By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Yoruba Emancipation Union (YEU) Worldwide has warned the governors of western zone not to allowed the Miyetti Allah’s vigilante group known as Fulani Nationality Movement (FUNAM) to operate in any part of the region.

The group said in a statement signed by the Director General, Professor EFG Ajayi, and Secretary General, Pastor Agbebi Joel Adebola, that it is not enough to continue to sing the songs of insecurity, which is so pervasive in Nigeria presently, but most importantly, the need to focus on major issues around it.

YEU lamented in the statement issued on Wednesday that the threshold of near total destruction by one ethnic group in Nigeria is worrisome.

It noted that despite the amalgamation of 110 years ago, it has been difficult to build, a truly United Nigeria.

The statement reads In part: “There are over 250 ethnic groups in Nigeria and speaking over 600 different languages, but they were lumped and forced together in 1914 by Lord Lugard, for the economic benefits of United Kingdom, our colonial master.

“Ever since that brutal and disastrous amalgamation of 110 years ago, that is, a century and a decade, it has been very difficult to build, a truly united Nigeria.

“The late Ahmadu Bello, sneered at it as a mere political misadventure. The late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo submitted that, what the British put together as a nation, is a “mere geographical expression”. These founding fathers of Nigeria, were not confused, they only factually dissected Nigeria.

“Indeed, in 1957 when the old Western Region led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo desired independence from Britain, the North led by Sir Ahmadu Bello, stoutly rejected the idea because, according to him, the North was ill-prepared and was totally unripe for independence.

“And in 1960, after the Northern Nigeria was ready, together with the South East, it has been one crisis after another. In the political journey, a sad and bitter civil war was fought in 1967 till 1970, the fallen heroes and heroines who fought in those dark days, knew quite well the meaning of wars and the catastrophic consequences in terms of dehumanisation, deaths, wanton destructions of properties; and since the war ended, no discerning mind can declare that Nigeria is indeed one nation, because the country was founded on the altar of fraud, and magnificent deceit.

“To a very large extent, Nigeria is witnessing calamities being visited on her by the opposing forces lumped and forced together by Britain. The forces of retrogression, stagnation, atrophy and failures. These forces continue to hold the nation down using different kinds of methods.

“The forces have used very calculated but subterranean means, to penetrate nearly all political institutions of Nigeria. Until lately, the forces control every aspect and department of the Nigeria state, name it: politics, executive, judiciary, the armed forces, the economy, etc.

“Today, the Fulanis believe they “own” Nigeria, yet they are “foreigners” to Nigeria, having migrated from Futa Jalon and other locations to Nigeria, and that, all other ethnic groups, must be subservient to them, otherwise, there would be serious consequences to follow.

“We are living witnesses to the Owo church massacre, to intimidate and silence the Late Rotimi Akeredolu, former Governor of Ondo state, who unequivocally denounced the unworkable unitary system of government, perfected by these forces of backwardness, under the guise of Federal system of government while Buhari, was the president.

Aketi and a group of Yoruba patriots faced with the unwarranted killings, kidnappings, land grabbing, rapping and unchecked criminalities by Fulanis, came up with Amotekun security outfit, to curtail the whirlwind of insecurity blowing southwards leaving destructions in its wake, all over Yorubaland. But the Fulani oligarchy, as the arrow head, arm-twisted the Yoruba patriots by preventing Amotekun from carrying modern weapons to confront the marauders, but the minimum which their Terrorist Commander in Chief, in the person of ex-President Mohammed Buhari, authorized them to carry and parade, is AK 47 assault rifle.

“Mohammed Buhari ran the most thoughtless, hopeless and useless government in the history of Nigeria; his intention was to take over Nigeria and convert same to a Fulani country. They are well known to be capable of organising very sinister and dangerous plans, against other ethnic nationalities in Nigeria, in order to achieve their major goals of exploitation and political domination.

“Amongst their modus operandi is the use of fake Islamic religion, to hoodwink the Hausas and other Northern ethnic groups, to take over their land and political power. Today, in Northern Nigeria, we doubt if there are Hausa traditional rulers and Governors.

“Presently, the Fulanis have been infiltrating South Western Nigeria using various subtle methods. The dastardliest acts are being perpetrated today, to take over our heritage, particularly our land. One deceit that is used, is inter-marriages, enculturation and integration mostly in Oyo North, Ibadan, Lagos and in Osun State.

“They take Yoruba names, and pretend they are truly in love, but they are dangerous snakes and poisonous scorpions living with us. They provide vital information as foot soldiers to their militia, parading life threatening weapons, as kids parades toys.

“The second method is violent attacks reminiscent of Owo church massacre where over 60 worshippers were murdered, ethnic cleansing in Oke-Ogun which attracted the objections of Sunday Adeyemo Igboho, the killings, kidnappings and robberies in South Western Nigeria.

“We do not desire ethnic extinction or domination by Fulani forces of anarchy and bloodletting, we in the Yoruba Emancipation Union Worldwide, hereby call on all the Governors of South Western States to as a matter of existential survival, take serious political and security measures, to secure our lives and properties.

“We want to make it abundantly clear to our political and traditional leaders, that we do not owe anyone any apology for any legal, political, and hard-nosed policy steps taken, to secure ourselves. We must realise the bitter truth that, only the living are citizens. All those decimated by way of cold murder, by these forces of darkness, are gone forever.

“We sincerely appeal to our Governors to unite and pull resources together to stop the ugly trends of violent crimes by whatever names, they appear in Western Nigeria.

“No vigilante or militia formed by Miyetti Allah – Fulani Nationality Movement (FUNAM) must be allowed to operate in any part of Western Nigeria. Also, all illegal occupants of our forests must be flushed out without further delay by the Amotekun, OPC, and The Agbekoya groups.

“Having these criminals in our forests, provides the basis for their criminalities to fester. We strongly call for the resuscitation of the old Forest Guards, who should be armed, principally to secure our Forest Reserves, in all the Western States of Nigeria.

“With humility, we wish to remind the Governors that the Land Use Act Chapter L5, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, vested all lands in each state under the Governor, we particularly cite sections 1, 5 and 9, which empowered the Governors with unfettered authorities, to grant and revoke the rights of custodians of lands, in a state. It is this instrumentality of law, that should be used to chase away all Fulanis in our forests, so that we can have peace of mind, and put a final stop to Fulani criminalities in Western Nigeria.

“We also enjoin the Local Governments to use the power vested in them by section 6 of the Land Use Act judiciously, in the interest of the people, both at home and in diaspora. No allocation of land or sale to Fulanis anymore. Any contrary decision, would spell doom.

“Above all, the crucial issue of security is for all citizens especially those at home, everyone in Western Nigeria must be at alert for our collective good, be ready to take preventive actions, and report any information that could lead to security breaches, with alacrity.

“Modern technology should be employed to secure our cities, towns, communities and settlements. We should remember, no amount of money or other resources is too big to secure our lives and properties.

“Immediate and prompt action, is very important in curtailing security breaches, which has become the norm, rather than exception in Western Nigeria.”

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