It is now a war of words between the Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere and the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, as the former warned the latter not to threaten Yoruba people with war over ultimatum issued to Fulani herdsmen to leave Ibarapa, Oyo State, by Yoruba agitator, Sunday Igboho.
Igboho had issued a seven- day ultimatum to Fulani herdsmen in Igangan, Ibarapa to vacate the community following alleged series of a kidnapping, ramson-taking, killing as well ascotger crimes and criminalities allegedly perpetrated by the herdsmen.
The ACF had fired the first shot when it warned that the issues might cause national upheavals similar to issues that underpinned the 1967-70 civil war.
The ACF had threatened reprisal attacls against the Yoruba in the north if the attacks against Fulani in Oyo State were not halted with immediate effect.
In a riposte to the ACF, National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Mr Yinka Odumakin, said in a statement Saturday that said that the ACF was locked in hypocritical tears over clashes in Ibarapa Local Government Area of Oyo state occasioned by the inimical activities of Fulani herdsmen against indigenous Yoruba people.
Afenifere said while it had gone to a great length to sue for peace and had appealed to the pained people to be law-abiding even with the daily provocations of the Fulani and harassment of its people, it frowned at the very arrogant and insulting ACF statement, especially their reference to the event of 1966.
The statement said: “Afenifere must make it clear to them that they cannot threaten us with a war at this stage as we will not provoke war but never are we going to run for anybody on our land.”
The body said it was passed off that a body like ACF that had never shown any remorse over the killing of Yoruba people could gind its voice now because there were consequences for the irresponsible actions of their people.
The statement advised the ACF to call their “criminals to order and not expect Yoruba people to sheepishly wait to be killed by those who value cows’ lives more than human beings.”
Afenifere said that the Yoruba people did not want a repeat of 1966 event but that if there were “people plotting such event again, the rain would be over their heads.”
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