• Fulani herdsmen seek justice over killing of kinsman
From Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
The pan Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere has rejected the Grazing Commission Bill currently before the National Assembly.
Leader of the group, Chief Reuben Fasoranti who spoke at a news conference in Akure yesterday said the bill was not in the best interest of the Yoruba people, adding that the bill was meant to favour a section of the country.
Describing the bill as obnoxious and unacceptable, Fasoranti urged all the traditional rulers in Yoruba land to caution the National Assembly against passing the bill into law.
Also, the Ondo State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko yesterday declared that the proposed law cannot work in the state. He said the proposed law rather than solving the problem would aggravate it in many parts of the country, especially Yorubaland.
Fasoranti maintained that the bill seeks to turn private cattle rearing into a national affair by setting up a federal body to take care of interest of herdsmen against the interest of other occupations.
Meanwhile, the Fulani herdsmen working in Ondo State have called on the state Police command to investigate the killing of one of them, Dan Bako who was reportedly killed on Wednesday evening in Ilara-Mokin, a community in Ifedore Local Government Area of the state.
The head of Fulani herdsmen in the State, Alhaji Alli Dongo while reacting to the death of Bako said the police and other security agencies in the state should ensure that the killers of Bako are brought to book in no distant time for peace to reign in the state. Bako was reportedly killed on his way to Igbara-Oke, a neighbouring community to Ilara-mokin where he lived.
Dongo stated that the deceased had been living in Ilara-Mokin for the past seven years and was preparing to relocate to his state when the incident happened.
According to Dongo, the deceased was sent by his kinsmen to buy food for them in Igbaro-Oke and he left with his motorcycle but did not return, saying that his motorcycle was seen beside a bush along the road, while his herds were also seen in the bush without him.
He suspected that the herdsman was killed because his cows destroyed someone’s farm in the town, and the person threatened to deal ruthlessly with him, adding that his killing was reported less than 48 hours after the threat.