South West Governors Reply Northern Govs Over Attack On Herdsmen

The South West Governors have replied to their Northern counterparts over the comment on the alleged attacks on Fulani herdsmen in the Southern part of the country.

Naija News reports that the Northern Governors Forum (NEF) has condemned the alleged incessant attacks on innocent Fulani herders in the Southern region.

The Chairman of the Northern Governor Forum and governor of Plateau State, Simon Bako Lalong, gave the condemnation in a statement on Thursday.

Lalong called for the stoppage of attacks on law-abiding herdsmen, adding that innocent herders should not be vilified or punished for the crimes of alleged criminal herders.

Reacting, Jimoh Dojumo, Special Adviser on Security to the Chairman of the South-West Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, faulted the comment of the Northern governors.

Dojumo appealed to the governors to caution the herdsmen to stop destroying other people’s means of livelihood.

He noted most of the farmers got loans from the banks to finance their farming activities and watching it get destroyed would have a negative effect on them.

The aide said the herdsmen were free to graze and do business anywhere in the country but it must be under the law.

He said: “The governors should stand bold and tell their brothers the truth.

“They should tell their brothers not to graze to destroy other people’s farms; they should stop kidnapping and raping our women in the bush because it would not work.

“Can anyone go to the bush in Kano and be doing that?

“Here, they kidnap the women in the presence of their husbands.

“Some herders don’t just graze but go to the farm, uproot cassava for their animals to eat…Can you imagine this callousness!“