Were Several Fulani Herdsmen Burnt To Death As They Tried To Enter Edo? (ICYMI)

A clip which began circulating last week claimed that several armed Fulani herdsmen who were entering Edo State, South-South Nigeria were seized by youths and subsequently burnt to death.

Countries like the USA United Kingdom and others in the European Union cancelled Xmas because of #COVID19 you busy talking Valentine on Naija Twitter amid the Fulani herdsmen atrocities, say cheers to this Edo hospitality? pic.twitter.com/iG4V520mNo

— John-Ezeakolam (@JohnEzeakolam) February 11, 2021

Cattle herders, mostly from the Fulani tribe in the country’s northern region, have been accused of masterminding the kidnappings and rape in some parts of Nigeria.

In the past few days, a self-titled Yoruba warrior, Sunday Adeyemo (popularly known as Sunday Igboho), has championed a cause to exile the herdsmen out of the South West region in a popular but controversial move.

Earlier, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu had given herdsmen illegally occupying Ondo State forests ultimatum to vacate the reserves.

Not long ago, Edo women protested alleged attacks by herders.

Several women had blocked major roads in Uromi, headquarters of Esan North-East Local Government Area of Edo State to protest the activities of criminal herdsmen which they said have brought hardship to their communities.

The women accused the herdsmen of armed robbery, raping, and destruction of farmlands, among other crimes.

The women took their protest to the Palace of the Onojie, Anselm Edenojie, and the Divisional Police headquarters in Uromi, and demanded the immediate removal of herdsmen from their lands.

But reacting to the alleged killing of herdsmen in Edo, the Sarkin Hausawa of Edo, Alhaji Adamu Isa, last Thursday, debunked the narration peddled on social media.

Isa spoke shortly after a closed-door meeting with Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo at Government House, Benin.

“We discussed the issue of banditry, herders and farmers’ crisis and other security challenges and lies being posted on the social media that some Arewa members were being killed in Edo.

“So, as far as I am concerned, as the Sarkin Hausa of Benin, who is the head of all the Arewa communities in Edo, I have not gotten facts about this story been spread on social media. As far as we are concerned in Edo, Edo is a peace loving place,” he said.

He said that herders and farmers’ clashes was an old issue in the state, and "we have promised to cooperate with the present administration to make sure it was brought down to the barest minimum."

Isa assured that he would do everything, within his power, to assist the government in reducing the current security challenges facing the state.

In his remarks, Governor Obaseki, said that from all the facts he had gathered, all he was seeing was just a deliberate attempt by misguided people, who were willing to play politics with security in Nigeria.

“From what I have seen, from what I have heard, I had gone round communities, what I could see is just a deliberate attempt by some misguided people to play politics with security in Nigeria.

“This is really unfortunate, I went round some communities a few days ago, yes, there have been some unfortunate incidents and it’s not unusual at this time of the year, the dry season.

“A lot of herdsmen are looking for greener pastures and then stray into other people’s properties and farmlands, we have in Edo state set up systems to check this, we are just going to reactivate those systems.

“Every Local Government must have a committee to deal with herders and farmers crisis, this committee must have a minimum of three representatives from Arewa community, Fulani and other dominant community in the local government.

“On the other side, you will have the representative of traditional institutions and the security agencies, who are supposed to intervene whenever there is a crisis in those areas,” he said.

READ ALSO: Biafra Apostle, Nnamdi Kanu Slams Akeredolu Over 'Herdsmen Permit' Option

The governor assured that a command and control center had been created to allow members of the Arewa community, with useful information to volunteer such anonymously.