Ohanaeze Ndigbo, pan Igbo socio-political organisation, has also warned NEF not to overheat the polity and cause unnecessary commotion in the country.

Ohanaeze, in statement by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Mr Chuks Ibegbu, queried the group on who made them the spokesmen for the entire North and when the entire North sat to take such a decision.

Ibegbu noted that the call for Fulani herdsmen to leave the South was surprising and irresponsible on the part of those who issued the order.

He asked those making the call not to put the herders into undue hardship by their utterances and call.

“There are harmless herders here who have been doing their legitimate business over the years, but there are also those who are into crime and kidnapping.

“We must separate the two. And of course, we are not saying herdsmen are responsible for all the crimes in our society. But the government of the day is not helping matters by some of its lopsided policies on the issue,” Ibegbu added.

The Ohanaeze spokesman, however, said that it was up to the northerners in the South to decide whether to “listen to the voice of their self-proclaimed spokesmen for the North or the voice of reason.”

He added, “Nobody is against peaceful herdsmen who have maintained good relationship with their hosts but we are against violent ones that kidnap and cause havoc to innocent Nigerians and farmers.

“These irredentists just want to overheat the polity and pretend they are concerned about the plight of herdsmen. What solution have these people offered to herdsmen all these years. None. They just want to appear relevant and caring whereas they are the problem of the herdsmen.”

Punch