We'll Hold Buhari Responsible For Killing Of Herdsmen In South
The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has said President Muhammadu Buhari
and his government would be held responsible should any northerner fall
victim of the consequences of the concerns they raised about the safety of
Fulani herdsmen in the southern part of the country.
Buhari had told Fulani herdsmen in the southern part of the country to ignore
northern elders' statement urging them to leave southern Nigeria.
However, not convinced by the assurance of safety from the presidency, CNG's
spokesperson, Abdul-Aziz Suleiman, said in a statement made available in
Abuja that while they welcomed the assurance by the president, they were not
oblivious of the fact that the lives of their kinsmen were not secure in the
southern part of the country.
“CNG wholeheartedly welcomes the assurance given by Mr. President and his
government to protect and guarantee the safety of all Nigerians anywhere they
are, including the threatened herdsmen in the South.
“We, however, wish to remind Mr. President and the government that
northerners would hold them fully responsible should any one of them fall
victim of the consequences of the concerns we raised,” he said.
Suleiman said he was amazed at the denial of southern leaders that they did
not declare war on herders following the killing of the daughter of an Afenifere
chieftain by those he called "unknown assassins".
The group, in conjunction with the Northern Elders Forum, had asked Fulani
herdsmen to immediately return to the north if their security was no longer
guaranteed in the southern part of the country.
The statement read: “Recall that on July 11 2019 in response to reactions that
trailed our earlier submissions, we issued a statement acknowledging the
committed concern of the Northern Governors Forum and the Northern Elders
Forum in bringing an end to the tensions instigated around the farmers-herders
problems.
“In that response, we indicated our acceptance of the invitation for discussions
by the leadership of the two forums as a result of which a meeting with the
northern elders was fixed for Tuesday, 15 July 2019.
“We went to the meeting with a prepared position which we presented to the
leadership of Northern Elders Forum in which we highlighted the utterances
made by the southern leaders including decisions taken by some notable
political, religious and cultural leaders of the South.
“We capped our submission by pointing out the dangerous war bells sounded
by the southern leaders that tended to instigate violence against the herders
living in the South following the killing of the daughter of the Afenifere leader,
Mrs. Olakunrin Fasoranti.
“We then politely called the attention of the elders to the imminent attack the
Fulani were exposed to in the South while the federal authorities remained silent
on the matter.
“We made a request to the elders by precisely saying that based on the our
observations and the fact that the instigation of hatred against the Fulani
persists, we feel obliged to advise the leadership of the Northern Elders Forum
to consider calling on the Fulani to forego their right to live and flourish
anywhere in the south and relocate to their various states in the north to ensure
their safety noting the inherent return value of such denial.”
According to him, Chairman of the Northern Elders Forum, Professor Ango
Abdullahi, responded by acknowledging the concern.
“We are worried about their wellbeing. If it is true that their safety can no longer
be assured, we rather have them back in areas where their safety is
guaranteed. The bottom line is that their safety is far more important than their
stay there.
This is a country we all wish to keep together and not at the expense of other
sections,” Abdullahi was quoted to have said.
He added, “Surprisingly, barely 24 hours after Fulani herders were accused of
killing Mrs Olakunrin, leaders of southern groups such as PANDEF, Afenifere,
Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo and a certain Middle Belt forum issued a joint statement
tending to deny having made inflammatory remarks capable of instigating
violence against the Fulani in the South or that the security of the herders in the
South was not in danger as to have warranted concern from the North.”
and his government would be held responsible should any northerner fall
victim of the consequences of the concerns they raised about the safety of
Fulani herdsmen in the southern part of the country.
Buhari had told Fulani herdsmen in the southern part of the country to ignore
northern elders' statement urging them to leave southern Nigeria.
However, not convinced by the assurance of safety from the presidency, CNG's
spokesperson, Abdul-Aziz Suleiman, said in a statement made available in
Abuja that while they welcomed the assurance by the president, they were not
oblivious of the fact that the lives of their kinsmen were not secure in the
southern part of the country.
“CNG wholeheartedly welcomes the assurance given by Mr. President and his
government to protect and guarantee the safety of all Nigerians anywhere they
are, including the threatened herdsmen in the South.
“We, however, wish to remind Mr. President and the government that
northerners would hold them fully responsible should any one of them fall
victim of the consequences of the concerns we raised,” he said.
Suleiman said he was amazed at the denial of southern leaders that they did
not declare war on herders following the killing of the daughter of an Afenifere
chieftain by those he called "unknown assassins".
The group, in conjunction with the Northern Elders Forum, had asked Fulani
herdsmen to immediately return to the north if their security was no longer
guaranteed in the southern part of the country.
The statement read: “Recall that on July 11 2019 in response to reactions that
trailed our earlier submissions, we issued a statement acknowledging the
committed concern of the Northern Governors Forum and the Northern Elders
Forum in bringing an end to the tensions instigated around the farmers-herders
problems.
“In that response, we indicated our acceptance of the invitation for discussions
by the leadership of the two forums as a result of which a meeting with the
northern elders was fixed for Tuesday, 15 July 2019.
“We went to the meeting with a prepared position which we presented to the
leadership of Northern Elders Forum in which we highlighted the utterances
made by the southern leaders including decisions taken by some notable
political, religious and cultural leaders of the South.
“We capped our submission by pointing out the dangerous war bells sounded
by the southern leaders that tended to instigate violence against the herders
living in the South following the killing of the daughter of the Afenifere leader,
Mrs. Olakunrin Fasoranti.
“We then politely called the attention of the elders to the imminent attack the
Fulani were exposed to in the South while the federal authorities remained silent
on the matter.
“We made a request to the elders by precisely saying that based on the our
observations and the fact that the instigation of hatred against the Fulani
persists, we feel obliged to advise the leadership of the Northern Elders Forum
to consider calling on the Fulani to forego their right to live and flourish
anywhere in the south and relocate to their various states in the north to ensure
their safety noting the inherent return value of such denial.”
According to him, Chairman of the Northern Elders Forum, Professor Ango
Abdullahi, responded by acknowledging the concern.
“We are worried about their wellbeing. If it is true that their safety can no longer
be assured, we rather have them back in areas where their safety is
guaranteed. The bottom line is that their safety is far more important than their
stay there.
This is a country we all wish to keep together and not at the expense of other
sections,” Abdullahi was quoted to have said.
He added, “Surprisingly, barely 24 hours after Fulani herders were accused of
killing Mrs Olakunrin, leaders of southern groups such as PANDEF, Afenifere,
Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo and a certain Middle Belt forum issued a joint statement
tending to deny having made inflammatory remarks capable of instigating
violence against the Fulani in the South or that the security of the herders in the
South was not in danger as to have warranted concern from the North.”
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