Fulani Herdsmen Are Now Terrorists – Fayose Declares
Ekiti state Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has reacted to the latest attack of Fulani herdsmen in Benue.
Fayose condemned the killing of two police officers and said “it has gotten to the level of terrorism and ethnic cleansing”.
In a statement signed by by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, the Governor noted that the issue was getting out of hand.
“What is happening in Benue and other middle-belt States is more than a strive between herdsmen and local farmers, it has gotten to the level of terrorism and ethnic cleansing. FG must act now.
“Just now, we heard news of the herdsmen attacking the camp of Mobile policemen, Mopol 13 in Benue, killing two officers by slitting their throats.
Do you call people who could invade the camp of mobile policemen in a guerilla manner & overpower armed Mopol mere Fulani herdsmen?” part of the statement read.
Fayose added that President Muhammadu Buhari must take decisive steps, to stop what he described asan attempt to wipe the Agatu and Tiv people of Benue state off the face of the earth.
“What is happening in Benue and other States in the North-central is an issue that the President Buhari must have to take decisive steps.
We never had killings like these under previous administrations. It is one killing too many!”
Governor Fayose said no one can deny the fact that the Fulani herdsmen have become a nightmare to Nigerians.
“On the Global Terrorism Index, Fulani militant group (herdsmen) operating in Nigeria and parts of the Central African Republic is the fourth deadliest known terrorist group.
“A group declared as the fourth deadliest terrorist group in the world as far back as 2015 cannot be handled with levity by the federal government as being done presently and the earlier President Buhari is made to realize that his main duty is protect the lives of all Nigerians, the better.
“Most importantly, the silence of the people does not amount to their inability to defend themselves. And it should be known to the powers that be that everybody in Nigeria has rights to life.
“Taking lives cheaply and brazenly as being done by the herdsmen is the height of evil which no responsible government should allow. The federal government must have to take decisive steps to end this pogrom and stop playing to the gallery.
“As it is, police do not have capacity to handle the situation in Benue and we will not be surprised if the herdsmen begin to move from one state to the other to cause further havoc because they are getting away with murder daily.
Therefore, the federal government needs to do more; otherwise, Nigerians will begin to see the herdsmen as the APC hit group,” he said.
