Ondo Quit Notice: Buhari ‘Guarantees’ Rights Of Herdsmen To Kill Southerners – Fani-Kayode

Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, has slammed the Presidency over its response to the quit notice handed to herdsmen to vacate forest reserves in Ondo State.

The Presidency had on Tuesday called on the Governor of Ondo, Rotimi Akeredolu, to exercise restraint over the 7-day ultimatum he gave herdsmen to exit forests in the state, amongst other directives.

THE WHISTLER reported that Akeredolu had said that his decision to banish the herdsmen from the forests was aimed at protecting the lives and property of residents amidst worsening cases of kidnappings and other crimes in the state.

He said security reports had traced “the root cause” of crimes in the state to activities of criminal elements parading themselves as herdsmen.

But presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, in a statement on Tuesday, said the governor acted outside the constitution by asking the herdsmen to leave the forests.

“We want to make it clear that kidnapping, banditry and rustling are crimes, no matter the motive or who is involved. But, to define crime from the nameplates, as a number of commentators have erroneously done- which group they belong to, the language they speak, their geographical location or their faith is atavistic and cruel,” Shehu had said.

But responding in a series of tweets on Wednesday, Fani-Kayode said by asking Governor Akeredolu not to take steps to address insecurity in Ondo, the President Muhammadu Buhari government was allegedly guaranteeing the rights of herdsmen to continue to kill southerners.

He said in a tweet, “When Government guarantees the right of herdsmen to occupy the forests of the South West and murder our people, the country is finished. @GarShehu’s declaration that the killers have the right to remain in the forests and kill is a declaration of war. Glad that Ondo state responded appropriately.”

The former minister also posted on Facebook: “The assertion by presidential spokesman Mallam Shehu Garba that a bunch of murderous thugs, psychopathic vagabonds, barbaric rapists, merciless ritualists and vicious killers have a right to reside in the forests of Ondo and the South West and continue to slaughter and rob our people is insulting, provocative, asinine and absurd.

“Quit notices cannot be given to law-abiding citizens in any part of Nigeria and I have always opposed such notices. However they can and must be given to those that kill, steal and seek to destroy the lives of others.

“Murderous terrorists and bloodthirsty and evil men that hide in the forest to ambush, kidnap, kill and destroy innocent and hardworking men and women have no constitutional rights.

“It is the duty of Government to not only flush them out from whichever hole they are hiding but also to despatch them to hell where they belong. Akeredolu has done and said the right thing and I urge every single South Western Governor to do the same.

“Fulanis, Hausas, Igbos, Ijaws and ALL Nigerians are welcome in the South West but terrorists, bandits, killers and unhinged, bloodlusting and bloodthirsty psychopaths and sociopaths are not.

“President Buhari do your job and stop the killings. Stop turning a blind eye simply because those they come from your tribe. Stop brushing this under the carpet and treating them with kid gloves simply because they are your footsoldiers. Stop protecting them and stop encouraging them.

“Stop sacrificing the people of the South West on the alter of solidarity with the herdsmen and Miyetti Allah. Treat ALL Nigerians as equals and defend them ALL otherwise people will take measures to protect themselves. Developments in Ibarapa, Oyo state are a glaring testimony to that.”