Welcome, Guest: Register On Nairaland / LOGIN! / Trending / Recent / New
Stats: 3,152,775 members, 7,817,174 topics. Date: Saturday, 04 May 2024 at 07:50 AM

Northern Elders Forum Justify Herdsmen On Killings Across The Country - Politics - Nairaland

Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Politics / Northern Elders Forum Justify Herdsmen On Killings Across The Country (605 Views)

Femi Adesina: Northern Elders Forum Is A Paper Tiger, Lacks Credible Membership / Northern Elders’ Forum Orders Fulani Herdsmen To Vacate Southern Nigeria / Presidency Releases ‘checklist’ On Killings Under PDP (2) (3) (4)

(1) (Reply) (Go Down)

Northern Elders Forum Justify Herdsmen On Killings Across The Country by damilogogle(m): 2:39pm On Feb 18, 2018
A former Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, and spokesperson of the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, Prof. Ango Abdullahi has vehemently defended the incessant killings by Fulani herdsmen across the country.

Abdullahi also said that the herdsmen menace is politically motivated by the South to disrupt the politically united North ahead of the 2019 general elections, adding that this was how Boko Haram was introduced during Goodluck Jonathan’s government which led to his failure in the 2015 polls.

Justifying the killings, the Professor said that the herdsmen are killing members of their host communities in order to defend themselves, adding that the herders were free to take the cattle to any part of the country the same way an Igbo man does his business.

In a strong worded interview with Vanguard, Abdullahi said, “I have been involved in debates against some respected people from the southern part of this country who believe that this country is not balanced because the North is too big; because the North is too politically united, so there must be a way of disrupting this unity, and this is what we are seeing on ground today, and the elements that are being used are the Fulani herdsmen.

“This matter would be looked at properly; political alliances and so on are welcome. You don’t need to lose blood, or property to engage in political alliance or whatever you want, or still, you don’t need to introduce excuses that will lead to loss of lives.
We saw this when the Boko Haram was on ground; they said northerners created the sect to disrupt former President Goodluck Jonathan’s government, which led to his failure in the last election, and so on.
“Now that Boko Haram is out of the way, the new excuse is the Fulani herdsmen. This is what is happening in other places except in areas that you are talking.

“We have seen what they called a new handshake across the Niger; it is political, and we have seen the mourning that has taken place in Benue and other places to show that the monolithic North is not in tandem with the Middle Belt; it is all politics.
Our Middle Belters don’t need to take the agenda that appears to be a thing of distrust. We are not going to force anybody into a relationship politically or otherwise. We see this as a political agenda.
Asked if herdsmen are not the ones committing the murders, he added, “The truth is, if you want to kill me and I have a chance first, I will kill you, or you do want people to be killed and not defend themselves?
By your reporting, you have denied them justice and government also has denied them justice by not going to arrest those that are killing them. So, they defend themselves.

On the herdsmen that kidnapped, raided and Chief Olu Falae’s farm ablaze, he said, “My uncle was kidnapped last week in Kaduna, my cousin’s children were also kidnapped and they had to go and find N2.5 million to pay. Why is Olu Falae case different?

“Because he was Secretary to the Federal Government? He is a Nigerian just like my uncle and my cousin whose children were kidnapped. The right of every citizen is important under the law. Why is he so special?

“What about the impunity of the people killing herdsmen? The herdsmen in Nigeria are reacting to the injustice meted out daily to them?
“You people, you Nigerians, including you who are biased, who are not prepared to protect the rights and interests of herdsmen. They are killed but not reported, that is not acceptable.

“Herdsmen operate in these places you mentioned because the country has denied them the traditional routes which the British created for them IN 1914 when they occupied this country because they realised that, like cars require tracks, herdsmen also require tracks they can use to graze and drink water.
“The British provided it for them and gazetted it but people have denied them these routes. So, where do you expect the animals to follow? They have to follow somewhere and the easy road is the one other people are using. We are all living in Nigeria.

Asked if he was trying to justify the menace of herdsmen, he maintained, “I am justifying it very strongly because herdsmen are being unjustly treated in this country.

“They are businessmen just like the farmers whose crops are being destroyed. They should invest in their business; buy ranches like the farmers bought their parcels of land.

They are businessmen. If an Igbo man could go to my state and set up a shop, why shouldn’t herdsmen operate elsewhere? Or are you the one who planted the grass the animals are feeding on? Are you the one who created the water they drink?

“The land belongs to Nigerians and herdsmen are Nigerians. If an Igbo man can go to the North and set up a business, why won’t herdsmen go to the South, including your village, to graze their cattle?

“Where we come from, you don’t pay for land, you only ask for permission to use it. That is why I said you people are biased against other people and that is why the peace of this country will be very difficult.”

more on https://damilogogle..co.ke/?m=1

Re: Northern Elders Forum Justify Herdsmen On Killings Across The Country by Nobody: 2:41pm On Feb 18, 2018
Stop posting the nonsense these people say. Just secure your land
Re: Northern Elders Forum Justify Herdsmen On Killings Across The Country by veli1(m): 3:24pm On Feb 18, 2018
C 1 Idiot 4rm D Bush With Empty Brain Talkin Rubbish, Tell Me, Are Northern Christains And Northern Muslims United?
Re: Northern Elders Forum Justify Herdsmen On Killings Across The Country by lecturerdabo(m): 3:32pm On Feb 18, 2018
It's clear that Fulani 'heads'men are being financed and provided arms by the likes of Ango!

In sane climes, this thing will be in detention telling security agencies his role in the cold blooded massacres that have become part of our daily breakfast show!

Oh! I forgot we are running FULANICRAZY SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT!!

1 Like

Re: Northern Elders Forum Justify Herdsmen On Killings Across The Country by ihitenansa: 3:56pm On Feb 18, 2018
ok o









mk everyman secure him backyard dazol

(1) (Reply)

How Atiku Beats Buhari (A Must Read)! / The So-called 5% Votes From South-east For President Buhari: True Or False? / PHOTOS: Bukola Saraki And Buhari Meet At Ajimobi & Ganduje's Children Wedding

(Go Up)

Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health
religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket

Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10)

Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 59
Disclaimer: Every Nairaland member is solely responsible for anything that he/she posts or uploads on Nairaland.