By Laolu Elijah & Henry Obetta
LAGOS — The Council of Fulani Chiefs in the Southwest has announced new measures to curb insecurity and strengthen peaceful coexistence between herders and their host communities.
At a press briefing in Lagos, the Chairman of the Council and Sarkin Fulani of Lagos, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Bambado II, said the council had unanimously agreed to ban night grazing, underage herding, and the carrying of firearms by herders, stressing that such practices fuel conflict and undermine peace.
“The council affirms an absolute ban on night grazing, underage grazing, and herders carrying firearms or other dangerous weapons unrelated to the profession. This will help restore sanity and peace in the sector,” Bambado said.
Recalling that Fulani communities have lived peacefully with their Yoruba hosts for over two centuries, he emphasized that the council was determined to preserve that legacy.
“We condemn in totality any act of banditry, kidnapping, farmland destruction, and any form of farmer-herder conflict that could be linked to the Fulani community. We call on security agencies, especially the Office of the National Security Adviser, to fish out criminal elements and their conspirators within host communities, while we urge the media to report responsibly to avoid ethnic profiling,” he added.
Other resolutions include banning violent Fulani festivals, halting unregulated migration of herders with large cattle, reviving nomadic schools, and launching a cattle farmers’ data collection project across the Southwest.
Bambado further disclosed that the council would collaborate with the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN Commission), security agencies, and traditional leaders to enforce the measures. He also announced plans for a sensitisation programme in Hausa, Yoruba, and English to reach Fulani members across rural and urban communities.
“We are in modern times and must act accordingly. With accurate data, we will know the number of our members and their locations. This will help us work effectively with government and sustain peace across the Southwest,” he said.
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