President Muhammadu Buhari has dropped a subtle warning to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu not to breach the constitution in his quest to drive out herdsmen from Ondo forest reserves within seven days.
Akeredolu had announced the ultimatum, to upstage criminals who use the forests as fortresses and staging posts for banditry and kidnapping.
Leaders of the herdsmen have objected to the order and they seemed to have listening ears in the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
A statement by presidential media aide, Garba Shehu, urged Akeredolu and the herdsmen to continue their dialogue ‘for a good understanding that will bring to an urgent end, the nightmarish security challenges facing the state’.
Although the statement urged the Ondo governor to respect the rights of the herdsmen, it failed to cite any violation of the constitution that Akeredolu’s order has breached.
But the statement expressed sentiments about the effect of the order: how it can “oust thousands of herders who have lived all their lives in the state on account of the infiltration of the forests by criminals.”
“We want to make it clear that kidnapping, banditry and rustling are crimes, no matter the motive or who is involved. But, to define crime from the nameplates, as a number of commentators have erroneously done- which group they belong to, the language they speak, their geographical location or their faith is atavistic and cruel.
“We need to delink terrorism and crimes from ethnicity, geographical origins and religion—to isolate the criminals who use this interchange of arguments to hinder law enforcement efforts as the only way to deal effectively with them”, the presidency stated.
It warned Akeredolu and other state governors taking similar steps to reflect on its full ramifications.
“The government of Ondo, and all the 35 others across the federation must draw clear lines between the criminals and the law abiding citizens who must equally be saved from the infiltrators.
“Beyond law and order, the fight against crime is also a fight for human values which are fundamental to our country”, the presidency said.
Please Read the full statement:
IN TACKLING CRIME, ONDO STATE GOVERNMENT WILL NOT ACT OUTSIDE THE CONSTITUTION
The Presidency has been keenly monitoring events occurring in Ondo State and the “orders” by the government of the state, “asking herders to vacate the forests in seven days.”
What is clearly emerging, is a lack of consistency in messaging which in turn leads to various contradictions regarding accuracy and the intent behind the message. There is little to be said other than to call for restraint on both sides and urge the state government and the leadership of the Fulani communities to continue their dialogue for a good understanding that will bring to an urgent end, the nightmarish security challenges facing the state.
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, a seasoned lawyer, Senior Advocate of Nigeria and indeed, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has fought crime in his state with passion and commitment, greater sensitivity and compassion for the four years he has run its affairs and, in our view, will be the least expected to unilaterally oust thousands of herders who have lived all their lives in the state on account of the infiltration of the forests by criminals.
If this were to be the case, rights groups will be right in expressing worries that the action could set off a chain of events which the makers of our constitution foresaw and tried to guard against.
We want to make it clear that kidnapping, banditry and rustling are crimes, no matter the motive or who is involved. But, to define crime from the nameplates, as a number of commentators have erroneously done- which group they belong to, the language they speak, their geographical location or their faith is atavistic and cruel.
We need to delink terrorism and crimes from ethnicity, geographical origins and religion—to isolate the criminals who use this interchange of arguments to hinder law enforcement efforts as the only way to deal effectively with them.
The President, who swore to defend the constitution has spoken against the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in asking citizens of Northern origin to leave; he did not spare the group based in Sokoto, ‘Muslim Solidarity Forum,’ which asked the Bishop of Sokoto to leave and is prepared to do all that the law permits to protect citizens all over the country in their choice of where they wished to reside and are treated as equal citizens.
The government of Ondo, and all the 35 others across the federation must draw clear lines between the criminals and the law abiding citizens who must equally be saved from the infiltrators. Beyond law and order, the fight against crime is also a fight for human values which are fundamental to our country.
