Ex-Miyetti Allah Chairman warns members on illegal migration in Oyo

A former Chairman of the Oyo State chapter of the Miyetti Allah, Alhaji Yakubu Bello, has warned Fulani traders and herders to obey the federal government’s order banning inter-state travel till the authorities vacate the restriction order. Bello said the warning became necessary to secure the lives of the generality of the people against the […]

A former Chairman of the Oyo State chapter of the Miyetti Allah, Alhaji Yakubu Bello, has warned Fulani traders and herders to obey the federal government’s order banning inter-state travel till the authorities vacate the restriction order.

Bello said the warning became necessary to secure the lives of the generality of the people against the dreaded coronavirus infection.

The Miyetti Allah chief, who spoke with reporters in Iseyin yesterday, said the Oyo State chapter of the organisation had sent strong warnings to members from northern Nigeria and other states of the federation to heed the government’s warning on inter-state travel.

He said, “We have heard of cases of people arrested for defying the inter-state lockdown order, whether they were coming from the North or anywhere from Nigeria, but I can tell you that nothing of such has happened here in Oyo State.

“We have sent a strong warning to our people in all the states of the nation not to come to Oyo State for business or visit till this trying period is over.

“It is really a difficult period for my people as they have never experienced such a restriction before. In this business, we have lost over N5 billion to the effects of the rampaging coronavirus disease.

“This place used to be a beehive of commercial activities; people would come from all over the country and beyond to buy and sell not just cows and other livestock, but personal items and household materials here, but it is now like a ghost town.”

Bello was reacting to an allegation that Fulani settlements in the state allowed visitors who might have contacted coronavirus and spread it through Oyo State.

He added that none of the federal government’s palliative measures nor those of the state government got to any Fulani settlement in the state and called on the governor, Seyi Makinde, to look into their plight.

“We only heard people talk about the federal government’s social benefits, like the one they sent money to poor people in the country, but none of our own people has benefited. Also, we saw pictures of local government caretaker chairmen distributing the state’s palliative materials to people but we were excluded.

“We pay our tax here as citizens of Nigeria and contribute to the economy of the state, so why did they exclude our people?” he asked.