In a bid to end the recurring herders/farmers clashes across Nigeria, most especially in the South-West geo-political zone of the country, the National Committee of Yoruba Youth (NCYY) and the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore Fulani Socio-Cultural Association have proposed a joint national security summit to end the crisis.

In a joint statement signed yesterday in Abuja by leaders of both groups, Engr. Alhassan Saleh, Secretary of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore Fulani Socio-Cultural Association and Comrade Oladimeji Odeyemi, President of the National Committee of Yoruba Youth (NCYY), the two groups said dialogue and political interference were the missing links in the crisis and the proposed security summit would plug the holes.

While cautioning against stigmatisation of a tribe or trade as criminals or purveyors of violence and murders, the two groups said distorted mindset, if not urgently addressed, may elongate the farmers-herders clashes.

“There are criminals among every group in Nigeria and in every country. There are criminals among the northern population as there are in the southern part of the country. It is not good to pigeonhole crime on one ethnic group,” they said.

According to the statement, those criminalising herdsmen and Fulani pastoralist as killers are either ignorant or deliberately twisting facts to serve as a fillip that will boost their political interests.

“The Miyetti Allah, like any other trade, community, ethnic organisation or interest group, is a legal stakeholder in our nation and should be respected.

“Accepted, there has been serious misinformation about the Fulani pastoralist our otherwise peaceful neighbors and their trade. The truth is that many of things attributed to them are either false or imagined. But we cannot continue to live under such atmosphere of mutual distrust, if indeed we are one nation.

“In this regard, the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore Fulani Socio-Cultural Association and the National Committee of Yoruba Youth (NCYY) is proposing to hold a major stakeholders security meeting where all and sundry across this country will be present to address issues confronting us in this regard and proffer feasible solutions that will end this impasse.”

The statement also called for a fair assessment of Miyetti Allah, adding that criminals now disguised as herdsmen and are going about to cause trouble in host communities.

While suing for peace across the country, the two groups berated former President Olusegun Obasanjo for crying wolf where there is none, adding that most of our elderstatesmen carry themselves with dignity and love except the former president.

Urging a united Nigeria, the two socio-cultural groups said the proposed summit will be a meeting of like minds for a secured country, adding that the outcome will change the fixed mindset of ethnic profiling. (Vanguard)

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