Herdsmen Invasion: Nigeria Heading Towards Precipice, Says
Mimiko
Disturbed by the incessant invasion of farmlands by
Fulani herdsmen with its resultant effects on the socio-economic lives of the
people, the Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, today raised the
alarm that Nigeria is heading towards precipice unless urgent steps are taken to
check the trend.
The governor alerted Nigerians on the situation
during an interview with journalists after he held a meeting with members of
the state branch of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) in his office, Akure.
The meeting was against the backdrop of the alleged
killing of the OPC Coordinator in Akure North Local Government Area, Ayodele
Ojo, by herdsmen who invaded the farm of the former Secretary to the Government
of the Federation (SGF), Chief Olu Falae.
The deceased was one of the OPC members hired by
Falae to guard against constant grazing on his farm, which had led to destruction
of his crops severally.
While appealing to OPC members who said they would
have engaged in reprisal but for the intervention of Falae and the governor,
Mimiko said government had put in place a lot of firefighting efforts in the
last 48 hours to ensure that there was no retaliatory attack from the group.
“There's no question about the fact that this is
becoming a monster of sort. I've had cause to express my views on this and I
think we all ignore this menace as a nation. I can see us moving towards a
precipice and we must do something about the situation, it's getting dangerous
and the audacity is very disturbing.
“Apart from the challenges this act poses to food
security, there's hardly farmer in the state who had not had different encounter
with these herdsmen.
“It is sad that people are being killed over their
own property, and this is a very big challenge for me. I think the way out is
for the federal government to collaborate with some states governments in the
North to set up big ranches with dams and other facilities, even schools for
these herdsmen. If we don't do this, it will get to a stage that people will begin
to defend themselves,” Mimiko said
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