AFENIFERE, a Pan-Yoruba Socio Political group yesterday rose from an emergency meeting in Akure, the Ondo state capital and called for the stoppage of cattle rearing activities in the south West states following the menace of Fulani herdsmen.
The group said that the activities of the fulani herdsmen in the states have endangered the lives of the people.
Spokesman of the group, Yinka Odumakin said that their activities should be stopped in” every space of Yorubaland just as he called for those the arrest of those who abducted a Chieftain of the group Chief Olu Falae.
Odumakin declared that ” In the event this call is not yielded then our people may result to self help to protect themselves.
The meeting last over six hours and it was chaired by its National Chairman, Pa Reuben Fasoranti at his Country home in Akure.
They group described the attack and abduction of one of its leaders who was the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Chief Olu Falae as an insult on the race.
A Communique read to newsmen by Odumakin said “We demand that nomadic cattle rearing should be stopped in every state of Yoruba land.
“We believe now that after what has happened to chief Falae, people would not tolerate such thing in any part of Yoruba land .
“So while we await the arrest of the criminals, the cattle rearing should be stop in Yoruba land.
“Yoruba people go to any part of the country to trade,no history or record of such anywhere that the Yorubas destroy the business of their host. What we cannot do to others, nobody should do it to us.
Odumakin said that the meeting” decried insecurity in the country as relate to the unrelenting blood letting by the terrorist Boko Haram and the wave of unchecked kidnapping going on in the country.
“A special focus was beam on the recent abduction of one of our revered leader in Afenifere,Chief Olu Falae, also a former secretary to the government of the federation and former presidential candidates,while on his farm.
“We describe this as scandalous and chilling that the harrowing experience of the 77 year old man in the hands of vandals,miscreants.
“The Meeting did not considers it as a mere coincidence that chief Olu Falae for two to three years has been having running battles with the Fulani herdsmen on the very farm before he was abducted.
“Last of such was about two months earlier when they enter his farmland and destroyed it and chief Falae pursue the matter with the police and grudgingly accepted half of what the police said they should pay as compensation.
“The fulani elements coming to abduct him two months latter, is presumably a vengeance mission for justice that he pursued against the invasion of his farm and the destruction of his hand work.
” The meeting recalled that for years, farmers in Yoruba land has been expressing what chief Falae was going through in the hands of this nomadic cattle rearers
“. You will recalled that in year 2000 in Oke Ogun area of Oyo state, the fulani herdsmen and farmers had a major clash which led to a strong delegation from Arewa consultative forum to storm the office of the office of the then Governor Lam Adesina in a rowdy and angry manner on behalf of fulani .
“The meeting also noted that the 2014 national conference in which chief Falae led the Yoruba delegation ,extensively discuss this matter of nomadic cattle rearing and the conference resolved the it should be stopped and instead have ranches for cattle business.
“We condemned the abduction of Chief olu Falae and his gruesome experience as shameful, insensitive and a violent violation of Yoruba culture, values and space.
Source: Vanguard
