Fayose Convenes Peace Meeting Over Farmers/Herdsmen Clash
Gov. Ayo Fayose of Ekiti on Wednesday in Ado-Ekiti said there would be no unlawful killing in the state under his watch.
The governor spoke during a peace meeting with Fulani herdsmen under the aegis of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, farmers, local hunters, security agencies and representatives of the Tiv community in the state.
Fayose also said recent measures put in place by his administration were to prevent violence between farmers and herds men.
There had been tension between the herdsmen and farmers of Benue extraction in the state over allegation of farm destruction and killings.
NAN also reports that a herdsman, Babuga Dengi, was on Monday killed in a bush between Irele and Oke Ako in Ikole Local Government Area of the state.
But Fayose, who warned the herdsmen and farmers against turning Ekiti to a war zone, ordered security agents to fish out the killer of the victim.
"I can't accept anybody to be killed. If anybody killed anyone, I will make sure you are killed by ensuring justice. I'm sad about the killing in Benue but we don't want brutality in Ekiti
"I won't accept any killing here, the only thing acceptable here is peace. I therefore plead with everybody to cooperate with us
"I want peace in my state and everybody living here is from Ekiti whether you are Fulani, Tiv, Yoruba or anybody.
" Cow matter can't cause problems between us. Oke Ako-Irele issue should not be allowed to fester. Cooperate with us and whoever kills would be fished out
"When you are entering Ekiti, drop wherever you are coming from at the boundary. You can't kill Yoruba, Fulani, Igbo or Tiv here.
" From the information so far, the deceased died as a result of a clash between Fulani herders and some Tiv people, but at that, we can't condone lawlessness. We don't want that type of Benue issue here, " he said.
NAN reports that a communique read by Fayose at the end of the meeting ordered an expanded forum of leaders of herdsmen, farmers, hunters, council chairmen and traditional rulers from Oke Ako and Irele.
The meeting, while noting that the crisis in Oke Ako was between Tivs and Fulani, resolved that the people must live in peace.
The meeting also ordered security agencies to fish out the killers of the herdsman in the area.
"We ask security agencies to do more in intelligence gathering, information and prevention, while we thank them for what they have done so far," the communique added.
Written by NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE
Sodiq Oyeleke is a Media, Human Resources, Project Management and Public Relations Practitioner
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