The Oyo state Police Command yesterday called for peaceful coexistence between the Fulani herdsmen and the farmers, stressing that there is no vacancy for bloodshed in the state.
The Nation quoted the Police Command, who read riot act to all who are planning to cause disharmony in the state, as appealing to such trouble maker to either leave the state or be prepared to face unpleasant consequences .
Addressing a security interactive forum organised by the state Police Command, the state Commissioner of police , Mr. Abiodun Odude said ” we have to organise this meeting so that we can address some issues that are affecting our farmers and the Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria and we have to take this proactive step in this state so that the existing peaceful atmosphere will not be hindered .”
Odude said “Oyo state is a very peaceful state and we must make sure we do a lot of things in making sure we are having a peaceful society and that is the reason why we are here today.
“We must make sure that we are doing series of meetings with both the farmers and the Fulani herdsmen in the state so that we can address alot of things that could have cause serious crisis within them, once we are meeting with them some serious issues that can affect both parties will be discussed and settled amicably and in a peaceful manner without shedding blood.”
While speaking at the forum, the special adviser to the state governor on security matters , who also represent Governor Abiola Ajimobi at the event, Mr. Segun Abolarinwa said “I commend the state police commissioner for organizing this kind of summit and it is because you are very proactive. The peace we are all enjoying in the state is a collective efforts of all the stakeholders in the state as led by the Oyo state police command.
He further said “We don’t want what is happening in others states in the country to happen here and that is why this meeting is very crucial at this time. You can all see that we don’t have a problem with the NURTW and also the level of robbery and other crime have drastically reduced so, everybody are sleeping with their eyes closed and we don’t want anybody to import what does not belong to us here and started creating problem for us, that is why I said this meeting is crucial and we must appreciate the organisers of the stake holders meeting.
“I have the privilege to have lived within the Hausa/Fulani people in Ejigbo when I was so young then and people are living in peace together and it was the Gah fulani that we use to go and buy wara (Milk Cake) and all sorts and we are all living together in peaceful environment, so I don’t want anyone to bring or import any problem that is not ours here.
“We just have to be living together in peace in Nigeria because we are so many and we have to learn how to tolerate one another, for we have no where to run to, God forbids if we have crisis. Our neighbours in right hand which is Benin Republic are just about four million , so, we with our population as many as we are, where are we likely to run to if we have crisis within us? So we need to embrace peace within us and shun all forms of violence.
“We must all allow peace to rein in Nigeria because if we all fail to make sure we have peaceful coexistence in our society our children will have us to blame for it and they will question us , so we must make sure we embrace peace in our society, he said.
In his contribution, Chief Saliu Kadiri, Seriki Fulani of Ibarapa area of the state said ” its love that is lost in our society and that is what is resulting to all these killings we are witnessing in our society today and we must all start to embrace peace so that we can have a peaceful atmosphere.”
Also, Elder Taiye Ayorinde, the Baale of Ekotedo, Ibadan said ” Nigerian security is not that strong enough and government must make sure we have a very strong and formidable security so that those people parading themselves as fulani herdsmen can be properly checked, we even heard that those fulanis invaders are not Nigerians and if that is true, what is the duty of our immigration officers and our Customs service too needs to brace up their tactics in curtailing those people.”
