Nigeria

Quit order to herders: Northern traditional rulers send warning to Akeredolu

Monday, January 25, 2021 at 10:38 AM by Kess Ewubare

- The quit order given to herdsmen in Ondo state government has continued to generate reactions

- An association of traditional leaders in northern Nigeria has opposed the order

- The group said such a directive will not benefit Nigeria

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An association of traditional leaders in the northern parts of the country has raised concerns over the quit order given to herdsmen in Ondo state.

Daily Trust reported that the Obas in a statement addressed to the Ondo state governor, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, on Sunday, January 24, warned that such an order has implications for national security.

Quit Order To Herders: Northern traditional rulers send warning to Akeredolu — Governor Rotimi Akeredolu has accused herdsmen of committing criminal acts. Photo: @RotimiAkeredolu, Business Day
Source: UGC

The statement which was signed by the secretary-general of the association, his highness, Oba Alani Kolawole Adeyemi, said criminalising the whole Fulani herders over criminal activities was wrong.

The group advised the state government to fish out and prosecute people committing other crimes in the state instead of blaming herdsmen for the actions.

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The traditional leaders said:

"The Fulani herders are also citizens of his state whose welfare and well-being are part of his responsibilities.”

Meanwhile, some Fulani leaders have apologised to the people of Iganga for the crimes committed by herdsmen.

The two are the Seriki Fulani of Igbo Ora, Alhaji Idris Abubakar, and the Seriki Fulani of Eruwa, Alhaji Sule Mohammed.

They specifically asked for forgiveness from those offended by their kinsmen after townspeople narrated how they are being oppressed by the Fulani herders who kidnap and molest them in their own lands.

In another news, Nigeria's prominent human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has accused the federal government of portraying itself as the defender of herdsmen in the country.

The Cable reports that the senior lawyer made the accusation when he appeared as a guest on a Television Continental (TVC) programme on Sunday, January 24