Following Friday attacks where Fulani herdsmen killed two and injured five in Oke-Ako community in Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State, the State governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose has warned Fulani herdsmen could come under reprisal attacks and he cannot guarantee their safety after their heartless killings.
The governor said on Sunday, May 23, 2016, “I will not fold my hands while armed herdsmen invade communities in Ekiti, killing people and destroying farmlands at will as they have done in other states. They are agents of evil that must be fished out.
“I have directed the police and other security agencies in the state to fish out the killer herdsmen. I am in constant touch with the security agencies and I hope that the killer herdsmen will be fished out wherever they are and made to face the full wrath of the law.
“The people of Oke-Ako should, therefore, remain calm while the security agents do their job. However, the security agents must be mindful of the fact that the people’s patience has a limit and they must therefore act promptly and decisively.”
Gov. Fayose, who visited the people of Oke-Ako, especially the family of the deceased, vowed to do everything humanly possible to forestall the recurrence of such attack and safeguard the lives of every Ekiti citizens and other law abiding citizens in the state.
He cried that, the activities of the herdsmen have destroyed farmlands costing billions of naira in states in the South-West, South-East and North-Central zones of the country.
“One wonders how Nigerians can go back to farming when those already in the farms are losing billions of naira worth of crops to destruction of their farmlands by the Fulani Herdsmen and the Federal Government is not doing anything about it,” the governor said.
“I am sounding a note of warning to the Fulani herdsmen and those who can talk to them should also do so now. If they continue with these wanton attacks, killing of the people and destruction of farmlands in Ekiti, I cannot guarantee that there won’t be reprisal attacks.
“I can also not guarantee the level that the reprisal attacks can get to because as a governor, it is my responsibility to defend and protect my people.” Fayose added.
He called on President Muhammadu Buhari to stop paying lip service to the Fulani herdsmen menace, saying “as patron of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), President Buhari has the capacity to call the herdsmen to order”.
“President Buhari should, therefore, call his people to order because this is Ekiti; our people have the rights to defend themselves.
“Most importantly, President Buhari must be reminded of how he was so concerned about the killing of Fulani herdsmen in Saki, Oke Ogun Area of Oyo State such that he, as a private citizen, led Arewa to Ibadan on October 13, 2000, to confront the then Governor of Oyo State, late Alhaji Lam Adesina.” the governor concluded.
