The Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga, a former military administrator of Akwa Ibom State, has criticised a statement credited to Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, over the anti-open grazing law in some states in Nigeria.
The minister had on Tuesday suggested that the anti-open grazing law be suspended.
Dan Ali made the recommendation during a security meeting President Muhammadu Buhari had with Service Chiefs.
He said the law is responsible for tension in some states including Benue and Taraba.
However, Idogesit speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Sunday attended by Chief Edwin Clark, representing the South-South, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, South-West; Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, South-East, flayed Dan-Ali’s statement stressing that the shielding of armed herdsmen by the Federal Government was the cause of tension in the country.
He described the statement as an obnoxious directive, urging the Federal Government to arrest the killer-herdsmen instead of shielding them, before the country descends into anarchy.
Idogesit said, “The shielding of Fulani killer-herdsmen remains the strongest flashpoint of invitation to chaos and anarchy in our country as people would not continue to fold their arms forever as they are being killed with the government unwilling to lift a finger in their defence.
“We demand the immediate withdrawal of Mansur Dan-Ali’s obnoxious directive and for the Federal Government to stop the killings going on and promptly arrest those behind the killings so far for immediate prosecution.”
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