From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Leader of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Abdulahi Bello Bodejo may have finally gotten his fingers burnt over his recent utterance countering the resolution of the Southern Governors Forum on ban on open grazing in their zones.
Bodejo in a recent interview had ordered his members to ignore the ban, a situation which the Igbo youths under the aegis of the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, (COSEYL) the apex socio-political youth group in the South East geopolitical zone has described as incitement capable of causing a breach of the law.
To this end, the Igbo youths have therefore implored the Inspector General of Police, (IGP) Usman Alkali to immediately arrest the Miyetti Allah’s leader in accordance with the law to serve as deterrent to others plunging the nation to crisis.
The youth group in their statement on Sunday signed by the President General and Secretary respectively, Goodluck Ibem and Kanice Igwe stated thus “We call on the Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba to arrest him for fragrant disobedient of the law and inciting his members to cause mayhem and breach of peace in the Southern part of the country.
“Bodejo must be out of his senses and he should be arrested, investigated and put inside a correctional facility for him to know that the law is no respecter of persons. In this 21st century, there is no where in the world were open grazing is practiced except in Nigeria. Bodejo has just exposed his primitive mentality and tendencies. Too sad.
“The law is very clear that anyone who disobeys the law is a criminal. Bodejo should be behind bars for instructing his members to disobey the law of Southern states.
“In the said interview, Bodejo said that the Fulani herdsmen are free to graze on lands in southern states because according to him it belongs to no one and so every Fulani herdsmen should disregard the order of Southern governors on open grazing. What an insult on our constituted authority.
“We warn him to watch his utterances before he plunges the country into a serious crises. Bodejo statements confirms that he is the one that has been financing and backing the murderous fulani herdsmen to kill, maim and kidnap people and collect ransom in the Southern states.” Ibem alleged.
He continued “Fulani herdsmen listens and obey their leader Bodejo and it is only him that they follow his instructions when they commit crime.
“Abdullahi’s instructions to Fulani herdsmen not to obey the order by Southern governors on open grazing is a direct instruction to them to attack the governors and leaders in the Southern states the same way he instructed them to kill the executive governor of Benue state Chief Samuel Ortom. Bodejo is a terrorist for daring to instruct his members to disobey the orders of a constituted authority .
“In the north, the northern governors place a ban on sale of alcohol and southerners residing in the north are obeying the laws as given by the governor’s of the state were they are living.
“We warn all Fulani herdsmen in the South who are rearing their cattle via open grazing to immediately obey the orders by Southern governor’s and relocate from the Southern states . Anyone who disobeys the order will have the law to contain with. Enough said.” Ibem warned.