President Muhammadu Buhari

By Adejoke Adeleye

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), South West zone has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare the Miyetti Allah Castle Breeders Association Nigeria (MACBAN) a terrorist group.

This followed the alleged killings, kidnapping, raping and maiming of residents of the South West region by suspected killer-Fulani herdsmen.

In a statement, jointly signed by the Chairmen of Ogun, Ondo and Oyo of NANS, the student umbrella body in Nigeria warned Northern leaders and governors from the Northern part of the country to call Fulani herdsmen to order or face the wrath of students in the South West region.

The student body lamented the rising insecurity in the South West region, following the recent arrest of some Fulani who were arrested with ammunition that they tried to import into some southwest states.

They called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Muhammed Adamu to be more proactive in curbing the rising insecurity challenges in the region.

“President Mohammadu Buhari should immediately proscribe the Miyetti Allah Castle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) for shielding killer-Fulani herdsmen and promoting the wanton killings and destruction of property in the South West region.

“We have video evidence of Fulani herdsmen killing and maiming residents of SouthWest States and we will no longer condole such dastard acts on our people.

“If the activities of these marauding Fulani herdsmen in Yoruba land is not checked by the Federal government and the Nigeria Police force and other security agencies, we will unleash terror on Fulani herdsmen who are killing our people on daily basis.

“We are declaring total war on the killer-herdsmen in the South West region. We can no longer fold our arms and watch these criminal elements continue to kill our people.

“We will no longer do nothing while these strangers destroy Yorubaland. We will fight them with everything we have.

“We are also calling on all the Governors of the South West State to rise up to the challenge of tackling the rampaging Fulani herdsmen head long.

“It is high time our Governors rise up to the challenge and start acting on this issue before it degenerates into a major crisis which can consume the region”.

The student body raised the alarm that students are being exposed to attacks by the marauding herdsmen who have turned campuses to grazing fields, citing the of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), Abeokuta and the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) where herdsmen activities have been going on unchecked.

They noted that, many parts of South West region, notably, Igangan in Oyo State, Imeko Eggua and Iselu in Ogun State, Ilesha – Akure express road, Ife-Osu express road, Eti Ooni river and Esa Oke- Ekiti express road have been turned into war zones where people are being kidnapped, raped, slaughtered following persistent attacks by marauding Fulani herdsmen.

“Of note is the recent Igagan incident, where Fulani herdsmen have dominated the community, perpetrating their heinous acts.

“We want to sound a note of warning to these killer herdsmen to desist on their persistent attacks on Yorubaland as nobody has a monopoly of violence. We are ready to match these attackers of Yoruba race with the same violence that they have subjected us to.

“However, we want to enjoin our brothers and sisters to continue to maintain peace and calmness.

“We are for a united Nigeria and we continue to demonstrate the omoluabi and leadership traits we are known for in the SouthWest.

“We want to re emphasize that the southwest zone is the most peace loving and ideological zone in Nigeria.and as much as we are known to be the region with the highest level of hospitality, we won’t hesitate to kick against all forms of threat that could be threatnning the peace of our dear region and may have to resort to the part of violence if the need be,” the students concluded.