Hunters in the South West have vowed to resist unprovoked attacks from suspected Fulani herdsmen in Yorubaland.
National President of Soludero Hunters Association of Nigeria, Oba Nureni Anabi, disclosed this in an interview with journalists in Ibadan.
He said members of the association would stop further attacks on people by suspected Fulani herdsmen, saying hunters would no longer sit by and watch the unprovoked attacks by the herders on travellers and other people in the zone.
Anabi said members of his association would liaise with the Agbekoya Association and other conventional security agencies to ensure criminals have no hiding place in the state.
He also enjoined President Muhammadu Buhari to incorporate hunters into the fight against insurgency in the North East, adding that the association would also support the administration of new governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, in the area of security.
“President Buhari has done tremendously well in the fight against Book Haram, except for those who don’t want to face facts. The administration has given hope to ordinary Nigerians. The insecurity issue has been tackled, though much still needs to be done.
“The president should just try us and see if we can help. But, I assure you that Nigerians, including the army will see how much we can do. There are still charms that can render weapons of war of the insurgents useless and we will be catching them (Boko Haram) like chickens.
“We sympathise with the soldiers on the unnecessary attacks. The way we can contribute our quota is not only by sympathising with them. That’s why we are calling on the president to include us (South West hunters) in the fight against the insurgents,” he said.
This is coming after a socio-cultural group, Yoruba Council of Youths Worldwide (YCYW), had called on the militant Fulani herdsmen in South-west to vacate the region.
The group in a communique it released after a meeting of its members last weekend in Ile-Ife in Osun State, decried the growing insecurity in Yoruba land allegedly precipitated by militant Fulani herdsmen and members of the dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram.
In the communique signed by the group’s President, Oladotun Hassan, it accused militant Fulani herdsmen and Boko Haram members of killing and kidnapping people of Yoruba stock, and consequently, issued a seven-day ultimatum to the alleged perpetrators to move out of South-west states or risk reprisal attack.
Source: The Sun