“You Cannot Ban Movement Of Herdsmen, Cattle” – Yakassai Warns South-East Governors

Vocal elder statesman, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai has warned all South-East Governors against resorting to self-help over the issue of killing and kidnapping by suspected herdsmen in the region.

Yakassai, who was reacting to the recent ban on the movement of cattle or their herders in the southeast, noted that every Nigerian is constitutionally empowered to practice his trade in any part of the country.

The elder statesman said the governors must be careful with their utterances in accordance with the law. Yakassai said:

“The cattle do not move about on their own. There are herders who move them about and these herders are Nigerians. You cannot ask any Nigerian not to go to any part of the country because the constitution guarantees freedom of movement for all.”

“If you are asking the Fulani not to move with their cattle, will you also ban commercial drivers who ply various routes linking one part of the country to another?”

“You cannot do anything outside what the constitution says. If you do, you are resorting to self help and that will not augur well for our country. Like I said earlier, there is no point banning cattle rearers from moving about with their herds.”

“Where there are established cases of cows eating up crops, there are ways to deal with this and if there are issues bothering on security, we have the security agencies to call upon to do their job,” he said.