Land is in the hands of the state and federal governments in trust, but Nigerians don’t need the permission of governors or the federal government to settle everywhere. You don’t need the permission of the governor of Bauchi or the governor of Ondo to be in the forests of Ondo if you choose to live in the forests, because under Section 41 of the constitution, you are free to settle anywhere.

Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state, on Sunday, explained himself over a comment he made about Fulani herdsmen carrying Ak-47 rifles for self defence, a statement issued by Mr Mukhtar Gidado, his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on media, said.<br>The governor said that the primary objective of his comment was to avert the dangerous prospect of a nation-wide backlash and generalization of the Fulani clan as criminals.<br>According to the statement, Mohammed said it would be inappropriate to label an entire tribe as criminals, based on the crimes of a few members of the ethnic group.<br><br>“The attention of the Bauchi State government has been drawn to reactions from various members of the public to gov. Mohammed’s speech, at the closing ceremony of the Press Week of the Correspondent’s Chapel of the NUJ in Bauchi State, last Thursday.<br><br>“The Governor used the occasion to weigh in on the contentious issue of clashes between herdsmen and farmers, particularly against the backdrop of the eviction and other forms of restriction orders, issued by some state governments and non-governmental entities.

Disturbed by the prevailing tension across the country caused by activities of armed Fulani herdsmen, Arewa Youth Forum (AYF) has urged Federal Government to urgently douse the situation to prevent outbreak of another civil war.

The northern youths made the call in a statement signed by its National President, Alhaji Ibrahim Gambo Gujungu, yesterday, in Kaduna.

They said: “The Arewa Youth Forum is worried by the prevailing impasse and rising tension across the country precipitated by the quit notice given to Fulani herdsmen by the Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and the actions that had trailed that incident.