Why Fulani herdsmen carrying AK-47 need to be treated like ESN – Ortom

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has said it is an injustice to clamp down on the activities of the Eastern Security Network while the Fulani who carry AK -47 rifles are ignored.

Ortom said the treatment meted out to the ESN, the Indigenous People of Biafra, and its leader Nnamdi Kanu, should be the same for Fulani people who carry guns.

He said this in an interview with BBC News Pidgin.

“ Why should they allow Fulani from foreign land to come to Nigeria to disturb us?” Ortom asked.

He added, “No country will allow that kind of a thing. But here in Nigeria, it is allowed. And those Fulani people believe they can go anywhere and take possession of the place .”

The Governor said the free movement by the Fulani people into Nigeria can’ t be done in Ghana , South Africa and Kenya except they have travel documents.

He said what we see unfolding and the failure to make arrests only proved what is allegedly being said by the Fulani people that they “ want to take over the land and be leaders”.

“ That’s why we are complaining that the leader at the top should not fold his arms but also talk about this issue . He should also make efforts to show that he’s our leader,” he said.

Ortom wondered why people are arrested when they try to speak against the actions of the Fulani. He insisted that others apart from the Fulani should be allowed to bare their minds.

“ It is not balanced that way , and that is what we are saying . Didn ’t they arrest Kanu who leads IPOB ? They arrested him and I think he ran away , if not he would have been jailed,” Ortom said.

“ So why are they not arresting these people in the forests? Don’ t we have Air Force, soldiers , police , and the DSS ?

“ Not too long ago , they went after the Eastern Security Network. It is an illegal thing, and I support the government to clamp down on them.

“But why should they clamp down on them alone? Why should they leave the Fulani people to carry AK – 47, AK – 49 and even big guns that soldiers , police , and the DSS don’ t carry in this country ?”
“ Why should they do that only in the South? That is injustice ,” he said.

“ Let everybody be treated the same way.

“ The same way they are treating Kanu , IPOB and the Eastern Security Network, let them treat gun-carrying Fulani too that way. Why are they leaving them alone?”

-Punch