•Rejects creation of new cattle routes

From Fred Itua and Kenneth Udeh, Abuja

In a bid to find lasting solutions to the persistent farmers/herders’ clashes in the country, the Senate yesterday considered enacting a law to ban open grazing. This is just as the lawmakers rejected a motion seeking for the creation of new grazing routes for cattle rearers.

At the conclusion of its deliberations, the Senate resolved to constitute an ad-hoc committee to organise a national summit to unravel the underlying causes of farmers/herders’ clashes.

A minute of silence was also observed by the lawmakers in honour of those who were killed in Omala LGA, and urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), to provide the survivors now living in internally displaced persons’ camps with relief materials to enable them return to their ancestral homes.

The resolutions of the members of the Red Chamber were sequel to the consideration of a motion on the attack and killing of residents of Omala Local Government Area in Kogi State by herdsmen.

The motion was moved by Isah Jibrin (APC – Kogi East). While passing the resolutions on Jibrin’s motion, the Senate unanimously rejected an additional prayer by Mohammed Tahir Monguno (APC – Borno North) and seconded by Kaka Shehu Lawan (Borno Central) which called on the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to create new grazing routes in the country as a panacea to solve farmer/herder crisis.

In his lead debate, Jibrin lamented an attack on his constituents in Omala Local Government Area of Kogi State by herders, where he alleged that over 500 persons were killed and their houses razed by the invading herders.

He informed the Senate that Omala LGA has been under recurring attacks by gunmen, leading to killings and destruction of property and farmlands, thereby rendering many homeless with no means of sustenance. 

His lead debate read: “We are worried that Agojeju Odo, Ajokpachi Odo, Bagaji, and Bagana communities have been ravaged by recent gunmen, rendering over 30,000 inhabitants of the communities homeless, and leading to the exodus of these inhabitants to other parts of Kogi State.”

Ahmad Lawan mentioned herdsmen of Fulani extraction as being behind the attacks. He frowned at the killings, kidnappings and destruction committed by the herders.

He urged the government to provide for the sustainability of livestock business in the country, saying that it is worth over N30 trillion annually.

He added that herders who have lost their cattle to rustling should be assisted by the government to acquire livestock to keep them occupied and productive.

“Let’s say here that the Fulani herders are behind these attacks. I mean the bad ones among them. “This is a security issue as much as it is an economic issue. We should say it as it is because we are looking for solutions.

“It is very important for the Senate President to lead the Senate to have a national summit on livestock development. I believe that we have to be very decisive with our security agencies to make sure that they protect our people,” he said.

A call for a total ban on open-grazing made by Victor Umeh, received the support of Titus Zam. He said the only solution to the menace of farmer/herder clashes is to establish cattle ranches.

He said: “The only option is having a law prohibiting open grazing in this country. Once you have that law in place, those involved in animal husbandry will now know that it is unlawful to carry animals to Zamfara, Makurdi and along the way you kill everybody along the route.

“To stop the killing of innocent people by these herders, I suggest that open grazing prohibition law must be enacted by this Senate, so that those who engage in animal husbandry must be compelled to go into ranching.”

Musa Garba, however, said that though ranching is a solution, average herders in the country would not have the needed financial resources to feed and sustain their livestock without help from the Federal Government.

Giving a personal account, Garba explained that he spends nothing less than N80 million every month to feed and maintain his ranch worth N90 million, and wondered how an average herder could afford such a huge sum.

He lamented that out of the three military forward operating bases proposed for Kebbi State to curb banditry, only one has been established which he admitted has reduced banditry attacks by 80 percent.

He, however, expressed worry that the military was spending its huge annual appropriation when the state governments still need to provide funds for their operations.

According to him, the Governor of Kebbi State, Dauda Lawal, reliably informed him that he allegedly funds the security operations of the military deployed to the state with N500 million monthly.

Adams Oshiomhole and Karimi Sunday threw their weight behind the call for a national summit.

In his submission, Karimi gave an account of how a young man was killed by the herders, while returning from his farm, including the kidnapping of another woman.

“The issue of farmers and herdsmen has been a reccuring decimal in our nation. About two weeks ago, a very industrious woman in a community in my senatorial district was kidnapped. They went into her place and kidnapped her.

“We had to pay a lot of money to rescue her. This is something we have to look at holistically. I suggest that we have a national summit on this,” he said.