Socio-political groups, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, Afenifere and the Middle Belt Forum, on Tuesday, tackled the Northern Elders’ Forum over its claims that northerners were being attacked and killed in the South.
They described the claims by NEF and the Kano Elders’ Forum as false.
The groups said contrary to the NEF’s and KEF’s false claims, it is the Fulani herdsmen that have been perpetrating kidnapping, killing and raping in their host communities without the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration taking any action against their criminal acitvities.
PANDEF, Ohanaeze and Afenifere, according to The Punch, faulted NEF and Kano Elders’ Forum on their statements on rising tension in the country.
PANDEF spokesman, Ken Robinson, during a telephone chat with Punch correspondent, noted that NEF did not call to order, elements who were parading themselves as herdsmen perpetrating killings, raping women and destroying farmlands in the South and Middle-Belt.
He said all ethnic groups must be treated equally and urged those in power to steer the affairs of the country without bias in order not to give room for suspicion that a section of the country was being favoured to the detriment of others.
Robison stated, “The fact is that you know the comments and reactions by the Kano group and the northern elders’ forum clearly demonstrate the attitude of arrogance and false security complex that are being displayed by these group of people.
“When these marauders, parading as herdsmen across southern states and the Middle Belt of Nigeria, went about killing innocent Nigerians, raping women and destroying farmlands, livelihood of our people, they didn’t make comments, they didn’t warn them.
“When Miyetti Allah, a trade group, cattle rearers relegated themselves and began to conduct themselves as if they were the lords of Nigeria and make provocative and vexatious statements, nobody called them to order or cautioned that what they were doing was going to cause problems because people were bound to react.
“There is no way people will allow their loved ones to be killed or molested, their livelihood destroyed and they will continue to fold their hands and watch these things happen.
“Now that government of the southern states are beginning to pick up courage and react and do what they are supposed to do and our people are standing up to their rights against these awful killings and these criminal gangs parading as herdsmen, they (northern elders) have started to make statements that clearly show they were tolerating or perhaps accommodating the criminal activities of these so-called Fulani herdsmen.
“So, their statements are condemnable. They are most unfortunate. We want Nigeria to continue to exist as a united country based on equity, fairness and justice. Not a country where anybody feels that he is superior to others.
“We want a Nigeria where everybody feels that he belongs to Nigeria and those who have been charged with the powers and authorities to conduct the affairs of state should conduct those affairs in such a manner and way to show that they are not partial, they are not nepotic or biased against any section of the country or any ethnic group, and that all the ethnic groups are equal. That is the position of PANDEF.”
No attack on northerners, NEF’s statement inciting — M’Belt
On its part, the Middle Belt Forum advised northern groups to desist from making inciting statements capable of setting Nigeria on fire along North/South divide
In an interview with The Punch correspondent in Jos on Wednesday, National Publicity Secretary of the Middle Belt Forum, Dr Isuwa Dogo, said it was wrong for the northern groups to make statements that could mislead other Nigerians on the security challenges facing the country
He asked, “Where has it been verified that northerners are being attacked in the south just like that or is it the general insecurity in the country? There is a difference between a deliberate attack targeted at certain people and when there is a security breach by criminals. Those threatening retaliation should learn to distinguish between the two and stop inciting violence between southerners and northerners because if there is retaliation, there will be counter-retaliation which will lead the country to nowhere.”
According to him, instead of threatening retaliation against southerners living in the north because of a perceived attack on their people in the south which had not been established to be true, northern leaders should prevail on the Federal Government to protect Nigerians and fish out those causing security breach anywhere in the country, irrespective of any section of the country they hail from.
Show humanity on activities of killer herdsmen in South – Afenifere tells NEF
Also, the spokesman for Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, stated, “The Northern elders have not shown the kind of responsibility expected of them over the activities of their people in the South. Have their people been killing cows and not human beings?… we must see their humanity on the killings in the south by their kinsmen first.”
On its part, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, described as strange and unfortunate that NEF would not live by their name as elders and would turn round to allege that the southerners were attacking the northerners.
Ohanaeze spokesman, Chief Alex Ogbonnia, said NEF should be in a position to call on the Presidency to heed the persistent calls by the host communities to save them from the menace caused by the herders.
Ohanaeze spokesman stated, “The herdsmen/host community crisis in Nigeria has been a topical issue since over five years ago. The affected communities have appealed to relevant authorities to intervene to avoid degeneration into more awful situation.
Killer herdsmen: Allegation of attacks on northerners, contradictory, says Ohanaeze
“The farmers have repeatedly cried out. The women of the host communities are violated and debauched on a daily basis by the herders. The Federal Government in response has even contemplated Ruga as one of the options to curtail the crisis. It is therefore very strange that the Northern Elders’ Forum will not live by their name as elders. They have turned round to allege that the southerners are attacking the northerners. This is a contradiction.
“The NEF should be in position to call on the Presidency to heed the persistent calls by the host communities to save them from the menace caused by the herders.”
It, therefore, called on NEF to emulate the Ohanaeze Ndigbo in hospitality, nation building and creating the enabling environment for persons of diverse means to thrive in its localities.
Recall that the Chairman of Kano Elders’ Forum, Bashir Tofa, had in a statement on Tuesday warned that there could attacks on southerners in the North.
[Also read] Herdsmen crisis: No ethnic group should oppress others – Gbajabiamila
He stated, “Tension is beginning to brew, and if revenge attacks on southerners begin here in the North, it will be difficult to control.”
Also, NEF, in a statement by its Director of Publicity and Advocacy, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, alleged that Fulani herdsmen were being attacked in the South.