The Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on political matters, Babafemi Ojudu, says farmers should be able to carry out their occupation without fear of being kidnapped in the country.

He said this in an article on Monday on his encounter with Yoruba rights activists, Sunday Adeyemi, popularly known as Sunday Igboho.

The PUNCH reports that Igboho, who is the Akoni Oodua of Yoruba land, had asked herdsmen in Ibarapa Local Government Area of Oyo State to leave within seven days, blaming the leadership of the Fulani of being behind the rising insecurity in the state.

After the seven days ultimatum expired, Igboho and his supporters stormed the Fulani settlement in the town to eject the Seriki Fulani, Salihu Abdukadir, and some other herdsmen accused of fuelling security problems in the area.

The PUNCH had reported that violence erupted in Igangan in the Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State on Fridaywhen  Igboho visited.

The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, had ordered the arrest of Igboho, according to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.

Ojudu, who described Igboho as a person who has a conscience, said, “This was my encounter with Sunday Adeyemo alias Sunday Igboho, lately crowned a hero in Yorubaland , by the reign of terror by herders and bandits.

He has that occasional conscience you can appeal to. Let those who can rein in the herders do so and make the forests and highways safe again. Let farmers be able to carry out their occupation without fear of kidnap, murder, and rape.

Let us find a modern and permanent solution to this issue of itinerant herding that pitches a group of Nigerians against the other. Let us not ethnicize criminality. A criminal is a criminal and a crime is a crime whether perpetrated by Fulani, Yoruba , Igbo, Ijaw , Junkun, Bachama or Ibariba.
We should do everything possible to stave off this crisis and stop beating the drums of war before it reaches a crescendo.