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Fayose backs Soyinka, tells govs to protect their people against herdsmen menace

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Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has called on governors in all states affected by the herdsmen menace to protect their citizens against the rampaging killer herdsmen.

He stated this while declaring his support for the call by Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, that Nigerians should adopt organised resistance through formation of informal organizations against the incursion of herdsmen.

According to Fayose, the governors should adopt the proposed measure by Soyinka to ensure their citizens are protected at all cost.

He said, “The comfort our leaders enjoy from their office is momentary. But the suffering of the people may be permanent if the leaders continue to look away as if nothing is happening just because they are enjoying the comfort of their office.”

This was contained in a statement the governor released Wednesday night through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka.

He added that he was particularly happy that notable leaders in the country, especially Professor Soyinka heeded his call for all men of good conscience to speak up against the wanton killing of Nigerians by herdsmen, who are acting more like terrorists.

The governor therefore said that Ekiti State will further strengthen local hunters in the states by formally bringing them together under Ekiti State Hunters Association (EKSA) and equipping them to “protect our people and their sources of livelihood.”

“What Nigeria is witnessing now is pure criminality. It is terrorism in the name of cattle rearing and anyone defending the killing of fellow Nigerians and destruction of farmlands is an enemy of this country.

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“If our people have decided to embrace farming, how do we reconcile a situation where their farms are either being destroyed by cows or cruelly set ablaze by supposed herdsmen?

“Today, in many parts of the country, people are even afraid to go to the farm for fear of being killed by supposed herdsmen. How do we promote agriculture under this kind of situation?

“Therefore, I salute the courage of Prof Soyinka for speaking out, though late, but it is better late than never. Those armed herdsmen are nothing but another form of Boko Haram insurgents and they must be treated as such,” Fayose said.

 

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