Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, on Monday, asked the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore to stop its usual defence of criminal herders.
He urged the group to join hands with government and police authorities to deal with criminals, kidnappers, bandits and other perpetrators of crimes.
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Akeredolu, who stated this on Channels Television’s programme: ‘Politics Today’, said it was expedient for the police and other security agencies to identify criminal foreign herders, go into investigation fully and prosecute culpable ones.
He said, “Whether we like it or not, let us agree with ourselves that this is a common language they’ve been speaking across length and breadth, particularly in West Africa and part of North Africa.
“So, if they come, how did they come here? But one of our major problems is that, when we have an evil of this nature, and we have a group like the Miyetti Allah, they do not have to hold themselves out to defend these people.
“If they are not your members, and you do not agree with what they are doing, there is no need for you to defend them. Let us treat them strictly as what they are – criminals and get them out, and leave yourself to support us in getting them out.”
The governor also lampooned his Bauchi state counterpart over his recent comment on carrying of AK47 by Fulani herdsmen, adding that the governor, Bala Mohammed should have called for calm and sue for peace instead of escalating already heightened tension with his comment.
Akeredolu, who is the Chairman of the Southwest Governors’ Forum, further said the governors in the zone are expected to meet with the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, and the newly appointed service chiefs on Wednesday over the security challenges of the region.
