- Miyetti Allah leaders to meet with South West govs.
- Middle Belt Forum backs Akeredolu on quit order
- As Arewa youths caution against inflammatory statements
The Presidency has stepped in to avoid possible clash between herdsmen and officials of the Ondo State Government, who are to enforce the vacation order by Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to herdsmen in the forest reserves. Governor Akeredolu last Monday issued a seven- day ultimatum to herdsmen in the forests reserves to leave the area as part of measures to curb kidnappings and banditry.
Akeredolu said herdsmen, who wished to carry on with cattle-rearing business in the state, should register with appropriate authorities or get forced out. The ultimatum ends on Sunday and the state government has gotten support from major stakeholders that the herdsmen must be made to leave the reserves.
It was gathered that national leadership of the Miyetti Allah was already in the State ahead of the meeting with Southwest Governors scheduled to hold in Akure on Monday. Sources said it was the Presidency that directed the leadership of Miyetti Allah to hold the urgent meeting with governors of the region. A media aide to one of the Southwest governors, who preferred anonymity, told journalists in Akure that his boss would attend the meeting.
According to him: “The whole thing was about misconception. We all know the Presidency misinterpreted the Ondo State government’s directive. They took it to mean a total action which intended to clear the state if all herders. “And while admitting that the spokesman to Mr President acted hastily and without proper authorization, they (Presidency) have reached out to other governors to facilitate a meeting where the leadership of Miyyetti Allah would likely plead for time to comply with the directive. “My principal is involved and very concerned too because this is a Yoruba matter and not a personal issue between Aketi and the herders. “So we are coming to Akure for the meeting tomorrow at 12. We need to give the honour to our chairman, the governor of Ondo State who is even leading the fight against insecurity in the region”.
Ondo Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Donald Ojogo, said meetings were not unusual. “Well, meetings of that nature, if true, are not unusual. We are all in it together. No ethnic group or a particular trade is the target of the government order. So it will be a welcome development if the meeting is holding.
There is nothing too unusual about it”, he said. Ondo Chairman of the Miyetti Allah, Alhaji Mohammed Bello, confirmed the scheduled meeting
Meanwhile the Middle Belt Forum, MBF, says it is in total support of ridding Ondo State of bandits and criminal elements as contained in the ultimatum handed down on criminal herders by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.
The National President of MBF, Dr. Pogu Bitrus, in a statement, said, “As the umbrella organisation representing ethnic nationalities in the Middle Belt region, the MBF is in total support of ridding Ondo State of bandits and criminal elements as contained in the ultimatum handed down on criminal herders by the governor.
“As the Chief Security Officer of Ondo State, Governor Akeredolu is rightly entitled to protect citizens that are now under constant siege by criminal elements.”
The forum explained that it is worried at the turn of events in the South-west and the order issued by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, for the arrest of Mr. Sunday Adeyemo, AKA Igboho, over his alleged role in the violence that took place at the weekend in Oyo state.
The forum observed, “With many states, especially in the Middle Belt Region, now under the menace of these outlaws, we call for both the Federal Government and the states to adopt the policy of ranching as means of ending the security challenges posed by these criminal herders.
“We call on state governors to emulate Akeredolu’s quit order in order to cleanse Nigeria’s forest reserves of vicious brigands. In this modern age noted for global best practices, the adoption of the policy of ranching has become an urgent and irrevocable option.”
It called on the Federal Government, especially the Police, to desist from escalating the crisis, adding that what the Presidency and the Police ought to do now is to assist various states to flush out these criminals.
“Arresting Igboho at this moment can only escalate the growing tension into a raging fury that may further lead to dreadful uncertainties for our nation’s future,” it said.
The statement explained, “We stand in solidarity with Governor Akeredolu on his resolve to rid the forest reserves of bandits engaged in kidnappings and other crimes.”
The forum called on the Federal Government and other state governors to work in partnership and end the terror perpetrated by these bandits whose occupation of the country’s forest reserves have become present and future dangers to Nigeria as a nation.
