Shasha crisis: Fulani herdsmen demand N475 billion, vow to ‘act’ if nothing is done

An association of the Fulani herdsmen is demanding N495 billion in compensation for the property they lost to the Shasha market crisis in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The demand is also part of the loses they said they suffered during EndSARS protests against police brutality.

The Fulani herdsmen said they had video and photo evidence of all those who were killed as well as their property which were destroyed and had forwarded same to the Muhammadu Buhari federal government.

The association stated this on Monday at a press conference, while arguing that the Fulani herdsmen had a right to live and do their business in any part of the country as guaranteed by the Nigerian constitution.

In a video of the conference, a spokesman for the association said, “151 people lost their lives at the Shasha incident, and then during the EndSARS protest we also lost not less than 100 people.”

“Yes, we have requested for N475 billion for the loss of lives and property destroyed. We also lost more than 100 trucks.

“We have the states and villages, pictures and videos. We have the property that was even damaged. We are not saying what we are saying in vain because we have all the pictures. We have detailed pictures of people who have been killed.

“This has been sent to all quarters – the Presidency, the National Assembly, the Inspector-General of Police, the Office of the National Security Adviser and all. We have sent them to the United States embassy, the United Nations, the German Embassy and the British Parliament.

“There is no response from all the quarters we have made contact with.

“If by February 24, nothing has been done, action will commence.

“The herdsmen have a right to live and do business in any part of the country. That is what the constitution says.”

The Shasha crisis between the Yoruba and the Hausa/Fulani at the market engulfed Oyo State in the second week of February, forcing the state government on February 13 to order the “immediate closure of the market in the Akinyele local government area of Ibadan.”

Several persons were reported killed, as Hausa and Yoruba people clashed at Shasha.

Three days later, the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, and some northern governors visited the market to assess the destruction at the scene of the clash between Yoruba and Hausa communities.

The governors were Kebbi State Governor, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu; Kano State Governor, Abdulahi Ganduje; Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle and Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sanni.

Makinde, who had expressed shock at the level of destruction during a recent visit to the market, said those who suffered losses would be compensated.

Governor Bagudu, who lamented the sad incident between the two groups, had, however, promised that the northern governors would give necessary support to Makinde in restoring normalcy and redeeming the lost property.

Makinde on Tuesday directed that the market should be reopened, saying continued closure would impact negatively on the finances of the people affected by it.