The Igbo National Movement, INM, on Thursday said the South-East zone has no grazing routes for herdsmen.
INM, leaders led by the Executive Director, Anthony Olisa Okolo, alongside other leaders spoke to newsmen in Owerri, while reacting to President Muhammadu Buhari’s plan towards providing grazing routes for herdsmen in the country.
They argued that the “Nigerian Constitution, unequivocally, vests all lands in any State of Nigeria in the State Governors (for lands in urban areas) and in the Local Government authorities (for lands in rural areas) {Section 1 of the Land Use Act, which by Section 315(5) of the Nigerian Constitution, is an integral aspect of the Constitution of the Federal Republic.
“The same Land Use Act is made an integral aspect of the Constitution by Section 315(5) of the Constitution. The tenor of Section 26 of the Land Use Act, renders null and void all previous laws regarding control and ownership of lands in Nigeria. This means explicitly, that whatsoever pre-1970 legislations Mr President and his handlers are relying upon as the basis for whatsoever ‘grazing routes’, has lapsed, is extinct and now rendered null and void.
“Buhari’s desperation encourages brazen conducts by Fulani herdsmen across Nigeria: INM is deeply worried by the fact that the continuing efforts by the Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to appropriate lands belonging to other indigenous ethnic nationalities in Nigeria for the benefit of Fulani Herdsmen are directly encouraging the said Fulani Herdsmen to act in audaciously brazen manners across Nigeria, acting in manners to suggest they are above the laws and getting away with the commission of mass atrocities.”
“INM categorically asserts that no grazing routes exist in Igboland and thus urges the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to steer clear of extending this desperation to seize lands for Fulani Herdsmen away from Igboland. In Igboland, open grazing of whatever domestic livestock is abhorred and in most communities’ sanctions are placed against owners of livestock found openly grazing or loitering the community.
“INM has observed with consternation the direct effects of the Federal Governments ill-advised continuing efforts at land-grab for Fulani Herdsmen in Benue, Kaduna, Nasarawa and Plateau States amongst others, where Fulani Herdsmen militia now forcefully occupy lands which they had seized from indigenous owners, in most cases wiping out entire settlements.
“In a revelation into the bizarre mindset and reasoning of the President and his handlers, the same Femi Adesina had publicly admonished indigenous ethnic nationalities not to challenge Fulani Herdsmen’s quest to seize their lands at the risk of being slaughtered,” he said.
