Unimaginable calm has returned to the border towns and hotspots of kidnapping and other criminal activities in Ondo State since Governor Rotimi Akeredolu ordered herdsmen to quit the state’s forest reserves.
However, cattle grazers and their herds were still spotted in droves across the state, unperturbed and uncommonly calm, taking their cattle around for greener pastures unhindered.

Also worthy of note is that the troubled spots along Akure/Ilesa, Akure/Owo, Ikare/Epinmi/Akoko-Edo and Owo/Benin expressways, which used to be notorious for incessant kidnapping activities, suddenly become safe, as there have been reported incidence of criminal activities in the last six days.

Although the seven-day ultimatum given by the governor to unregistered herdsmen and other criminally-minded persons to vacate the state expires tomorrow, uneasy calm pervades the state, even as the order has generated controversies and mixed reactions.

Despite opposition from the Presidency and some northern elements, the state House of Assembly has expressed support for the decision, which it said is a good intention to secure the lives and properties of the citizenry.

Akeredolu, at several fora, had made frantic efforts to substantiate the import of the ultimatum, as backed by the Land Use Act of 1978 and Trade Cattle Tax Law of Ondo.

Meanwhile, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Gboyega Adefarati, disclosed that registration of farmers and their businesses was not new, adding that over 50, 000 of such have been registered in the last four years.

In the same vein, an official of the Ministry of Justice, who craved anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said both laws give enormous powers to the State Executive Council (SEC) and the Governor on land matters, especially reserved forests.

According to him: “It goes without saying, therefore, that the governor can impose conditions for anyone to enter and/or be licensed to enter any land within the state.

“The Ondo State governor, therefore, has the power to order herdsmen or any other persons carrying on any other business on lands within the territory of the state to apply for permit or licence to do so under the clear provisions of the Land Use Act.”

Without any equivocation, he added that the order to the herdsmen in the forest reserves “cannot in any way, be interpreted as a violation of the fundamental right to freedom of movement.”

The official also stressed that Section 2 of the law talks about “movement permit, which says ‘a movement permit issued in the state under the Control Trade Cattle Regulations or a permit relating to the movement of trade cattle issued by any authority having power to issue the same under any law in force in any other part of Nigeria.”

Adefarati said over 70 per cent of government reserved forest had been encroached by farmers when the Akeredolu administration came on board in 2017, recalling that the previous administration of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko arrested many and punitively punished them.

“A lot of the farmers, irrespective of their states of origin, served varying terms in jail; some paid heavy fines and many left their crops wastefully unharvest.

“After a diligent research and report on Ondo State Government Forest Reserves in 2018, we came up with a symbiotic policy of Tangy system. With stiff adherence to all regulations that protect animals and trees, farmers are registered to farm on Ondo State Government Reserves.

“With this, if you desire land to farm, you have to apply to the Ministry of Agriculture and government, after considering your application, shall grant the considered hectares of land in which you are regulated to do your legal and legitimate farming.

“It is illegal for herdsmen to encroach Ondo State Government Forest Reserves without permission and graze on the farms, many of which will be destroyed,” he said.

State Commander of Amotekun Security Networks, Adetunji Adeleye, said the Corps would deploy the recently launched Operation Clean Up to carry out the governor’s order across the forest reserves in the state.

“What the government of Ondo State said was that government forests reserve is not meant for grazing. But if for any reason you want to use it for grazing come and obtain permit.

“Once you are not officially granted this permit, vacate within seven days. Is not that government said Hausa/Fulani herdsmen should vacate the state,” Adeleye said.

Source:
https://m.guardian.ng/News/Uncertainty-as-Akeredolus-quit-notice-expires-tomorrow

Oga landlord,dats y I love ebonyi people,Dem no get time 4 warning

Food wey fulani dey cook go soon done.

The foolishness they do in sokoto and zamfara can not happen in the south. If govt keeps defending them. There will be a civil war.



Even here in edo, fulani kidnapped one full bus. Along Benin-auchi express way. I dont know what obaseki is waiting for, maybe till people start leaching these herdsmen on sight.

And also last year, fulani laid siege on egoro-naka residents where scared and couldn't go out as from 4pm till the next day.

In irrua-edenu, ugbegun, ubiaja, ewohimi, fulani herdsmen is ravaging there lands and crops. Shey if the people hit back, govt will cry foul ? Especially that idiot called Gaba shehu who his now fronting as the spokesman for miyetti Allah.


When time reach them nor go telle person. We will not bother distinguishing innocent from guilty ... they will live else they will see fire

Ok

I pray make our cups no.full,,even if buhari cup full in this era,dem go enter aso rock flog am,,,the time wey SARS cup full dem flog them,Fulani cup don full now dem dey cry like baby,,,,all south west go start operation leave my land soon

Let’s see how it goes

Any heardsmen that's not happy with the law can go back to zamfara or Kastina. Is so simple as ABC. No Ondo man is operating a piggery in Sokoto.

all these Ondo State palavar sef

He should give them a little extra time to see if they will score another own goal.

Nothing like uncertainty, the order is clear, once the time expires, if you are caught living in the forest, you will be treated as a lawbreaker. The fulanis should come and stay in town where they can be properly monitored and accounted for.

Whoever that brings an ant infested firewood to his home is inviting the ants to an owanbe

As e dey hot....

That's why its good to always speak up when evil is being committed around you, because it would one day get to you.

When these terrorist herdmen were killing and destroying other regions, the west felt less concerned, "its not their business our men Buhari/ Osibanjo is in power they would hand over to our master Tinubu after 2023" now the killings have come home to the west, everyone is lamenting and vituperating.

When I remember this statement "where are the cows" "is Evans a herdsman" SMH.

Akeredolu, the noisy governor...

When he could have gotten court order first and demolish all the Fulani herdsmen shanties in the Ondo forest...

If they ( Fulani herdsmen have contrary opinion, then they should go to Court.

Yoruba's don't have the mind

Mmmm

Rubbish order, no one has the right to give anyone quit notice in Nigeria,it belongs to us all.just as we have peaceful Yorubas going about their legitimate business in Fulani so is Fulani's going about theirs. No one owns Nigeria.
The North is watching

Great Aketi.

That must be the Governor’s intention..

Once the Fulani start living in the city, it will get more easier to track the forest kidnappers..

Forest kidnapping as a crime has been existing for a long time, but it hardly make waves..

PussyKing:
Yoruba's don't have the mind

Barrister Jiti Ogunye writes...

"The right to freedom of movement and the right of the citizens of Nigeria to reside in any part of the Country guaranteed by the Constitution do not vest in citizens, indigenous or non indigenous, the right to trespass on private, communal or publicly acquired and controlled lands or forest.

Every land in Ondo State ( and in virtually all the other states in the “ Federation “ of Nigeria ) is owned by individuals, communities, villages , towns , sub-ethnic groups or the government ( Federal and State Government). Indeed, the lands that were acquired and controlled by the government, under the old Public Lands Acquisition Act or the extant Land Use Act were acquired from aboriginal and indigenous communities.

Compensation was usually but not always paid by government for such acquisitions.

This implies that government itself recognizes that there are no “ free, unowned, unpossessed lands “ within the boundaries of Ondo State.

There are no free forest zones anywhere. For the forest reserves that are owned by the State Government, people ( including indigenes ) may not lawfully hunt for games or carry on logging activities therein without permit. It is criminal to do so.

There is a “ Forest Guards Department” in the Agricultural Ministry that enforces restrictions and disallows unauthorized entry!

The forests are owned by peoples and government of the State.

This being the case, it is indubitably an act of trespass ( criminal or civil ) for any herder or non- herder for that matter, to invade the lands, possess same and carry economic activities thereon; either of a nomadic/ itinerant kind or permanent type .

This is why individuals, communities, villages and towns engage in land disputes, including court litigations .

The right to freedom of movement and settlement do not permit a herder to constitutionally migrate from his part of the Country but to unlawfully settle on another’s person’s land temporarily or permanently.

For example , cocoa farmers from Ondo State cannot lawfully, while exercising their right to freedom of movement, go to Katsina State, clear large expanse of lands in any community, and without buying or legally acquiring the lands, start planting cocoa seedlings there ( assuming cocoa could be cultivated and plantations could flourish in that State ).

The other issue , however, is that of criminality and armed banditry, including kidnapping , ransom harvests and murders of innocent citizens in the forests. In Ondo State, there are people of northern, eastern and southern extractions who are lawfully and legitimately working as farmhands and labourers on the farms and in the forests.

With the permission of their hosts, they settle in the farms with their families .

No order has been made for their “ expulsion “.

The indisputable fact is that some non- indigenes have taken over or substantially infiltrated the Ondo State forests , including foreigners ( Malians and Niger Republic Citizens , posing as Fulani Herdsmen) Unfortunately, some rogue elements associated with the herders have been found in the past to be amongst the criminals.

The pretext or alibi used in invading the forests and staging violent kidnappings therefrom is that they are herdsmen.

To extirpate this excuse, the State has a bounding duty to order these “ herdsmen “ out of the forests. In any case , cattle breeders look for grazing fields to feed their cows ; they do not adamantly insist on a continued occupation of dense, rain forests.

Only recently, when government or military officials were giving reasons why some farmers were killed in Borno State by terrorists, it was alleged that the farmers went to their farms , under the shadow of a raging war, without securing security clearance or permit to return to the farms .

This indicates that for security imperatives , farming may be prohibited or suspended. If this could happen , why, in your “ humble view “ will a responsible state government not have the power to expel “ armed herders “ from its forests to protect the lives and property of its people .

Doesn’t the Constitution provide in Section 14(2)(b) that the “ security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government “ ?

PussyKing:
Yoruba's don't have the mind

You are on point!

My guy, the picture below is a good reference point........

Fulani will know their boundaries when Buhari is out of office.

osuofia2:
Rubbish order, no one has the right to give anyone quit notice in Nigeria,it belongs to us all.just as we have peaceful Yorubas going about their legitimate business in Fulani so is Fulani's going about theirs. No one owns Nigeria.
The North is watching

But Seriki Fulani has the right to collect ransom for kidnapers in Yoruba.Has the rights to destroy farmlands of the people. A Yoruba or Igbo cannot go to the North to set up piggery.

PussyKing:
Yoruba's don't have the mind

Mind to do what?

adenigga:

You are on point!
My guy, the picture below is a good reference point........

Kai wetin AFONJA no go see for Nairaland

Saw a news that herdsmen with army are beating up monarchs in ondo

Lol

osuofia2:
[s]Rubbish order, no one has the right to give anyone quit notice in Nigeria,it belongs to us all.just as we have peaceful Yorubas going about their legitimate business in Fulani so is Fulani's going about theirs. No one owns Nigeria.
The North is watching[/s]

Fulani man!! keep wailing Even the hausas are tired of you!!! Igbos and yorubas will deal with you Sahel dwellers very well
if e pain you, go hug transformer

If they refuse to leave then the government should apply force... I wish all Southerners can team up together and support the states that are giving quit notice.

I remember when I was serving in Oyo state, our only fear then were Fulani men. Once is 6pm, they will fill the main roads with their weapons and start operation...

ESN is already evicting them in Ebonyi state by themselves without waiting for the government.

For how long shall continue to shout "we're one, Nigeria belongs to all, etc" while people are being killed everyday by visitors in their own ancestral land?

Anyone that doesn't support the quit notice should take them to his village...