Why Fulani herdsmen kill Benue people – JAMB Registrar, Oloyede breaks silence

Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the Registrar, Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, has revealed why Fulani herdsmen kill and destroy properties in Benue, Taraba and other states in Nigeria.

Oloyede, who is also the Secretary General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), made the plea at the first Ramadan Lecture of the Point Newspapers held at LTV 8 Agidingbi, Lagos.

Theme of the lecture is: “Achieving Peace, Stability and Good Governance in a Multi-Ethnic and Multi-Religious Society: The Islamic Perspective.”

The professor said the age-long conflict between the Tiv and the Fulani is as bad as it is being aggravated by political and religious irredentist assisted by irresponsible media.

“If not for political expediency, the sociology of Tiv-Fulani relations and linguistic dynamics of asking ‘where are my cows by Fulani man and the response of I have eaten it by a Tiv man would have resonated a long history of such inter-group relations.

“But, where desperate politicians seek relevance, any straw can be held on to gain cheap political points. Nigerians should not fall for the propaganda, whether from the politicians or from religious bodies.

“A deep reflection of what is being presented as a new clash would have shown that it is a conflict that is as old as Nigeria.

“The colonial masters created grazing routes, forest reserves and mediating teams to address the economic and social friction between the Tiv-farmers and the roving herdsmen,” he said.