Governors across the six states of south western Nigeria held a security council meeting on monday 25 February, 2021, with security chief to discuss the way forward over the unrest created by fulani herdsmen in the region.
Present at the meeting were, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Rotimi Akeredolu SAN of Ondo State, Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, they were also joined by Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State and Mohammed Abubakar of Jigawa state, security chiefs in the region and the leadership of the maiyetti Allah cattle breeders association of Nigeria.
At the meeting, decisions were reached to ban open grazing and underage herding.
Giving a report after the meeting, Gov. Makinde said, “Today, the South West governors held a security stakeholders’ meeting in Ondo State. The meeting was attended by our brother governors from Kebbi and Jigawa States; security chiefs, South West zone led by the AIG Zone 11 and leaders from the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria.
“Collectively, we resolved to ban open grazing in all parts of the South-West. In Oyo State, we already have a law against open grazing which will continue to be implemented by our security agencies.
“I restated that we will not permit criminality as a response to criminal actions. Instead we will continue to support our security agencies to do their duties. Also, we will work with our people to face our common enemies – the criminals; kidnappers, armed robbers and bandits.”
Open grazing had been responsible for clashes between herders and farmers in the region. The rising cases of kidnapping and sundry crimes in the region had also been linked to the activities of criminal elements who masquerade as herdsmen in their host communities.
The PUNCH had earlier reported that Akeredolu on January 18, 2021 ordered herdsmen to leave Ondo forest reserves within seven days following incidents of kidnapping attributed to Fulani herders.
Violence had erupted in Igangan, Ibarapa, on Friday when a popular Yoruba rights activist, Sunday Adeyemo, well known as Sunday Igboho, alongside his followers, stormed the Fulani settlement in the ancient town to eject Seriki Fulani, Salihu Abdukadir, and herdsmen accused of perpetrating crimes ranging from kidnappings, killings, rape to invasion of farmlands with their cattle.
