The leaders of Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, yesterday ordered killer Fulani herdsmen to vacate the southwest or face consequences.
The group disclosed at a press briefing in Lagos that failure by the herdsmen to heed the advice could result in a confrontation with the Yoruba people.
In a statement read by one of the leaders, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, the group also warned the National Assembly not to amend the Land Use Act with a view to empowering the Federal Government to allocate state lands for the controversial RUGA settlement project for herders.
Afenifere chieftains at the event included Prof. Banji Akintoye, Dr. Femi Okunrounmu, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, Chief Supo Shonibare and Alhaji Sola Lawal.
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“We are miffed that those who will not allow our elected governors to have police are now setting up Fulani bandit-vigilantes on our soil in addition to the Fulani militias terrorising our land. We demand their immediate exit from Yoruba land. And if they refuse to leave in a reasonable time, we will not stop our people from confronting them.
“We cannot continue to live under these conditions. The blood of our people will no longer be used to water the tree of a dysfunctional unitary order. We demand an immediate timeline for a return to a federalist Nigeria so that we can have the autonomy to run our internal affairs. Failure to do so will constrain our capacity to continue to restrain our people from embracing self-determination.”
Besides, the chairman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Prof. Ango Abdullahi, yesterday said he would not retract his statement calling on Fulani herdsmen in the southern part of the country to return to the north if they feel unsafe.
He disclosed this in Kaduna State while receiving Shehu Sani (who represented Kaduna Central in the Eighth Senate) at his residence.