CAN warns against planned grazing reserves for Fulani herdsmen

The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, on Sunday warned that the establishment of grazing reserves for Fulani herdsmen in all parts of the country would portend a “very grave danger to our national peace and security.”

The General Secretary of CAN, Dr. Musa Asake, in a communiqué issued after its National Executive Council meeting in Abuja stressed that the implementation of the ongoing national discussion over the establishment of grazing reserves for Fulani herdsmen in all parts of the country would portend very grave danger to national peace and security.

“The idea of acquiring parcels of land in the 36 states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory for the sole purpose of providing grazing area for the nomads and their herds of cattle should be dropped in the overall interest of national security,” CAN warned.

Asake stressed that it had become a common knowledge that Fulani herdsmen, under the guise of cattle grazing, had caused fatal incidents in many parts of Nigeria.

According to him, “They have been associated with violent deaths, lethal injuries, kidnap cases, rape cases and destruction of properties and food crops in their host communities. They have transformed from herdsmen to mercenaries and armed bandits. They have converted the farmlands of their host communities into slaughter farms. This is unacceptable and should be a cause of great concern to the Federal Government and well-meaning Nigerians.

“As a way forward, we suggest that the Federal Government should encourage the state governments where these herdsmen are predominant to establish modern ranches for them, rather than allowing them to cause problem in other parts of the country.

“Establishing modern ranches for nomads is a worldwide standard best practice and this will be of immense benefit to the herdsmen and their families. The ranches will have schools, hospitals and other social amenities. The meat and other products from these ranches will be exported to other parts of the country, thus creating lucrative business and employment for the citizenry.”

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