The leadership of the Fulani community resident in the South West rose from an emergency meeting in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, on Saturday resolving to embark on compulsory registration of all Fulani herdsmen operating in the various states of the geo-political zone including their animals.
This is to ensure effective monitoring of their activities by their host communities and security operatives to guard against unwholesome behaviours.
Recently, former minister of finance Chief Olu Falae was abducted by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Ondo state. He was released four days later, after a ransom of N5 million.
The meeting which lasted six hours was held inside the Sasa Palace of the Sardauna Yamma and chairman of the Sarkin Hausawas in the 17 Southern States, Alhaji Haruna Maiyasin who also presided over the deliberations.
Addressing newsmen on the resolutions, DailyTrust Newspaper reports that Alhaji Maiyasin who doubles as the Sarkin Sasa of Ibadanland called for cooperation of the host communities including the various state and local governments in supporting the Fulani leadership to effectively implement the proposed registration exercise.
According to him, the meeting also mandated Fulani parents to keep close watch on their children and wards to ensure that they do not engage in anti-social behaviours or consumption of hard drugs.
The Fulani community expressed delight over the proactive measures taken by the security operatives which led to the arrest and subsequent prosecution of the suspected kidnappers of Chief Olu Falae, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation while advocating that severe punishment be meted out on all those incriminated in the kidnapping saga to serve as deterrent.
The community however expressed reservations over the secession threat by the Yoruba social cultural group, Afenifere over the Fulani herdsmen controversy saying “the outburst by the Pan-Yoruba socio-political group was least expected of whoever professes to be national leaders, as this could heat up the polity and also create bad blood in the land.”
To this end, the Fulani community charged leaders of the various ethnic groups in the country notably Afenifere, MASSOB, Arewa Consultative Forum and such others to “be cautious in their utterances and always make patriotic pronouncements that would unite the country and not those that would set the nation ablaze.”
