Help retrieve our 55 villages from Fulani herdsmen —Berom leaders

THE Berom Educational and Cultural Organisation (BECO) has raised the alarm over what it called the expansionist agenda of Fulani herdsmen in Riyom and Barakin Ladi local government areas of Plateau State. The organisation claimed that no fewer than 55 communities have been forcibly taken over by the herdsmen.

The Plateau State government recently signed a law to discourage the trend where armed people would invade a land, claim ownership and forcibly occupy it.

The national president of BECO, Mr Gyang Dudu, who disclosed this to Saturday Tribune, said the inhabitants of these communities had been forced to flee to different parts of the state for refuge. He added that most of them were presently living with relations in Jos, the state capital, and headquarters of their respective local government areas.

Dudu said: “They were chased away from their ancestral communities. The Fulani herdsmen did not just occupy their houses and acquired their properties but they are now building more houses on their lands. We have petitioned the appropriate authorities but are yet to get response from them.

“The government is planning a census and demarcation. If the right atmosphere is not prepared for the natives to return to their ancestral communities, who are they going to count? Are they going to count foreign illegally occupants?

“The state government made a law against land grabbing but it seems enforcement has become a problem because these people are not deterred at all. We don’t want to take the law into our hands since the government has come up with this law but we are disappointed that the government is not implementing the law and working towards ensuring that these displaced people go back to their ancestral communities.”

The BECO leader, who claimed that land grabbing by foreign Fulani elements is gradually becoming a norm, implored the state and federal governments to address the situation.
“The government should be responsive. It is wrong for anyone or group to push the natives into exile.

“Most of the IDP camps have been closed. Our people are not even comfortable with the idea of living in these camps. Many of them are presently living with their relatives and loved ones in Jos and other places,” he added.

Also, the convener of the Emancipation Centre for Crisis Victims in Nigeria (ECCVN), Mr Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, expressed disappointment that the state government was yet to implement the anti-land grabbing law. Mwantiri stated that the territorial agenda of the Fulani herders was becoming more intense because the legislation has not been tested.

He said: “I can tell you that no fewer than 55 villages have been sacked and occupied by these Fulani herdsmen in Riyom and Barakin Ladi local government areas alone. They are presently living there comfortably and even building more houses unmolested.

“We learnt that government is about to do registration of voters who are they going to count in such places? Are they going to count illegal occupants while the legal owners are in exile? They have started developing the lands while those who are supposed to stop them are looking the other way.

“My submission is that the government is giving legitimacy to illegality. As a result of the activities of these intruders, most of our people in these local governments can no longer access their farms. Those displaced have since left the IDP camps and living with their relations in Jos and other places.”

One of those displaced from Shonom village and who is now living with his cousin in Jos, Dauda Pam, said attempts by him and other displaced people to return to their village were resisted by the herders who unleashed terror on them on arrival.

When contacted, the state Commissioner of Information, Mr Daniel Majang, said it was because of developments like this that the state government signed anti-land grabbing bill into law. Majang implored those whose lands are being illegally occupied to approach the courts for redress.

PrinceOfLagos:
Yewa people at IDP camps in Benin republic won't beg anyone to help in reclaiming our ancestral lands

We won't do such

OjukuwuHusband:


this guy you're obviously having depression. get well soon.

OjukuwuHusband:
Plateau indigenes are the most marginalized people in nigeria.......the crimes of fulani in plateau is what made me know that fulani's either illiterate or educated don't deserve to live were humans are. they turned a thriving city like jos into a ghost of itself.

jimyjames:
their son Gowon is still alive he should deal with fulani they same way he dealt with biafrans

butterfly777:
When Gowon was preventing Nigeria from breaking up, I am not sure he fully understand what he was doing.

PrinceOfLagos:

Is it by force to accept what I've already rejected ?

The fulanies can keep Yewa land , I'm now a citizen of Benin republic .

saaron:
Don't joke with this matter. Are you aware that thousands of Middle Belters were slaughtered and their ancestral lands forcedfully occupied by fulani savages? This is no time for mischieve. Middle Belt and Southern Nigeria have a common enemy - FULANI.Lets remain focus and tackle them appropriately.

jimyjames:

Gowon was just a puppet those behind that war were the British,
Gowon went to aburi met ojukwu signed and agreed on everything ojukwu and eastern Nigeria demanded but when he returned to Lagos those foreign ambassadors kicked against it and Gowon never kept to his agreement


the British didn't call Gowon, JACK for nothing, he was their puppet

jimyjames:

Gowon was just a puppet those behind that war were the British,
Gowon went to aburi met ojukwu signed and agreed on everything ojukwu and eastern Nigeria demanded but when he returned to Lagos those foreign ambassadors kicked against it and Gowon never kept to his agreement


the British didn't call Gowon, JACK for nothing, he was their puppet

saaron:
You're well informed about the mass murderer Gowon. UK are basically responsible for Nigeria's civil war. It's no wonder their partner in crime, Gowon is a Uk citizen.

OjukuwuHusband:
Plateau indigenes are the most marginalized people in nigeria.......the crimes of fulani in plateau is what made me know that fulani's either illiterate or educated don't deserve to live were humans are. they turned a thriving city like jos into a ghost of itself.

EastisBae:
It has become absolutely clear that the fulani herdsmen in Nigeria just like the supporter of APC militia in Sudan under Omar Bashir are on an aggressive drive to take over people's lands all over Nigeria.

It is happening in Plateau, Kaduna, Benue, Oyo, Ogun and so many other states but thank God for ESN. They know they can't dare such madness in Igboland like they're currently doing all over Nigeria.

God bless ESN for protecting Igboland from these hordes of savages called fulani herdsmen.

Mrbillionaire:
ESN can serve as mercenaries now because they've proven to be effective against Fulani herders. Jos people, contact NK and get the job done.

HeadShot:


Gowon fought those fighting for him and his people,... You really think there wouldn't be consequences for such action...

The will suffer for 600 years
The fulani have not begun... They should brace up...

Bloody waste of lives who can't see beyond their noses