Ondo Governor, Akeredolu has described as “provoking and insensitive” the comments made by Mohammed that Nigerians don’t need Akeredolu’s permission to live in Ondo forests.
Akeredolu also warned the Bauchi governor not to set the country on fire with his rhetoric.
In a bid to rid Ondo forests of killer herdsmen accused of sundry crimes, including kidnappings, killings, and rape, among others, Akeredolu had ordered all herdsmen to vacate the state forest reserves or register with the state government.
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The development generated outrage with the Presidency and some governors, including Mohammed, who said Akeredolu lacked the right to issue a vacation notice to herders in the state.
The Bauchi governor, on Friday, said, “Land is in the hands of the state and federal governments in trust, but Nigerians don’t need the permission of governors or the Federal Government to settle everywhere.
“You don’t need the permission of the governor of Bauchi or the governor of Ondo to be in the forests of Ondo if you choose to live in the forests because, under Section 41 of the constitution, you are free to settle anywhere.”
But Akeredolu, reacting in a statement by his Special Assistant on New Media, Olabode Olatunde, urged Nigerians to disregard Mohammed’s comments.
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The statement partly read, “The position of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, is not to engage or confront anyone who has the mindset of a crisis entrepreneur or war monger.
“Very provoking and insensitive as the statement appears, we can only err on the side of caution by advising Governor Bala Mohammed not to set Nigeria on fire by his thoughts that are highly destructive and undermining national cohesion.
“Nigerians should ignore him and rather focus on those issues that can bring about peace and engender unity.”
Akeredolu had also slammed Mohammed for saying herders had the right to bear AK-47 rifles for self-protection.
Falana tackles Mohammed
Meanwhile, human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), has faulted Mohammed, saying the Bauchi governor, while serving as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, demolished people’s houses because they encroached on government land.
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In a write-up he sent to newsmen on Saturday, Falana described it as funny that Bala could turn around and say herdsmen had a right to stray into people’s land and reside in forest reserves without government permission.
He wrote, “Under the Bala Mohammed administration in the FCT, thousands of houses were demolished on the grounds that they were illegally built on landed properties belonging to the Federal Government.
“The ex-minister wanted to demolish the entire Mpape housing over a million people. He had claimed that the owners of the various properties had trespassed on the land belonging to the Federal Government.
“The people whose properties had been marked for demolition briefed our law firm to seek legal redress. On behalf of the community, we approached the FCT High Court for urgent intervention. In an epochal judgment delivered by the Justice Kutigi, the planned demolition was halted.”
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The activist argued that while Section 41 of the constitution guarantees freedom of movement, it does not give anyone the freedom to settle anywhere, adding that Section 43 of the constitution provides that every person is entitled to own immovable property in any state in Nigeria.
Falana said it was curious that Mohammed, who had defended herdsmen carrying AK-47 rifles, could go on to demolish a house storing such guns and warned the governor to stop deceiving herdsmen.,,
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