Why Buhari Attacked Late Oyo Gov. In 2000 Over Fulani Herdsmen

In October 13, 2000, General Mohammadu Buhari led lorry loads of

Northerners mostly Fulanis to Governor Lam Adesina over the killing of

Fulanis in Saki, Oyo State.
Fulanis had clashed with Yoruba farmers in Saki, over grazing.

At about 2 p.m., same day, Buhari arrived in a long convoy at the

governor's office in company of the former governor of Lagos State,

General Buba Marwa, Alhaji Aliko Muhammed, Alhaji Abdulrazak and Alhaji

Hassan. They all wore long faces.
And in an angry tone, asked the shocked Governor Adesina why he has not

done anything to stop the killing of Fulanis, demanding that compensation

must be given for the killings
His words: “Your Excellency, our visit here is to discuss with you and

your government our displeasure about the incident of clashes between two

peoples… the Fulani cattle rearers and merchants are today being harassed

, attacked and killed like in Saki. In the month of May, 2000, 68 bodies

of Fulani cattle rearers were recovered and buried under the supervision

and protection from a team of Mobile Police from Oyo State Command.

“ That some arrests were made by Oyo State Police Command in the massacre

with their immediate release without court trial. This was said to have

been ordered by Oyo State authorities and they were so released to their

amazement. The release of the arrested suspects gave the clear impression

that the authorities are backing and protecting them to continue the

unjust and illegal killings of Fulani cattle rearers…”

According to the general, they therefore wanted immediate stoppage of the

killings, justice and compensation to the Fulanis.
Governor Lam Adeshina in response spoke for about 20 minutes and the

generals were at the edge of their seats for the entire period.

Lam said: “ Before I thank you for this visit, you have come to tell me

something. I also want to tell you something and that something is to make

an appeal. General Buhari has been a former Head of State, Brigadier Marwa

has governed Lagos for some time and with credibility… so you are national

leaders of this country. Even though, by accident of birth, you are from

the North, you can be born anywhere; may be next time when I am coming to

the world, I will be born in the North or the South-South. “My appeal will

be that effort must be made to unite this country and that will be ïn the

best interest of all Nigerians. I am appealing to the Arewa Consultative

Forum, under which auspices our distinguished Nigerians are here; in

recent times, they have been sending wrong signals to a number of us who

believe in the unity and peace of Nigeria; you have been too critical of

the efforts of the Federal Government. I am saying this because Nigeria,

at this point, cannot afford to break and the words you northern leaders

utter are very weighty, at the South here, we normally analyze them

critically”.
On all the allegations, he said: “From what they have written in the

petition, this government is completely blameless because we don't

interfere either with the judiciary or with the police functions. I always

preach peaceful co-existence in Oyo State and Nigeria as a whole. We are

all Nigerians and that is what we have been preaching all along and we

shall continue to be Nigerians , no matter the present or immediate

problems which will be solved by the grace of Allah.

“I want to say also that we really have to appeal to our people, the

itinerant Bororo people, that they should observe less aggression. It is

not good , it is not right just coming from somewhere then you just pass

through farm lands cultivated may be with the person's life savings and

then over night everything is gone. That is not right, even Allah does not

approve of that.
We even wonder when they talk about this people carrying dangerous

weapons, I say do they really believe in Allah? When you just take life

like that and go away! Are we not forbidden not to take human life?

So I think General Buhari, General Marwa, you have to be educating them…

It is my pleasure to inform you that at the Presidential Lodge, we have

made some arrangements for refreshments so that before you go we can

refresh together”.
Buhari and his team did not wait for any refreshments. They came in angry

and left bewildered.
The post Why Buhari Attacked Late Oyo Gov. In 2000 Over Fulani Herdsmen appeared first on Pointblank News .