Fulani socio-cultural group, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore said it would do a it takes to protect Fulani herdsmen facing eviction in South West, pointing out that their rights to live in any part of the country is enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.
The group vowed to coordinate resistance and avenge attacks on Fulani herders in parts of South West, alleging that there were loss of Fulani herders and their cattles.
The National Secretary of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Mr Alhassan Saleh, stated these in an interview on Sunday against a backdrop of the eviction notices issued to criminal herdsmen by some South-West groups and personalities.
The group National Secretary insisted that it was injustice to drive Fulani herdsmen away, which they would not tolerate, noting that if they were criminals among them, government should do all it could, to fish them out.
He suggested that governors of States should provide ranches and grazing routes for cattle rearers as anway of solving crisis between herders and farmers, insisting that they would return fire for fire over attacks on herders in parts of South West.
Miyetti Allah’s position followed eviction notice by Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu from government’s forest reserves and the attendant pockets of crisis between Fulani herders and farmers.
Akeredolu lamented the endless insecurity caused by Fulani herdsmen at a meeting with leaders of the Hausa/Fulani and Ebira communities in the state, saying the activities of the herdsmen had long been causing a threat to security in the state.
He said, “As the chief law and security officer of the state, it is my constitutional obligation to do everything lawful to protect the lives and property of all residents of the state. In the light of the foregoing, the following orders are hereby issued:
“1. All forest reserves in the state are to be vacated by herdsmen within the next seven days with effect from Monday, 18th January, 2021.”
The governor had also offered herders who wished to continue their business in the state to register with the appropriate authorities.
