The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has warned violence instigators on herdsmen to desist because the North knows how to retaliate attacks.
Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, spokesman of the CNG stated this while reacting to the recent tension building in the South-West geo-political zone where violent herders were advised to vacate forests reserves.
In Ondo, the state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu has vowed to regulate herdsmen in his domain. He said those willing to continue their business in the forests either register with the state government or vacate the bushes.
Mr Akeredolu said this became necessary due to testimonials of kidnap victims indicting herdsmen as arrowheads of insecurity in the state.
The herders are yet to comply with the directive just as the ultimatum expires tomorrow. The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) had advised them to remain defiant.
In Oyo, supporters of Oodua Republic crusader, Sunday Igboho, clashed with the Fulani community being asked to vacate the area over criminal activities of bad elements in its fold.
“We are meeting over the development and shall come up with a definite position. We are considering a number of options,” Mr Suleiman told The Nation.
“We expected the attack from Ondo following Akeridolu’s directive. But now it’s coming from Oyo.
“As a first step, we are considering recalling all Northern Communities in the south back home safely before considering the next move. We however warn the instigators of this violence to note that the North certainly knows how to repay coin for coin.
“We certainly don’t consider it an isolated incident but linked to a grand design to destabilize Nigeria and in particular bring the North to its knees by targeting a major component of its population, the Fulani and their livestock assets.
“It is no longer in doubt that for too long, enemies of the North both foreign and local have worked strenuously to ensure that the region remains backward, divided, weak, confused and bewildered by myriads of challenges and problems.
“Today everyone can see a clear pattern drawn from the strategies employed to achieve these results; namely the diminishing of the Northern viability and in particular, bringing the Hausa/Fulani population down by direct annihilation or political and economic incapacitation,” the CNG spokesman added.
