Following friction between Yoruba elders and Fulani in the South West following the violent actions of some suspected Fulani Herdsmen, including some who kidnapped Yoruba elder Olu Falae, the leader of Fulani herdsmen in the South-West, Alhaji Haruna Maiyasin, has said he is awaiting the approval of Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State for the registration of his men.
According to Maiyasin, who spoke with Vanguard on phone, all herdsmen in the zone would soon be registered to make monitoring them easy. However, he said until the state government gives him a ‘go-ahead’, he cannot do anything about his kinsmen in the state.
In his reaction to the said registration, a lawyer, Mr. Adeola Fehintola, who is resident in Ibadan, was quoted by Vanguard to have said: “Although the move will identify the herdsmen, it may not address the real problem.
“Unless there is re-enactment of a colonial law, which regulates how domestic animals should be kept, the encroachment of their cattle on our farmlands may still continue.
“So many farmers have come to me complaining of how herdsmen’s cattle destroy their farmlands. If you tell the farmers to report at the police station, they will tell you nothing would come out of it.
“If you advise them to go to court, they will complain that their time will be wasted. So they choose to suffer in silence.”
Maiyasin, however, assured residents of the South West of his cooperation to end the tide of reported violence by his men.