Nigeria will break up if herdsmen attacks continue -Prof. Ijomah

An academic, Prof. Emeritus, B. I.C. Ijomah on Friday warned on the dangers of Fulani herdsmen’s incursion into other parts of Nigeria and the alleged agenda to take over lands forcefully in the South South region and other parts of the country, saying that Nigeria may break up if the plan succeeds.

Prof. Ijomah, who spoke to journalists in Asaba while commending the Okowa administration, further warned that cattle rearing is an occupation of one ethnic group who are duty bound not to destroy crops on farmlands wherever their cattle graze.

He stressed that any attempt to legislate that the Fulani herdsmen be given legal authority to move into every town in Nigeria and acquire land against the will of the people will be resisted as it might spell doom for the nation.

The academic said Nigerians should rise up against the introduction of cattle settlements by the Buhari administration, adding that “as a member of the Nomadic Education Commission for some time, we did everything to domesticate the herdsmen.

“We used to teach the herdsmen, but unfortunately, the Fulanis do not want to settle down in one place so that they can go to school and be domesticated.”‘

He said that the attempt to have grazing fields in every part of Nigeria shows that the federal government is sponsoring one occupation when it should know that it is wrong to throw its weight behind any one profession to the detriment of others in the country.

“We have the migrant fishermen in the South and also in the North; the federal government has not considered it necessary to acquire strategic body of water in the country so that fishermen can carry on their fishing.

“I see it as another ploy by Fulanis to extend to other parts of Nigeria and I recall the struggle of the Fulanis with the Birom people in Plateau state. They struggled with the indigenous population in Nasarawa state and now, by their current record they have occupied Bukuru and driven the indigenous settlers away.

“What happened in Agatu was planned to drive away the indigenous settlers and take the whole place in the name of cattle rearing,” he added.