KILLINGS: Looming crisis as Ohanaeze youths order herdsmen to leave Igboland

Following rampant killings in some states of the federation by suspected Fulani herdsmen, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council (OYC) has called on the nomads to immediately vacate the South-East geopolitical zone.

The youth wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-political body stated this on Wednesday, calling on the Federal Government to without any further delay proscribe the activities of the umbrella body of the herdsmen, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), as well as declare them a terrorist group.

In response to the proposed cattle colonies for herdsmen, OYC pleaded with the Federal Government to also establish ‘pig colonies’ in the North for the sake of people from the South-East dealing in pig farming in the northern region.

The position of the group was contained in a statement signed by its president general, secretary, and national publicity secretary, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, Okwu Nnabuike, Obinna Adibe, respectively.

According to them, the decision was reached at a meeting where the group’s leaders “discussed extensively the recent killings by Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria.”

The statement read, “Ohanaeze Youth Council hereby issues a warning to all the Fulani herdsmen that they should vacate the South-East immediately or face the wrath of Igbo youths and any attempt to ignore this warning, they will have themselves to blame.

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide have banned and proscribed the outlawed Fulani herdsmen in Igboland especially in the 95 local government areas of the South-East.

“OYC calls on the youths not to take the law into their own hands but want the Federal Government to declare them (herdsmen) a terrorist group. The activities of Fulani herdsmen has been proscribed and banned in the South-East with immediate effect.

“We are calling on our people to be vigilant and report to security agents on the activities of any suspected Fulani herdsmen to the appropriate channels.

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“The activities of Fulani herdsmen, particularly the Benue massacre, is unfortunate and can cause another avoidable tension in the country especially now that the elections of 2019 is around the corner, we condemn the terrorist attack of the Fulani herdsmen and call for self-defence as a means to halt it.”

The group then commended some South-East governors who have rejected the proposed cattle colonies in their states.

“We hail the governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu and the governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, for rejecting the cattle colonies in Abia and Anambra states. We know other Igbo governors will follow the footsteps of their colleagues and reject this anti-people policy.”

 

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