Former Nigerian president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, met with Fulani leaders among others, and proffered solution to the problem of insecurity in the country, particularly, the South West.
At the meeting held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, OOPL, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Saturday was the leadership of the Gan-Allah Fulani Development Association of Nigeria, GAFDAN, an umbrella group for Fulani organisations, led by Sale Bayari.
The members of the group were from South-West, Kogi and Kwara states.
Present too was the spokesman of the Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Mr. Yinka Odumakin.
At the end of the meeting, according to a communiqué issued, it was agreed that there was need for a deliberate community effort to address the problem of insecurity in the country, particularly in the South West with Yoruba and Fulani community leaders involved.
The meeting concluded that it was evident that those who perpetrated crimes were not Fulani alone.
It however stressed the need to start doing things differently to stop the increasing rate of insecurity.
The summary of the conclusions of the meeting reads in part: “It is important to call on leaders who failed to do what they are supposed to do. Fulani who know the criminals among them must expose and report them to the appropriate institution. So must other ethnic groups.
“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 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 geo-political regions of Nigeria. So the idea of moving tribal groups en masse from one geo political 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.
“Presently, the Oyo State House of Assembly has a bill proposed on the open grazing that has passed the 1st and 2nd reading. Government should address the idea of Settled Grazing before full implementation of zero grazing.
“Criminal Fulani herdsman and non-herdsmen must be identified, exposed and brought to book, to serve as a deterrent to others. There must be punishment for lawbreakers. The same must apply to other criminals from other ethnic groups.
“Participants agreed to meet within three months to review the progress of implementation of the recommendations.”
