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Arewa leaders have warned Yoruba elders, especially the Afenifere Pan Yoruba group to desist from making unpleasant statements that will plunge the nation into unnecessary crisis. The group noted that the recent call by the South West on the Federal Government to abolish nomadic cattle rearing in the country was an embarrassment and disappointment to the North.

Specifically, the Arewa consultative Forum (ACF), the socio-cultural organisation representing the people in the north said: “The Forum is embarrassed and disappointed with the communique issued by the respected pan-Yoruba group the Afenifere after its meeting of 29th September, 2015 held in Akure at the residence of its leader, Pa Rueben Fasonranti, that called on the Federal government to abolish nomadic cattle rearing to stop alleged criminal activities by herdsmen.”

According to the Arewa leaders, “this statement was issued after the kidnap of the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, elder statesman Chief Olu Falae by some persons suspected to be Fulani herdsmen”, adding that “the communique went further to warn that if the Federal Government fails to stop Fulani herdsmen from attacking Yoruba people, it may result in a situation where the South-west people will have to defend themselves.”

The statement issued by the Forum’s National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Mohammad Ibrahim yesterday, in reaction to Afenifere position stated that, “ACF considers such statement of the Yoruba group as reckless and unbecoming of a respected group like the Afenifere that choose to criminalize a whole race or tribe or region instead of the individual criminals, moreover, our law books provide the process of dealing with such suspected criminals rather than arrogating such powers to ourselves”.

He recalled that, “in November 2000 when some OPC hoodlums attacked northerners in the South West region, ACF did not blame it on the Yoruba, rather it urged the government to arrest the perpetrators that committed the crime”, pointing out that “ACF considers criminality in any form as a serious offense and strongly condemned the kidnapping of Chief Olu Falae a former presidential candidate of the joint ticket of APP/AD in the 1999 general election which the North overwhelmingly supported him.”

Meanwhile, the Arewa group has reacted to the latest bomb blast by Boko Haram, saying, “ACF is also sadden by the news of the multiple suicide bomb blasts that occurred on Thursday 1st October in Maiduguri and that of Friday night at Kuje and Nyanya in the FCT all within the week, which killed scores of innocent people and injured many.

Responding, the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere Mr. Yinka Odumakin accused ACF leaders of distorting issues, explaining that Afenifere has nothing against the Fulani.

“We have not criminalised the whole of Fulani; it is the criminal herdsmen we are holding to account. When did ACF ever condemn the criminal activities of these nomads? They kept mum over the abduction of Chief Falae, as if Yoruba people can kidnap somebody of his status in the North and Nigeria would not have experienced bloodshed. We insist that the nomads should stop grazing on our land,” he said.h