The Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, yesterday said most of the suspects arrested in connection with the herdsmen’s attack were not Nigerians.
Lokpobiri who stated this during a public hearing on the perennial clashes between farmers and herdsmen in the country said suspects arrested in connection with the attacks don’t speak any Nigerian language.
“Most of those who have been arrested do not speak any Nigerian language. The problem is not a national security issue, it’s a regional security issue affecting many countries ,”he said.
According to him, most of those involved could be another gang of Boko Haram who may not be Nigerians. They may be terrorists in another form. The problem is not between herdsmen and farmers, he said.
He said the best way to address the challenge was the creation of ranches in strategic locations with modern amenities so that the family of the herdsmen can also have the same opportunities that other Nigerians have such as going to school and accessing health facilities, while agro-allied industries that may be clustered within the ranches.
He said they had contacted 19 state governors and nine states had already donated 5,000 hectares each for us to start the creation of the ranches.
A former minister and elder statesman, Professor Jibril Aminu said Fulani are not trouble makers.
“The herdsmen have been in this country from time immemorial, my ancestors belong to them. So, this issue has to do with politics, it is something that has to with the results of the election. The nomadic Fulanis are not violent, some time they fight with sticks. Now everybody is abusing Fulani, stop it and find a new game. It is not the Fulani, “he said.
The spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Professor Ango Abdullahi, agreed with Aminu’s remarks, saying mismanagement of agricultural policies over the years contributed to the problem.
An elder statesman from Akwa Ibom, Dr. Samuel Eltina, kicked against the creation of new grazing reserves and routes.
“We support ranches, just as the farmers are limited to their lands, the herdsmen should be limited and restricted to their ranches, “ he said.
In his contribution, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonishakin, said they were planning to establish a joint task force to stop the clashes and mop up the circulation of illegal arms in the country.
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