Yinka Odumakin
The Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere and Ijaw Youth Council, IYC have descended heavily on the 19 Northern governors for supporting Fulani Herdsmen criminality in other parts of the country.
The northern governors ahd met in Kaduna on Friday and had rejected in strong terms the branding of perpetrators of killings across the country as Fulani.
However, Afenifere yesterday faulted the governors’ position and asked them “to go and bury their heads in shame.”
Mr. Yinka Odumakin,Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, told Sunday Vanguard: “It (the northern governors’ position) is a sign of unfeeling, uncaring for any group today to come out and say that those who have been causing problems and killing people in the Middle Belt and the South are not Fulani herdsmen. They have killed in Agatu land, Enugu; a traditional ruler was killed in Delta State; they killed Chief Olu Falae’s guard and also kidnapped Chief Falae himself. For some people to gather and call themselves northern governors, and have no sympathy for lives than to be defending the Fulani herdsmen, shows clearly that it is a tragedy of monumental proportion to be in the same country with these elements. You also begin to wonder if the blood of human beings runs in their veins because anybody that has human blood running in his veins will not come and say that Fulani herdsmen are not responsible. What nonsense.”
Also the IYC labelled the northern governors’ position as an affront on other ethnic nationalities.
IYC Spokesman, Eric Omare argued that the governors stance was disappointing and a tacit support for criminality and Fulani herdsmen pillaging of their host communities.
“The statement by the northern governors is disappointing and a tacit support for criminality and the ongoing Fulani herdsmen terrorism. “If they are interested in peace in Nigeria, they ought to be more concerned about the implication of the activities of the Fulani herdsmen rather than a perceived insult on the Fulani race.”
The group hinted that one of the reason Boko Haram grew to become a national problem was the tacit support given to them by northern political leaders and this Fulani herdsmen terrorism is taking the same pattern; hence it must be taken seriously.”
IYC called for Southern leaders to wake up to the challenges ahead.
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