BY SEGUN ADEBAYO, ABUJA – The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) on Sunday called on the Federal Government to assist states whose communities are suffering banditry to flush out criminal herdsmen that have turned the nation’s forest reserves into safe havens for their criminal activities.
In a statement signed by the MBF national president, Dr Pogu Bitrus, and made available to Forefront, the Forum warned against the arrest of Mr. Sunday Adeyemo, AKA Igboho, over weekend’s violence that took place in Oyo State.
According to the statement, “We are also worried at the turn of events in the South-west and the order issued by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, for the arrest of Mr Sunday Adeyemo, AKA Igboho, over his alleged role in the violence that took place at the weekend in Oyo state.
“While we welcome the bold decision by the governor to protect lives and property of citizens threatened by the activities of bandits that have now found safe havens in forests, we are completely opposed to any action by the Federal Government to escalate the ongoing tension as demonstrated by the arrest order on Igboho.”
Declaring support for Governor Rotimi Akeredolu for issuing quit order on criminal herders that have taken complete control of forest reserves in Ondo State, the Forum reiterated its support for “ridding Ondo State of bandits and criminal elements as contained in the ultimatum handed down on criminal herders by the governor. As the Chief Security Officer of Ondo State, Governor Akeredolu is rightly entitled to protect citizens that are now under constant siege by criminal elements.
“For those who insist that the quit order on criminal herders amounts to infringing the citizenship rights of Fulani, the Forum wishes to reiterate that Akeredolu’s quit order is to unregistered herders occupying the forests and involved in kidnappings and banditry.”
Condemning the Federal Government’s interference in Akeredolu’s efforts “to end the ceaseless abductions of peaceful citizens for ransom”, the Forum wondered why the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Administration was unrelenting “on defending criminals whose major preoccupation is unleashing violence and terror on peaceful communities.”
Going down memory lane, the MBF recalled “that in the height of grisly killings and devastations that trailed many communities in Benue state, President Buhari had called on the people to return home and learn to live with their neighbours in peace. When neighbours decide to turn themselves into agents of terror on their fellow neighbours who are peace-loving, then, such neighbours are no longer neighbours but outlaws that must be arrested and be made to face the law.”
The Forum maintained that the only solution to stop the unabated vicious kidnappings other criminal activities was to completely “flush them out of our nation’s forest reserves. We cannot continue to play the ostrich as Nigerian communities continue to suffer bloodshed due to increasing waves of vicious and unprovoked attacks on defenceless citizens by these vicious brigands.”
The MBF called on governors of the state, especially in the Middle Belt Region, “to adopt the policy of ranching as means of ending the security challenges posed by these criminal herders. We call on state governors to emulate Akeredolu’s quit order in order to cleanse Nigeria’s forest reserves of vicious brigands. In this modern age noted for global best practices, the adoption of the policy of ranching has become an urgent and irrevocable option.”
The statement called on the Federal Government “to desist from escalating the crisis,” and advised the Presidency and the Police “to assist various states to flush out these criminals. Arresting Igboho at this moment can only escalate the growing tension into a raging fury that may further lead to dreadful uncertainties for our nation’s future.
“We stand in solidarity with Governor Akeredolu on his resolve to rid the forest reserves of bandits engaged in kidnappings and other crimes. We call on the Federal Government and other state governors to work in partnership and end the terror perpetrated by these bandits whose occupation of the country’s forest reserves have become present and future dangers to Nigeria as a nation.”
