Herdsmen from neighbouring states are suspected to be working towards the invasion of southern communities in Nigeria says Amotekun Chairman, Kunle Togun.
In the past months, Fulani herdsmen residing within the country’s borders have clinched the headlines for criminality and the danger they pose to other citizens, most often farmers.
The farmer-herders conflict which has turned dominant in the southern zones was rated six times deadlier than Boko Haram Insurgency by the international crisis group.
However, according to the Amotekun corps head, foreign herders now intend to invade communities in southern states which might increase the already frightening security situation in the country.
Speaking at an annual lecture in the University of Ibadan, Oyo state on Tuesday, the retired military general urged the students to be vigilant and security conscious.
He also noted that the foreign Fulani herders who reside in the forest are from neighbouring countries like Chad, Burkina Faso, and the Niger Republic.
“The Fulani that I grew up to know were the native Fulani. But these ones are non-Nigerians. They are from FutaJallon, Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, and Niger Republic. Some of these people were Tuaregs who used to ambush traders in the olden days and robbed them of their money and property,” he said.
Insecurity has been one of the most threatening and complex issues in Nigeria, particularly in the last decade as multiple conflicts continue to expose citizens to the risk of getting killed or displaced.
Violence in affected zones has managed to stay on an operational tempo, despite funding and the heavy presence of security operatives tasked with restoring peace and maintaining law.
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