Some self-determination groups in the South and Middle Belt regions of Nigeria, yesterday, kicked against the proposed water resources bill saying it is an alleged attempt to import terrorists into the South and Middle-Belt regions.

It also described the statement credited to the Federal Government through a Federal Commissioner at the National Commission for Refugees Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Ms Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, that 500,000 Nigerians are awaiting repatriation into Nigeria from Niger, Chad and Cameroon as a grand plot to flood the entire south and middle belt of the country with Fulani Terrorists from neighbouring countries with sole agenda of hijacking the land and assets of the indigenous people.

In a statement by Freedom From Nigeria (FFN), Ilana Omo Oodua (IOO), Igbo National Council (INC), Middle Belt Patriotic Front (MBPF), National Council of Women Society (NCWS), United Middle Belt (UMB), amongst others, the groups alleged that there is an attempt to give the land of the people of the south and Middle-Belt to Fulani people through the back door.

The self-determination groups noted that policies such as RUGA, Water Resources Bill, Indigene Bill, Grazing Route, earlier introduced by the Federal Government were “meant to give the now to be repatriated Fulani people from Niger, Chad and Cameroon a legal cover to penetrate the south and middle-belt to push the land-grabbing agenda of the Fulani Nation.”

The groups, who spoke through the Deputy Leader of Ilana Omo Oodua Professor Wale Adeniran, urged Governors in Middle Belt and South to be vigilant, stressing that movements of heavy-duty trucks and buses from the North to the South should now be thoroughly screened.

The statement reads: “We write on behalf of the indigenous people of south and middle belt of Nigeria to alert our people to a statement credited to a Federal Commissioner at the National Commission for Refugees Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Ms. Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, stating that 500,000 Nigerians are awaiting repatriation into Nigeria from Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

“As representatives of our people, we state very expressly that intelligence available before us shows that the claim of Ms Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim is a mere cover-up for the plans of the Fulani-controlled Nigerian Government to invade the south and middle belt of Nigeria with Fulanis from West and Central Africa.

“The agenda of this invasion is nothing but part of the plots of the Fulani-dominated Nigerian Government to subjugate the indigenous people of the south and middle belt, hijack their lands and assets and continue to use their resources to feed and develop the north.

“Having failed to take our ancestral land through Grazing Routes, RUGA, Water Resources Bill, State Indigene Bill, amongst others, the latest plan of the Fulani Nation is to import terror-minded Fulani nationalities from the West and Central Africa into the South and Middle Belt with a mandate to overrun our people and take over their ancestral land through a well-oiled jihad.

“Without much ado, we state with confidence that this agenda, like the previous dubious policies of the government, will fail like the Wall of Jericho. However, our people must be very vigilant and stay at alert. We urge our Governors to empower their State Security Networks to ensure that movement of heavy-duty Trucks and Buses from the North to South are thoroughly screened going forward.

“We also propose to all Governors in the South and Middle Belt to study and consider implementing in their respective states, Lagos State Residence Law which makes it mandatory for all residents in the state to be enrolled in a biometric and have a residence certificate and number.

“The Lagos State Residence Law also empowers the state government to arrest and deport anyone living or working in the state without a residence number. The Residence Law in Lagos State also empowers Local Government Authorities or Indigenous Chiefs to authenticate the residency form of all applicants before such could be enrolled into the residence portal.

“Our position, therefore, is that if this system-policy is effectively institutionalized by our Governors, terror-minded Fulani people being planned to be imported into our towns and villages with sole aim of overrunning our people could be prevented from even coming into our land.” (Saturday Vanguard)

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