Gov. Bello threatens to depose traditional rulers over herdsmen, farmers’ clash

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has threatened to dethrone any traditional ruler and remove any council chairman if Fulani herdsmen and farmers clash in their domain.

The governor who gave this warning during a stakeholders meeting of the farmers and the herdsmen in Lokoja yesterday ordered that Fulani must henceforth be appointed into the state executive council, local government council and all the traditional councils in the state.

The governor ordered that anywhere there is crises the leaders would be dethroned as he would not tolerate criminals in the guise of traditional rulers.

He ordered the security agencies to reopen all cases involving Fulani/farmers for justice to be seen to be done.

He also ordered for the census and location of Fulani in the state to be easily identifiable for security reasons.

Bello who rejected the advice of some traditional rulers to introduce anti grazing law in the state to reduce the incessant clashes between the farmers and herdsmen, said his administration welcomes all sorts of Fulani herdsmen to the state provided they will live harmoniously with the people.

He frowned at the frequent killings of innocent citizens in the state and said he would set up a committee to fine tune the relationship between the herdsmen and farmers in the state.

Earlier, the traditional ruler of Dekina, Alhaji Usnan Obaje told the governor how the Fulani recently killed over 24 members of his community and how the herdsmen constantly raped some innocent girls who went to have their bath at the community river.

The traditional ruler also intimated the governor on how some Fulani invaded a community mosque and killed everybody at sight even as he called on the Governor to enact the anti grazing law to discourage the frequent attacks.

The traditional ruler of Elete near Ajaokuta relayed how he was kidnapped by some herdsmen in 2016 and a huge sum of money was paid as ransom and pleaded with the Governor to do something urgent to save them from the menace of the herdsmen.

Governor Bello said he will not restrict the movement of any herdsmen as long as they are law abiding and promised to pay for the nine cows killed recently in Omala during a clash between the herdsmen and the farmers.