Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has
said in reaction to the threat of reprisal attack by the Miyeti Allah Cattle
Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), an umbrella body of herdsmen who
alleged that some of their cattle were killed recently.
 |
| Governor Ayo Fayose |
While
reacting to the governor’s inauguration of the Ekiti Grazing Law Enforcement ,
EGEM, recently, Miyetti AllaMarshalsh, had said in a statement that the Federal
Government must intervene in the inauguration of the marshals, which the herdsmen
alleged had shot five of their cows, warning that: “before this incident
develops into unquenchable inferno involving our members and Ekiti State
government.”
In
the statement signed by its spokesman, Baba Othman Ngelzarma, the group said:
“Fayose unleashed the marshals against our members whose herds of cattle had
gone to a stream at Agon bridge on Federal Polytechnic Road between the time of
2:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. to quench their thirst on Friday, October 21 ,”
claiming that “the vigilance group shot five cows and carted away the meat, but
the herdsman was able to flee with the rest of his cattle.”
But
Fayose dismissed Miyetti Allah’s claims as untrue and disclosed that the said
five cows are alive and in custody of the state government.
Furious
at the herdsmen’s threat, governor Fayose asked if the lives of cattle is more
important than that of human beings, asking why did the group didn’t write the
president when their colleagues were killing hundreds in Benue and Plateau
states respectively. “Why didn’t Miyetti Allah that is now calling on President
Mohammadu Buhari to warn me, the custodian of the mandate of Ekiti people warn
its members when they were killing Nigerians and destroying farmlands? Are
their cows more important than human lives?
“To us in Ekiti, lives of 5,000 cows cannot be
equated with those of human beings that are being killed daily by herdsmen
across the country. Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria should
know that cattle farmers are not different from other farmers. If they want to
rear cows in Ekiti, they should do so in accordance with the laws of the State.
After all, law prohibiting sale and consumption of alcohol was made in Kano
State and the law is being enforced while Sharia Law made in some States in the
north is also being enforced.”
Fayose
blamed the Federal Government on its silence on the development, saying: “Four
days after this threat was issued against the government and people of Ekiti
State by the Miyetti Allah, the federal government is yet to act in any manner
that will disabuse the minds of Ekiti people, who believed that the federal
government is in support of the threat.
“The silence of the federal government has no
doubt further confirmed the insinuation that there is plot to give tacit
support to the herdsmen to invade some border towns and villages in Ekiti State
and cause chaos in the State so as to justify the evil agenda of declaration of
a state of emergency on the State.”
The
governor who recalled the herdsmen’s killing of hundreds in some parts of the
country in the name of same reprisal attack, further said:
”Nigerians
should be reminded that in May, this year, Myetti AllahCattle Breeders
Association of Nigeria said openly that the reason for the killing of over
1,000 people in Benue State was the killing of over 800 cattle by Tiv youths.
In other words, Miyetti Allah boldly told Nigerians that its members (herdsmen)
killed over 1,000 Agatu people of Benue State because their cows were killed!
”Up
till today, no one has been arrested for the massacre in Agatu in Benue State
and now, Ekiti State and its people are being threatened by this same Myetti
Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, and the federal government has
pretended as if nothing was wrong.
He
continued: ” From the words and antecedents of the Miyatti Allah Cattle
Breeders Association of Nigeria, it is clear that they have assurance beyond
their personal minds from the federal government to kill Nigerians in place of
their cows. If not, by now, the man who signed that press statement,
threatening the entire people of Ekiti State ought to have been arrested and
questioned.
”
Therefore, in view of the above, we wish to tell Nigerians and the entire world
that in the event of any invasion of Ekiti State by killer herdsmen, the
federal government should be held responsible.
”The
herdsmen and those urging them on should also be informed that any attack on
one Ekiti person is an attack on all Ekitis and we shall not sit back and allow
our people to be killed under the guise of cattle rearing.
”In
the event of federal government’s security agencies refusal to secure the lives
and properties of Ekiti people, the people will have no option than to defend
themselves. Our forefathers did same in the famous Kiriji War and we won’t mind
doing the same now!”
The
governor challenged Ekiti people to be on alert against any attack by herdsmen,
saying: “I am, therefore, using this opportunity to put Ekiti people,
especially residents of border towns in the State on red alert. Ekiti people
must be prepared to defend their land against these Philistines whose
attributes and characters are extremism, violence, bloodshed and destruction.”
He
also reiterated his resolve on the grazing law he signed in the state: “For the
avoidance of doubt, the Prohibition of Cattle and other Ruminants Grazing in
Ekiti State Bill, 2016 that was signed into law on August 29, 2016 remains in
force.
”
Therefore, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria should rather
tell its members to comply with this law by seeking from the government
designated land for grazing ranch, which the government is always willing to
give.
”It
is strange that the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria kept
silent when its members killed two people and injured several others in Oke Ako
in Ekiti State. So strange that the same Miyetti Allah that defended the murder
of over 1,000 Agatu people of Benue State and kept silent when herdsmen killed
over 100 people killed in Enugu State and a traditional ruler was killed in
Delta State suddenly found its voice when Ekiti State government decided to
curb the murderous activities of its men.
* Source: Critical Times News
No comments:
Post a Comment