The Edo State Government has banned night grazing and carrying of guns by herdsmen in the state.
Consequently, the state has set up a seven-man committee in each of the 18 Local Government Areas in the state to end the frequent clashes between herdsmen and farmers.
The seven-man committee, included the chairmen or heads of the LGAs, the Divisional Police Officers (DPOs), representatives of State Security Service and four representatives from the communities in the state.
Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, who presided over a stakeholders’ meeting today with the Serikis Hausa/Fulani from the 18 LGAs in the state, charged the committee to “review all cases of herdsmen/farmer clashes in all the local government areas.”
He said: “The committees will ensure the registration of all the Serikis Fulani in every community across all the local government areas and the Seriki Fulani will liaise with everyone rearing cattle in the area.”
“Every three months we will meet with representatives of the local government committees to review and examine the progress being made in resolving the herdsmen/farmers’ clashes in the state.”
“A special team made up of the Police, Army, Civil Defence Corps and other security agencies in the state will carry out random patrols and search operations. Any herdsman found possessing firearms will be arrested and charged with illegal possession of firearms as cattle rearers do not need an AK 47 to herd cattle.”
“We will not accept anyone with firearms and anyone found with arms will face the law. We need information to succeed in this fight and information is vital to the police and other security agencies. We assure you of your safety.”
“We have placed a ban on night herding; nobody should herd their cattle at night. We have also placed a ban on hunting activities by people from other states in the name of hunting.”
Meanwhile, the Chairman, Edo State Hausa Community, Alhaji Badamasi Saleh, requested that “Mechanism should be put in place to protect the sources of security information as most members of the communities find it difficult to volunteer information to the security agencies as they fear that their identities would not be protected.”
Also, the Commissioner of Police Edo State Command, Johnson Kokumo, thanked members of the Hausa/Fulani community for finding the time to attend the meeting.
Kokumo assured that with their support, the clash between Herdsmen and farmers will be checked.
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