Gani Adams calls for South-West security summit to tackle herdsmen attacks
- Adams says governors in south-west have not tackled the killer herdsmen menace well apart from Ekiti governor Ayodele Fayose
- He disagrees that the killers are the traditional Fulani herdsmen that Yorubas have known for ages, saying the intruders are trained militants
- He notes that stakeholders in the South-West are watching the killer herdsmen's attacks closely and strongly believe they are planned and not just random
The Aare Ona Kankanfo of Yorubaland Gani Adams has revealed plans to call for a security summit for all stakeholders in the South-Western part of Nigeria in order to tackle herdsmen invasion.
Adams told Nigerian Tribune in an interview that he has suggested writing letters for a gathering of stakeholders to fashion out a strategy to keep intruders out of Yoruba communities.
The leader of the Oodua Peoples Congress said the activities of the herdsmen across the country is raising some suspicions and the South-West has not taken enough actions against them except in Ekiti.
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He noted that state governors in the region have to act fast because they have a mandate from the people to protect.their lives and properties.
"We are studying the political situation of the country and then if you don’t forget after I was installed, the Fulani herdsmen became more rampant in the South-West. So, I had to issue a statement regarding that, calling the president’s attention to it and the situation came down drastically.
"But for about few weeks now, we have had some incidents, especially when some herdsmen waylaid people on the way, killing them and I have had some calls from key stakeholders. I told them the issue of security is a sensitive one and that if it is not properly coordinated, there will be trouble."
He added: "You are calling me as Aare Onakakanfo, but I cannot be involved in any community security without the involvement and support of the government of that state. It has to be highly coordinated so that you don’t run yourself into troubles.
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"Every community is with its own culture and mode of operations. They also have their security modus operandi. I cannot stay in Lagos and just dictate the way it should go. It is only when I have their cooperation and they need my attention on the basis of supporting them.
"I suggested that I will write letters to all the governors and chairmen of Council of Obas in each state and some stakeholders for a South-West security summit, which will fashion out the ways of solving the problem of intruders in our communities."
Meanwhile, Legit.ng gathered that airstrikes were conducted on at least three Benue state communities by fighter jets of the Nigerian Air Force in an apparent move to dislodge killer herdsmen in the region.
The airstrikes took place on Saturday, June 16, and lasted for over several hours.
The operation was confirmed by NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshal Olatokunbo Adesanya.
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Source: Legit.ng
