The governors of Ondo, Ekiti, Osun, Oyo, Kebbi, and Jigawa states on Monday met with the national leadership of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association at the International Culture and Events Centre in Akure, Ondo State capital.
The Nigerian Governors’ Forum Chairman and Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, in his remarks, assured the herdsmen that they were not asked to leave Ondo State but to only get proper registration.
He added that the meeting was at the instance of the NGF and necessitated by the exigencies of the present challenges of insecurity in the country.
He noted that there was no eviction order given to the Fulani herdsmen in Ondo or any other state in the South-West.
‘This is your home. You’ve lived here, married and done business with us. Nobody is going anywhere. The statement by the Ondo State Government had no eviction reference,’ Fayemi was quoted as saying at the ongoing meeting.
According to Fayemi, the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, only directed that all herdsmen should register for them to operate in the state forest reserves.
The NGF Chairman said ethnic profiling has to stop and all tribes in Nigeria are faced by the insecurity challenge.
Former Deputy Governor of Osun State, Iyiola Omisore, and police authorities are also at the meeting, according to a source there.
Akeredolu had last week ordered herdsmen to vacate all forest reserves in the state within the next seven days, saying people masquerading as herders were using the forests to commit crimes.
AFRICA DAILY NEWS, NEW YORK
