…demands activist’s, others’ immediate arrest
Umbrella Northern socio-political organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum, has warned against further attacks on Fulani communities in the Southwest states of the country.
ACF said such attacks were a recipe for another civil war if not stopped by the governors of the region and the Federal Government.
The Forum’s National Publicity Secretary, Emmanuel Yawe, gave the warning in a statement titled, ‘Stop the drift in the southwest,’ issued in Kaduna on Saturday.
ACF recalled that the 1967 civil war which lasted till 1970 started with attacks and counter-attacks reminiscence of what’s currently happening in the south-west today.
It , therefore, demanded the immediate arrest of those who carried out the attacks on Fulani communities in Oyo State, including the activist, Sunday Igboho, the alleged mastermind of the eviction order on the Fulani communities in the area.
ACF said all those involved must be made to face the full weight of the law of the land while urging both the governors of the region(Southwest) and the Federal Government to swiftly move to avert another bout of “avoidable” crisis in the country.
According to the ACF The statement, “The Arewa Consultative Forum this morning received reports of an attack by Yoruba Youths on Alhaji Saliu Abdulkadir, the Serki Fulani in Oyo State.
“In the reports, he was attacked and driven out of his house, eleven cars and his house burnt with his family members now living in the bush.
“There are allegations that one Sunday Igboho, an agitator for the Oodua Republic and who issued an ultimatum giving Fulani people seven days to leave Yorubaland is the instigator of the attack.
“The most disturbing aspect of the attack is the allegation that the security agents who were earlier warned about its imminence stood by helplessly as the attack was carried out.
“The ACF is worried about this trend and calls on the Federal and State Governments in the South West to move quickly to avert a social upheaval that may destabilize the whole country.
“We recall that the civil war in the 60’s started with attacks and counterattacks like this.
“The governments must be proactive and stop history from repeating itself.
“Those who carried out these attacks must be apprehended and the due process of the law allowed to take its course.
“If this is not done, there may be counterattacks in the north and the country will be up in flames. “The authorities must act. The ACF is very worried and calls on them to act fast.”