The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) on Tuesday called on President Muhammadu Buhari and state governors to arrest and prosecute those attacking Fulani herdsmen across Nigeria.
NEF made the call while noting that those attacking law-abiding herdsmen across the country are attempting to set the country on a dangerous part.
They urged the president and governors to protect herdsmen in the South while cautioning the herders against any form of retaliation.
The elders made the call in a statement by their Director, Publicity and Advocacy, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed.
The statement reads partly: “Northern Elders Forum is deeply worried by reports of ejections under threats and attacks on Fulani herders, families and communities in some states of the South.
“We have also advised law-abiding Fulani communities to seek protection where it is available, and have appealed to other Fulani to resist the temptation to take the law into their own hands.
“The Forum calls on President Muhammadu Buhari and State Governors to take immediate and decisive steps to protect law-abiding members of Fulani communities from killers and criminals who apparently believe that Fulani has no rights in Nigeria. It demands the immediate arrest and prosecution of persons who are attacking Fulani and setting the country on a very dangerous path.”
”Herdsmen have been attacked, their residence burnt down while their cattle slaughtered in some part of the country.
Recently, operatives of the Eastern Security Network, ESN, had chased away Fulani herdsmen while killing their cows in Isiukwuato area of Abia State.
Despite the attack, some Nigerians like Sunday Igboho and Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, had vowed to chase Fulani herdsmen out of the Southern part of Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Kanu had reiterated his 14 days ultimatum to herdsmen to vacate the Southwest.
