BEVERLY HILLS, January 23, (THEWILL) – The Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere has condemned as unacceptable the comments made by the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, over the ultimatum issued to Fulani herdsmen to leave Ibarapa Local Government in Oyo State.
Sunday Igboho, who is the ‘Akoni Oodua’ of Yoruba land, had asked herdsmen in the local government to leave within seven days, blaming the leadership of the Fulani of being behind the rising insecurity in the state.
The ACF, in a response to the quit notice recalled that similar issues precipitated the civil war of 1967, and feared that reprisal attacks may take place in the North if the tension generated by the quit notice was treated with llevity, with implication for breakdown of law and order in the country.
Emmanuel Yawe, National Publicity Secretary, Arewa Consultative Forum, in a statement on Saturday entitled “STOP THE DRIFT IN THE SOUTHWEST”, recalled that the civil war in the 1960’s started with attacks and counter-attacks like the Oyo attack on Fulani.
He said in the statement; “this morning, we received reports of an attack by Yoruba Youths on Alhaji Saliu Abdulkadir, the Serki Fulani in Oyo State.
“In the reports, he was attacked and driven out of his house, eleven cars and his house burnt with his family members now living in the bush.”
“There are allegations that one Sunday Igboho an agitator for the Oodua Republic and who issued an ultimatum giving Fulani people seven days to leave Yorubaland is the instigator of the attack..
“The most disturbing aspect of the attack is the allegation that the security agents who were earlier warned about its imminence stood by helplessly as the attack was carried out.”
“The ACF is worried about this trend and calls on the Federal and State Governments in the South West to move quickly to avert a social upheaval that may destabilize the whole country.
“We recall that the civil war in the 60’s started with attacks and counter-attacks like this.”
“The governments must be proactive and stop history from repeating itself. Those who carried out these attacks must be apprehended and the due process of the law allowed to take its course.”
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“If this is not done there maybe counter attacks in the north and the country will be up in flames. The authorities must act. The ACF is very worried and calls on them to act fast.”
However, Afenifere in a statement on Saturday by the National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, said, the “attention of Afenifere had been drawn to the hypocritical tears of ACF over clashes in Ibarapa Local Government Area of Oyo state occasioned by the inimical activities of Fulani herdsmen against indigenous Yoruba people.”
“We must make it clear to them that they could not threaten us with a war at this stage as we will not provoke war but never are we going to run for anybody on our land.”
Afenifere said it was miffed that a body like ACF that has never shown any remorse over the killing of Yoruba people could open its mouth anyhow now because there were consequences for the irresponsible actions of their people.
The statement advised the ACF to call “their criminals to order and not expect Yoruba people to sheepishly wait to be killed by those who value the lives of cows more than humans.”
It added that the Yoruba people did not want a repeat of the 1966 event but that if there were people plotting such an event again, the rain would be over their heads.
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