Yoruba Group To S-W Govs: No Ranching For Herdsmen; Calls For Arrest Of Seriki Fulani |The Source

By Akinwale Kasali

Pan Yoruba Group, Apapo O’odua Koya, AOKOYA, have warned South West Governors sternly not to establish ranching for Fulani herdsmen in any part of Yoruba land.

Some Fulani leaders in the North asked the South West Governors to establish ranching for Fulani herdsmen as alternative to the ban on open grazing.

AOKOYA, a coalition of several Yoruba groups said it is a shame that while no State in the Fulani territories considers it necessary to establish ranching for the herdsmen, it is surprising that the same Fulani leaders want Yoruba land to be used for ranching of cattle for Fulani herdsmen. The group said such a suggestion does not make any sense.

The group also called for the arrest of Seriki Fulani, Saliu Abdulkadir, for complicity in the kidnapping, rape and murder of no fewer than 50 people in the Ibarapa area of Oyo State.

AOKOYA said the N500million worth of property the Seriki said were destroyed are proceeds of crime.

The Group said hiding in Ilorin is not enough for the Seriki. “Ilorin is Yorubaland. We advise the police to arrest the Seriki and let him face the full weight of the law. Hiding in Ilorin is not enough. That is Yorubaland and we ask him to leave any Yoruba territory in his own interest.”

In a statement signed by Ahmed Akorede on Friday, AOKOYA said the Fulani elders’ request for an alternative land for Fulani herdsmen on Yoruba soil is like asking a property owner who stopped the invasion of his house by criminals to provide alternative goods to be stolen by the same criminals.

Akorede said the statement credited to legal luminary, Femi Falana, that Sunday Igboho has no right to give quit notice to killer herdsmen is shocking

Falana is isolated from the sufferings of his own people and appears rather contended to be seen as a fool by his own people but worshiped as a hero by those who torment his people. Why he condemned Igboho, he remains silent on the kidnap and savage killings of Yoruba people. It’s a shame.

AOKOYA said any of the state Governors of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, Kwara, Kogi and Itsekiri part of Delta State that provides land for Fulani will face the full wrath of the people.

“Let it be known that no inch of Yorubaland will be allocated to Fulani herdsmen to ranch. This was the mistake made by indigenous people in Kaduna and Plateau state. This was the mistake made by Hausa people. Today, armed FULANI are claiming ownership of land that was kindly ceded to them. We do not have enough land. We do not have the comfort to cede our limited land resources to Fulani herdsmen whose main agenda is  conquest by all means possible,” the group said

According to the AOKOYA “We have read reports by some Fulani leaders that the South West should not ban open grazing and that alternatives should be provided for them. This is an insult. It is appalling how insensitive, greedy and self centred the so called Fulani leaders are. The herdsmen invade territories not theirs, rape, kill and destroy farm produce. We ask them to leave, now their godfathers are telling the South West Governors to provide alternatives. This confirms that the carnage and terror unleashed on Yoruba people by the herdsmen are sponsored by Fulani leaders. This will never happen.”

AOKOYA said the Fulani leaders are desperate to have grazing land on Yoruba territories but remain silent on thousands of Yoruba people the armed herdsmen have killed, raped and farms destroyed. They are also silent on the need for disarmament of the Fulani terrorists who hide under pastoralism”

The group said that Bornu State alone has 70,898 square kilometer of land, Niger State has 73,636, Katsina has 24,192 square kilometer, Sokoto has 25, 973. Niger State alone has land some 20 times the land of Ekiti State with 6, 353, while Lagos has 3, 577 square km. This means that one state in the Fulani areas in the North is almost bigger than all the entire South West States put together, yet they want to annex the small Yoruba land for ranching.

The group said the Fulani are not contended with their vast land area but insists that ranching must be given to the Fulani in South West. “This is nothing but brute imperialism”, the group said. AOKOYA said what the Fulani people want is to establish and strengthen armed groups and armed cells across Yorubaland in preparation for the second phase of its 1804 Jihad to conquer and subjugate Yorubaland which is an impossible task.