From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Fulani leader and elder statesman (Sarki Fulani) Senator Walid Jibrin has said that his people will not go to war over quit notice given to them by Ondo State Government to vacate the state, admitting that no land in Nigeria belongs to Fulani but the states.
However, Senator Jibrin, who was a second Republic lawmaker and current Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT) of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) called on Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu to reverse the quit notice without delay.
The Fulani leader promised to convene the meeting of his kinsmen for a truce that will resolve the matter without fight or war.
In a statement on Tuesday, Senator Jibrin said, “I am calling on all Nigerians especially Governors of Ondo, Oyo, citizens of the two states, all security outfits in the affected states and all Fulanis to adopt necessary reconciliations and rely on effective dialogue in solving all misunderstandings going on among the states and Fulanis living in the states.
“Yoruba, Igbo, Ijaw and Fulani must live peacefully forever. I do not support anyone who says that all lands in Nigeria belong to Fulani. All lands belong to every state.
“I support all Governors trying to solve these problems between Fulani herdsmen and farmers in every state.
“The order given to all Fulani residing in Ondo to evacuate from the state immediately should be reversed and allow the elders and the Governors Forum to handle the matter peacefully.
“As a prominent Fulani leader myself and a responsible elder statesman, I am making all efforts to invite all Fulani Associations to come together for a truce that will solve this matter without any fight or war.
“We have been living peacefully in Nigeria since after the Biafran war.
“May I congratulate all our state governors for their efforts in handling the Fulani herdsmen issues hoping that the problems will soon come to pass”.
And where were you all this while your kinsmen have unleashed mayhem throughout the country? Where were you when they killed and maimed armless citizens in Benue and Plateau states and went on air to declare that they are untouchable? Why should we now be listening to you because they face exactly similar retributive measures in these states? Would be out of place to say unequivocally that your statements are tainted with hypocrisy?