Yoruba elders to Tinubu: Armed herdsmen killing our people

The Council of Yoruba Elders, yesterday, urged President Bola Tinubu to halt the marauding herdersmen’s unnecessary fresh aggression in the South West zone of the country.

The elders, in a statement by their Secretary-General, Dr. Victor Taiwo, advised Yoruba leaders to be vigilant to avoid being caught unawares.

Marauding herdsmen, in the last three months, have increased kidnapping, killing and destruction of farm produce in the South West.

Dr. Taiwo, who quoted what one of the victims told him, said the kidnappers and bandits have 27 camps in Ondo State, 16 camps in Ekiti State, seven camps in Osun State and five camps in Ogun State, adding that since previous security summits did not yield desired results, it would be better to raise funds to fight insecurity.

He lamented how Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State raised the alarm three months ago that terrorists had been discovered to be just two kilometres away from a spot chosen for his birthday rendezvous.

He said: “As it seems, our president is religiously adhering to the bond between him and Muhammadu Buhari.

“Now, in such a time as this, when our government is not available to meet this expectation, what shall we do as an alternative measure to enhance our individual and collective safety and security?

“We have already opened an account for this purpose for our people’s conscientious contributions resting all assured of the honest and transparent deployment of the funds to be managed by a Board of Governors of high integrity pedigree.

“The Fulanis are free to kill anybody without repercussions but anybody who kills the Fulanis is in soup. Wow! What a country.

“I envy these Fulanis in Nigeria. What a special immunity granted by the law of the country to the sacred stock who can kill and destroy but cannot be tampered with.

“We had thought that if Buhari let his people loose to kill and destroy the Yorubas, our own Yoruba president would be on hand to fight our battle. Alas! We have expected too much. I guess our president is focusing on 2027, so no distraction or compromise should be entertained. The Fulanis must be appeased, right? Gosh.”

He urged President Tinubu to “slough himself of the toga of politics and politicization alone and look homeward for once.”

He said: “It is quite unthinkable that while the Fulanis are butchering his people he looks away as if nothing is happening, all in the name of politics.

“The Fulanis should not be having a field day killing our people during Buhari’s era and you allow the spate to continue in your own time. We appeal to you in all humility and utmost respect.”

On the fundraising, he urged traditional rulers and clerics to see the security project as their concern.