Senators from the North, under the aegis of Northern Senators, warned governors and village heads in South-East, IPOB and MASSOB to desist from making statements that can overheat an already polarized country.
Reacting to threats emanating from certain regions of the country demanding immediate relocation of herdsmen, senators warned that there would be no country called Nigeria, if Fulani herdsmen were asked to leave their communities and states.
Vanguard reports that the chairman of the Northern Senators’ Forum, Senator Abdullahi Adamu from Nasarawa West read, a communique on behalf of the group after the meeting in Abuja.
“We appreciate the steps the federal government had taken so far to contain the problems of herdsmen/farmers clashes and call on community leaders to be careful when making statements on these ugly incidences.
“There would be no country called Nigeria, if other parts of the country asked Fulani herdsmen to leave their communities and states. We, therefore, warn everybody, including governors to desist from making inflammatory remarks.”
Adamu stressed the senators were issuing their warning for all Nigerians irrespective of their social status.
“It is for all Nigerians. A governor is a community leader. The only difference is that he has a label called governor.
“If you don’t mind, attacks by Fulani Herdsmen in recent times started with the West when elder statesman, Chief Olu Falae, had some very nasty experience. It was attributed at the time to Fulani herdsmen. At the end, those people were apprehended and they were not Fulanis.
“This thing has been going on in virtually all parts of the country today. If we now say that everybody should rise and say herdsmen should leave, we will not have a country,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria called on President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate the recent attacks by herdsmen.
They also advised the federal government to build cattle ranches in states where cattle rearing is prevalent.
According to bishops, “this will reduce or elimin
