Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a terrorist group, the Fulani herdsmen saying they are deadly, mindless and ungodly. The governor made the call at the Ekiti State Government House Pavilion on Wednesday during a meeting with Ekiti Local Hunters and indigenes of Benue State resident in Ekiti.

The governor who said he invited the Benue people to the meeting so he can sympathize with them over the gruesome murder of their people at home called on hunters and vigilantes in the state to rise and defend their fatherland. Mr. Fayose called for a minute silence in honour of victims of the Fulani herdsmen’s wickedness.

“It doesn’t matter whose interest they represent, tell them my state is a no go area. Ekiti is a no go area!”, he said.
Stressing that He that is in him is greater than that he that is in the world, governor Fayose said “if the FG’s plan is to make Ekiti State ungovernable ahead of the 2018 governorship election then the FG has failed”.

Mr. Fayose said activities of the herdsmen is more of an attempt to wipe out a race, he called on the Federal Government to be alive to its responsibility. “These mindless killing is aimed at ethnic cleansing, they want to wipe off a race. People must come to leadership with conscience. The federal government must protect Nigerians, It is the duty of the leadership to protect its own, the federal government must protect Nigerians, Nigerians are daily being killed like chicken, this is unacceptable and it must stop!”, he said.

Assuring the Benue people of adequate security in Ekiti, Mr. Fayose urged the Benue people in Ekiti to take the death of their people back home in good fate praying that perpetrators of the dastardly act will know no peace.
Spurring the local hunters into action, the governor who was dressed in full camouflage regalia said “I was elected to protect my people, it doesn’t matter whether you are Hausa, Ebira, Tiv or Igbo, as long as you reside in Ekiti, you are my people, I charge you all to go back home and protect your people, protect your domain. Be vigilant, open your eyes and hearts, make sure everyone entering your community is screened”

Informing the local hunters that herdsmen are beginning to encroach Ekiti reserves in readiness for attack so as to bring to portray as ineffective, his anti grazing law, Mr. Fayose charged them to rise on their feet in defence of Ekiti people. “We grew up to know cattle rearers as peaceful people, how did they become AK 47 carriers? If this is what the FG wants to use the $1b ECA fund for, they will fail!

“Keep vigil over Ekiti, this is not the time to sleep, they want to invade our land, Arise! Stand by our people, check those coming to our communities, they must not take us by surprise. During the Kiriji war, we defeated them, we will never allow the Ajeles to take our land, they must not take Ekiti by storm.
“How can the life of a cow be more important than life of human beings? Be awake, be awake to defend Ekiti people, go back to the farms, go and keep vigils. We don’t want visitors in our farms after 8pm, there is no light in most farms, what are they looking for after 8pm. You know the nook and crannies of Ekiti, our people must not be killed while you are alive, go and represent me there”, the governor charged.
Warning the hunters not to take law into their hands, the governor promised to make a telephone number available before the end of the day where information on strange and suspicious moves can be shared.
Stressing that he has no Abuja to cry to, governor Fayose said he will rather be proactive than curative. “I will never go to Abuja to beg them for help, I will rather beg God Almighty. It is obvious that the APC led federal government is not ready to curb these menace, I will not go there and be crying, if God be alive, every finger raised against Ekiti shall be consumed!”, he said.
