Herdsmen attacks: Fayose bans cattle grazing in Ekiti State

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has banned grazing and rearing

of cattle in the State, saying those interested in cattle farming

should get their own private cattle ranch and that a bill to make

movement of cattle from one location to another criminal in the State

will soon be sent to the State House of Assembly.
Governor Fayose, who made this known when he visited Oke-Ako in Ikole

local government area of the State that was invaded last Friday by

Fulani herdsmen that killed two residents of the town and injured

others, warned that government will henceforth confiscate any cattle

seen anywhere in the State apart from ranch created for them by their

owners.
He described the Fulani herdsmen that attacked Oke-Ako and other

communities in the country as 'agents of the devil that must be fished

out and punished accordingly.'
The governor said; 'We will not leave our lands for Fulani herdsmen

and in a system where the leadership of the country looks the other

way while our people are being killed, we will have no option than to

defend ourselves by whatever means.'
He said; 'I have come here to commiserate with the people of Oke-Ako

over the murder of two of our people by these evil Fulani herdsmen.

'I am also here to assure that this will be the last time your

community will be invaded by Fulani herdsmen under whatever guise.

'I have directed that cattle rearing and grazing should stop in Ekiti

State and those interested in cattle farming should henceforth do so

in their own cattle ranch.
'No more movement of cattle from one location to another in the State

and any cattle seen anywhere in Ekiti State apart from the ranch

created for them by their owners will be confiscated by the government

and their owners will be prosecuted.
'A bill to this effect will be sent to House of Assembly for passage

into law to criminalise cattle owners whose cattle are found moving

from one location the other in the State.
'If President Muhammadu Buhari, who is the patron of the Miyetti Allah

Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has refused to call

the herdsmen to order, we in Ekiti will no longer harbour herdsmen who

go about killing our people, destroying our farmlands and raping our

women.
'If the same President Buhari that was so concerned about the killing

of Fulani herdsmen in in Saki, Oke Ogun Area of Oyo State such that

he, as a private citizen led Arewa to Ibadan on October 13, 2000, to

confront the then Governor of Oyo State, late Alhaji Lam Adesina is

now keeping silent when the same herdsmen are killing our people, we

must rise and defend ourselves.'
'It is our duty to protect our people and we are going to do that

without fear or favour.
The governor reiterated that activities of the Fulani Herdsmen was

inimical to the revival of agriculture in the country saying; 'one

wonders how Nigerians can go back to farming when those already in the

farms are losing billions of naira worth of crops to destruction of

their farmlands by the Fulani Herdsmen and the Federal Government is

not doing anything about it.'