Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Fulani leaders have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to take decisive action against herdsmen and other criminals responsible for killings in the country.
The call was made Saturday night after a meeting attended by Mr. Obasanjo and Fulani leaders in Nigeria’s South-west region including Kogi and Kwara states.
A communique issued by the meeting was signed by Mr. Obasanjo and a prominent Fulani leader, Sale Bayari.
The former president had convened the meeting as part of efforts to address the worsening security situation in the region.
Mr. Obasanjo had on July 15, wrote to President Buhari, warning that Nigeria was tipping towards a dangerous cliff and called for action to forestall the looming disaster.
In the letter, the former president had strongly argued that the country has been consumed by violence and ethnic divisions since Mr Buhari assumed office four years ago, in a manner not seen for decades.
He warned that for Mr Buhari to be able to stop the “smouldering ethnic agitations,” he would have to stop fanning “the embers of hatred, disaffection and violence.”
Mr. Obasanjo had also called on armed herdsmen to publicly state their grievances in order to form a national discussion around it, rather than waging a violent campaign across the country.
The calls were also extended to any other ethnic groups that have concerns about how the country is being run.
Mr. Obasanjo’s letter was triggered by the killing of Funke Olakunrin, a 58-year-old daughter of Yoruba leader, Reuben Fasoranti.
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But in a rare move to contribute to the resolution of the crisis, Mr. Obasanjo assembled the leaders of Fulani communities for a parley.
The meeting was held under the auspices of the Gan Allah Fulani Development Association.
During the discussion, the participants agreed the country is facing the worst level of criminality and insecurity and the need for engagements among people on a way of resolving the problem.
It listed cover-ups and denials by community and public institutional leadership, stigmatization and victimisation of Fulanis as responsible for the problem.
“The Fulani have both good and bad people. The action of bad Fulani should not be taken against all the Fulani,” a part of the meeting’s observations read.
It also observed that the Fulani have problems across West Africa including Senegal, Guinea Conakry, Mali and the Niger Republic.
The meeting said Fulanis are also victims of kidnapping, banditry, cattle rustling and loss of property.
It, however, concluded that a joint community responsibility be established among the Yoruba and Fulani leaders at the community levels.
Based on available evidence, the meeting held that those who perpetrate the crimes are Fulani and non-Fulani actors, thereby calling for sanctions for the criminals.
“Fulani who know the criminals among them must expose and report them to the appropriate institution. So must other ethnic groups,” part of the conclusions of the meeting reads.
“There should be cooperation among our people groups. Fulani leaders and other groups are urged to approach traditional institutions anytime they find something that is not right within their communities.
“They should refer concerns among themselves to the different levels of traditional leadership up to the paramount traditional rulers.
“Identified criminals within the community should be handed over to the appropriate agency to be dealt with.
“Key stakeholders should be informed to ensure that justice or sanctions are carried out against culprits and not swept under the carpet.
“There are Fulani who are born in the South West 3rd, 4th or even 5th generation who see themselves as children of Oduduwa, and who have nowhere to go except Oduduwa land.
“There are other tribes who feel so in Yorubaland and there are Yorubas who feel so in other geopolitical regions of Nigeria.
“So the idea of moving tribal groups en masse from one geopolitical region to another is impracticable and should not be talked about by leaders.
“We have to work as one community through our various efforts and responsibilities to protect and safeguard the interest of the community,” the meeting agreed.
It called on the Oyo State Government which is about to pass anti-open grazing law to first address the idea of settled grazing before the full implementation of the new law.
The leaders insisted that criminal Fulani herdsman and non-herdsmen must be identified, exposed and brought to book, to serve as a deterrent to others.
While advocating punishment for lawbreakers, the participants agreed to meet within three months to review the progress of implementation of the recommendations.
