Toyin Oladipo is a legal practitioner based in Ilorin, Kwara state capital. In this interview with KAYODE ADEOTI, he challenged government to be proactive on the prevailing killings by herdsmen in the country among other sundry issues. Excerpts:
How do you see agitations to declare herdsmen terrorist group following their alleged recent killings in Benue state and some other parts of the country?
If there is a law against any act or activity, the duty of government is to see that those who flout it are brought to justice. The people who are responsible for the killings in Benue, Plateau, Taraba and the likes. They should be apprehended and brought to justice, the way Boko Haram has been subdued, captured. Whether they are declared terrorists’ group or not, these killings must stop. Justice should take its cause. Punishment should be meted out on those who are responsible for the killings of innocent souls. No law says whoever kills should be labeled terrorist, it is just policy of government. There is a law against killing, if someone is found to have killed many people in quote, he can be called terrorist, but such a person must first be apprehended and convicted by court. Even if it’s one person killed, murder case has been established. A person doesn’t need to kill one or more before he’s branded terrorist.
Going by your position, since no law declares anyone terrorist regardless his act, would you fault government’s declaration of IPOB as terrorist group following it activities…?
The policy of government at the time the group was agitating for recession was to ensure Nigeria remains one. Though the herders could be classified as terrorists too. In the case of IPOB, it was not killing people but was agitating for recession and government felt that was more dangerous; breaking Nigeria and causing war. They envisaged that the end result will be more than just killing people. We could just imagine what happened during Biafra war.
(Cut in…) Would you subscribe to the agitation for anti-grazing law to curb the menace even in our state.
We have enough laws to stop people from destroying other persons properties. There is a law in the Penal Code that prohibits anyone from unleashing terror. Law shouldn’t be our concern now, the major issue now is; Federal Government has been quiet. If it has spoken out against this killings, it wouldn’t have degenerated to this level. The same thing happened during the time of President Goodluck Jonathan. He refused to speak up when the Chibok girls were kidnapped. He felt he could play politics with it, the matter however got worsened and at the time he wanted to take action, it has gone out of hand. The same thing is playing out now, if at the time this menace started unfolding, government had put it feet down, that no, it can’t continue, it wouldn’t have gotten to this sorry stage. I’m now beginning to think alongside those who said President Buhari kept quiet because he is equally Fulani. If he can send battalions to combat Boko Haram, why not send even police to address the herdsmen. The leader of Miyetti Allah, is asking for compensation, for what? He feels he has some backings, that account for why they commit havoc and nothing is done about it.
Court has ordered the release of Islamic Group Movement leader, Zakzaki, his members too had protested severally, but his detention continues, what do you think is amiss?
Whenever there is a court order, it should be respected by the high, the low even by government. We are encouraging illegality if people continue to flout order of the court. The Chief law officer of the state is the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami, if court made an order that he feels is not right with the constitution of the country, he has the right to appeal. Why the appeal is pending, he can file a motion to stay the execution of such order of the lower court, with that, everything still remain in order. Flouting the order of the court is wrong.
