Senators from the 19 Northern states have threatened to leave Nigeria if Fulani herdsmen are evicted from the southern part of the country.
To them, the threat from the South against the herdsmen “is becoming unbearable”.
Their position was given in a communique on Sunday after their meeting.
It was read by the Chairman, Northern Senators’ Forum and former Nasarawa State governor, Senator Abdullahi Adamu.
They warned governors and village heads in South-East in particular to cease from making proclamations that could overheat an already polarized country.
Adamu said: “We appreciate the steps the federal government had taken so far to contain the problems of herdsmen/farmers clashes and call on community leaders to be careful when making statements on these ugly incidences.
“There would be no country called Nigeria, if other parts of the country asked Fulani herdsmen to leave their communities and states. We, therefore, warn everybody, including governors to desist from making inflammatory remarks. A governor is a community leader. The only difference is that he has a label called governor.
“If you don’t mind, attacks by Fulani Herdsmen in recent times started with the West when elder statesman, Chief Olu Falae, had some very nasty experience. It was attributed at the time to Fulani herdsmen. At the end, those people were apprehended and they were not Fulanis.
“This thing has been going on in virtually all parts of the country today. If we now say that everybody should rise and say herdsmen should leave, we will not have a country.”
Senator Adamu stated the forum was determined to continue its unalloyed support for President Muhammadu Buhari. Adamu said the body believes Buhari will bring about development across the length and breadth of the country.
The Senators also promised that to stem the rising tide of clashes between herdsmen and farmers, the Senate should either enact or amend laws that will ensure an amicable resolution of the clashes.
