government and the leadership of the Fulani communities to continue their dialogue for a good understanding that will bring to an urgent end, the nightmarish security challenges facing the state.
“The government of Ondo, and all the 35 others across the federation must draw clear lines between the criminals and the law abiding citizens who must equally be saved from the infiltrators. Beyond law and order, the fight against crime is also a fight for human values which are fundamental to our country.”
Akeredolu’s quit order had received the endorsement of many stakeholders in the state, as well as Afenifere.
