The Kwara State government has rejected the quit notice purportedly issued by the Omo Ibile Igbomina to Fulani herdsmen from the South West now settling in the land.
A statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Saba Mamman Jibril, in Ilorin, on Tuesday, also warned against xenophobic violence or hate speeches that could be ignited against displaced persons in the state.
A group in Kwara South Senatorial district, Omo Ibile Igbomina, in a statement signed by its national publicity and social secretary, Comrade Oni Martin, had called “on every community in Igbominaland to resist the influx of herdsmen into their various communities.
“On the same score, we call on our royal fathers to ensure that none of our towns and villages harbours these unwanted guests.
“We have no grazing land in Igbominaland for the dreadful Fulani herdsmen who go about their daily business with assault rifles, AK-47, combat walking sticks and razor-sharp cutlasses amid our peace-loving citizens of Igbominaland.
Reacting to the outburst of the group, the SSG, said ” The government which has been working with various stakeholders to carefully handle the influx of displaced Fulani herders into the state, is concerned at and accordingly rejects a purported quit notice issued to vulnerable persons who are scampering for refuge in parts of the state.
” We caution against belligerence of any kind. Kwara is historically renowned to be a peaceful multiethnic state and traditional home of Yoruba, Fulani, Nupe, Baruba, Bokobaru, Hausa, and many others who have lived harmoniously since time immemorial.
“These great tribes have intermarried and formed family bonds spanning centuries,” the statement noted.
The government’s scribe said, “we feel strongly that what the country requires at this time, is people coming together to heal old wounds and live together as brothers,” adding that “fanning the ember of disunity and violence is dangerous.”
He urged everyone to live and work in peace as everything is being done at the state and federal levels to resolve security issues.
The SSG urged everyone to avoid anything that could heighten tension or spark off violence and called for calm while the government works with all stakeholders to maintain law and order.
