The Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, has replied Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) over its statement on the clashes in Ibarapa Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The Spokesman of the group, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, in a statement on Saturday said the South-West cannot be threatened with war.
Daily Trust reports that some Yoruba Youths led by Sunday Adeyemo popularly known as Sunday Igboho had on Friday invaded a Fulani settlement in Igangan area of Ibarapa and chased away Fulani herders in the community even as they set ablaze the settlement of Serikin Fulani, Alhaji Abdulkadir Saliu.
ACF, the northern socio-cultural group, had in a statement by its spokesman, Emmanuel Yawe, called for the arrest of Sunday Igboho, who earlier issued a quit notice to Fulanis in Ibarapa to vacate the land.
Yawe had warned that there might be counter-attacks in the North if the attackers were not arrested.
“The ACF is worried about this trend and calls on the Federal and State Governments in the Southwest to move quickly to avert a social upheaval that may destabilize the whole country.
“We recall that the civil war in the 60’s started with attacks and counter-attacks like this.
“The governments must be proactive and stop history from repeating itself.
“Those who carried out these attacks must be apprehended and the due process of the law allowed to take its course.
“If this is not done there maybe counter attacks in the north and the country will be up in flames.
“The authorities must act. The ACF is very worried and calls on them to act fast,” ACF said.
But Afenifere replied ACF describing its statement as arrogant and insulting.
The statement reads: “The attention of Afenifere has been drawn to the hypocritical tears of Arewa Consultative Forum(ACF) over clashes in Ibarapa Local Government Area of Oyo state occasioned by the inimical activities of Fulani herdsmen against indigenous Yoruba people.
“While we have gone to a great length to sue for peace and have appealed to our pained people to be law abiding even with the daily provocations of the Fulani and harrasment of our people, we frown at the very arrogant and insulting ACF statement, especially their reference to the event of 1966.
“We must make it clear to them that they cannot threaten us with a war at this stage as we will not provoke war but never are we going to run for anybody on our land.
“We are miffed that a body like ACF that has never shown any remorse over the killing of our people can open their mouths anyhow now because there are consequences for the irresponsible actions of their people.
“We advise them to call their criminals to order and not expect our people to sheepishly wait to be killed by those who value cow lives more than human beings.“We do not want a repeat of 1966 event but if there are people plotting such event again, the rain will be over their heads.” (DailyTrust)