Fulani Herdsmen Agree To Maintain Peace In Ekiti, Swear Oath

In an attempt to put an end to the raging conflicts between Farmers and Herdsmen in Ekiti state, the Fulani herdsmen in the State and South West have taken an oath to ensure peace with host communities in Ekiti, and by extension, the South West region.

The Punch reports that during the proceedings of the traditional oath, the herders assured that they would no longer behave in unruly manner, kill or allow their cows to stray into farms.

[PHOTOS] Fayose, Fulani herdsmen sign MoU for peacehttps://t.co/Wa056SI3Ru pic.twitter.com/3jEovA7voP

— The Punch Newspapers (@MobilePunch) February 20, 2018

The oath was administered by Ardo Mairero, the Sarkin Fulani of Kwara State, after a peace meeting convened by the State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, which reportedly lasted two hours between the midnight of Monday, February 19, and early morning of the 20^th.

The traditional oath is said to be an effective cultural sanction against cattle herders as its violation is believed to bring tragedy on the culprit,

The meeting was attended by the Emir of Kano, Mohammed Sanusi II; the National President of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Muhammadu Kiruwa; heads of security and law enforcement agencies, hunters, members of MACBAN, farmers, vigilantes and grazing enforcement marshals. Emir Sanusi was represented by a former Kano State Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, at the meeting also attended by members of the state cabinet.

Speaking on the method of the oath, Fayose’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr . Idowu Adelusi, said:

“It was administered with kola and sharing of the kola, which is a Fulani tradition that is binding on the initiators.

“With this oath, issues of robbery, killing, damaging of farms and kidnapping, among others, being allegedly perpetuated by Fulani herders are over in the state.

“The meeting and signing of the memorandum by all parties lasted for two hours between 11.00pm on Monday 19 to 1.00am of Tuesday, February 20.”

The communique reads in part:

“All herders must obey the anti-grazing and relevant laws of the land.

“That herdsmen must stop attacks on any member of the host communities. Any herder that breaches the peace should be prepared to face the wrath of the law, and Ekiti people should not provoke the herdsman or kill their cattle.

“It is therefore agreed that pastoralists/farmers’ crisis and killings, under any guise must stop immediately.

“The meeting supports the anti-night grazing stand of the law because it protects the interest of all parties and the law takes its course in the violation of letters of these resolutions.”

The post Fulani Herdsmen Agree To Maintain Peace In Ekiti, Swear Oath appeared first on 360Nobs.com.