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Ibadan – Sarkin Fulani of Oyo State, Alhaji Salihu Kadiri, has declared that the Fulani people in the South West are not in support of the composition of the South West joint security outfit, ‘Operation Amotekun’.

Kadiri stated this during a chat with journalists at the inauguration of the newly elected Oyo State NUJ Exco held at the Jogor Centre, Ibadan, said with its present composition, Amotekun looked sectional and against Fulani herders. The Seriki Fulani declared that as it was presently constituted, Amotekun was one-sided and set up against the Fulani herders, adding that the security outfit needed to be put in place properly. Kadiri stressed that there was the need for the South West governors to, without wasting time, ensure the inclusion of the Fulani and other ethnic militia in the region among those to be recruited for Amotekun. He maintained that if truly ‘Operation Amotekun’ was for the security of people in the South West, the composition must be for all and not for only Yoruba militia groups like the OPC, Agbekoya, and others. For now, we, the Fulani in the South West, are not in support of ‘Operation Amotekun’. With its present composition, Amotekun looks more sectional, it looks as if it was meant to fight the Fulani herders who the farmers are accusing of using their cows to destroy their farms. That is the truth,” he said. The Seriki Fulani pointed out that there were Fulani vigilante groups across the South West that had all it would take to be among the groups that could be co-opted into the joint South West security outfit. Accusing the South West governors of being too hasty with the establishment of ‘Operation Amotekun’, the Seriki Fulani of Oyo State said if Fulani vigilante groups were recruited into Amotekun, they would be in the best position to monitor the herders and their activities, as well as assist in curbing crimes in their various localities.