Ex-Minister links Buhari with Fulani herdsmen who abducted Olu Falae

Fani-Kayode accused President Muhammadu Buhari of shielding the herdsmen from justice saying that they ‘believe that they have one of their own in the Villa.’

The former minister also advised that the herdsmen, whom he described as “marauders and vandals”, be sent out of Yoruba territory.

Fani-Kayode made the comments via a post on his Facebook page. It reads in part:

“We thank God and commend the efforts of the Inspector-General of the Nigerian Police that Chief Falae was returned home safely after a harrowing three days. Given his status in Yoruba land, had this not been so, there would have been cataclysmic consequences for the unity of our country.”

“It is because we wish to avoid such a scenario that it is important that we get these marauders and vandals out of our territory as quickly as possible. This is especially so given the fact that, by Falae’s testimony, it is clear that the Fulani herdsmen that abducted him were working in-hand with Boko Haram.”

“These herdsmen have become the pests of our nation. They are like the east African tsetse fly: wherever they go they suck the life blood out of their hosts and, like the locust, they destroy everything in their path. They are like leeches: they indulge in a parasitic mode of nutrition and they suck the blood of the carcass until their victim is left for dead.”

“Like the Arab Janjaweed, they are only known for the most hideous of things. This includes terror, intimidation, theft, murder, rape, abduction, mutilation, the violation of the rights of others, the destruction of the land and crops of farmers and the destruction of property.”

“We recall how, after a violent clash between them and some Yoruba farmers in Oyo State in 2000, General Buhari (as he then was) led a strong delegation of northern leaders to see the late Governor of Oyo state, Governor Lam Adeshina. On arrival Buhari put the following question to him: “why are YOUR people killing MY people?” This was a classic case of a Freudian slip. The Bible says “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks”. The general had spoken his mind.”

“Governor Adeshina was shocked with disbelief and he responded by telling Buhari that he was rather surprised that a former Head of State would refer to one ethnic group as “his” people whilst referring to another as someone elses’. He said that this was especially so given the fact that people were killed on both sides of the divide in what was a sad and unfortunate conflict.”

“The insensitivity of Buhari to the Yoruba farmers and their plight in the hands of the Fulani raiders was noted from that moment on. Ever since that conversation took place the lines have been drawn and the South-West has been on alert.”

“Yet, there is an even more sinister dimension to this problem than most people care to admit. That dimension is best illustrated by the following question. Can there be any truth in the assertion that the Fulani herdsmen are nothing less than the vanguard and covert armed wing of the Fulani ruling class, which has managed to infiltrate the south under the ingenious guise of selling cows?”

“Are they sleeper cells of a much bigger army and a much wider cause? Are they, as Falae has suggested, working in-hand with Boko Haram? If a major conflict were to arise, would those sleeper cells be activated and would they commence the wholesale slaughter of the indigenous population in their host states? As painful as it may appear, these are questions that we must ask.”

“The fact that the herdsmen demanded for a 100 million naira ransom from Falae speaks volumes. The question is this: what do mere cattle-rearers want with 100 million Naira? Even more instructive is the fact that when they were offered two million Naira they responded by saying that the amount would not be enough for Boko Haram.”

“Was it an attempt to put Falae, and by extension the Yoruba, in their place for vigorously supporting the idea of a national conference? Is it an attempt to intimidate those from the South-West that opposed President Buhari in the 2015 presidential elections? If so it will not work.”

“Another curious twist to the tale is the fact that it took the Buhari administration two days to make any formal announcement on Falae’s abduction and just the day after they finally did so the elder statesman was suddenly released.”

“The question is this: who is pulling the strings from behind the scenes and who is attempting to test our resolve and test the waters? Whatever the answer to these questions are, one thing remains clear. The days of killing people with impunity and stripping them of their lands and possessions are long over.”

“The Fulani herdsmen may well believe that they have one of their own in the Villa today but that does not mean that they will get away with their murderous ways or their sheer impunity.”

“It is most unwise for them to continue to test the resolve of the people of the South in this way. I say this because collectively southerners are slow to anger but irresistible in battle. When pushed to the wall they often indulge in what Dr. Amanze Obi, the respected columnist for Nigeria’s Sun newspaper, once described as “southern fury”.”

Fani-Kayode had earlier warned Buhari, while Falae was still in captivity, that there would be consequences to face if anything happened to the former SGF.