The Arewa Consultative Forum has warned that continuous attacks on herdsmen who are mostly from the Fulani extraction living in the South-West region might trigger another civil war.
The warning comes a day to the expiration of the 7-day ultimatum of the Ondo State government to herdsmen to either register with it or vacate forests reserves in the state.
It also comes barely a day after youths in Oyo State attacked a Fulani settlement in the state.
Warning that such development may be reciprocated in the Northern region and will definitely set the country ablaze, the ACF called on the federal and state governments to address the issue as a matter of urgency.
“The Arewa Consultative Forum this morning received reports of an attack by Yoruba Youths on Alhaji Saliu Abdulkadir, the Serki Fulani in Oyo State,” a statement from the group’s National Publicity Secretary, Emmanuel Yawe, read.
“In the reports, he was attacked and driven out of his house, eleven cars and his house burnt with his family members now living in the bush.
“There are allegations that one Sunday Igboho an agitator for the Oodua Republic and who issued an ultimatum giving Fulani people seven days to leave Yorubaland is the instigator of the attack.
“The most disturbing aspect of the attack is the allegation that the security agents who were earlier warned about its imminence stood by helplessly as the attack was carried out.
“The ACF is worried about this trend and calls on the Federal and State Governments in the South West to move quickly to avert a social upheaval that may destabilize the whole country. We recall that the civil war in the 60’s started with attacks and counter-attacks like this.
“The governments must be proactive and stop history from repeating itself.
Those who carried out these attacks must be apprehended and the due process of the law allowed to take its course.
“If this is not done there maybe counter attacks in the north and the country will be up in flames. The authorities must act. The ACF is very worried and calls on them to act fast,” the group added.
