The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Sulyman Abdulkareem, has raised the alarm over the destruction of the institution’s multi-million naira research and training farms by cattle belonging to unknown herdsmen. He also said the cattle had poisoned the dam.

On Monday our correspondent gathered that, following the development, the management of the institution held a security meeting with the leaders of 11 Fulani settlements located on the institution’s land.

The meeting was also attended by representatives of law enforcement agencies comprising the Nigerian Police Force, the Department of State Security Services and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.
During the meeting, the vice chancellor warned that the management of the university would no longer tolerate illegal grazing on its land.

Abdulkareem also ordered squatters who had started building permanent structures on the university’s land without approval from the management to vacate the university land in the interest of peace.

He said, “We have a multi- million naira programme that is currently at stake now because they (herders) have gone to the extent of uprooting tubers of cassava for their cattle to feed on.

Reacting to the development, the Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Usman Adamu, told the UNIILORIN authorities that the herdsmen destroying the university farm land were not living in the community.

He claimed that the Fulani had been living peacefully in the environment and had even helped in checking crimes, such as kidnappings, robberies, which up to this time occurred on the university campus.

Adamu asked for time to come up with an appropriate response on the matter by February 22 , 2018 .
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