Federal Government Bows to Pressure, Set to Dump Cattle Colonies

Yemi Osibanjo - Vice President of Nigeria

A report by Daily Trust indicates that the 10-man working committee constituted few days ago by the National Economic Council to end attacks by herdsmen has decided that every state should design its own solutions.

According to the report, the committee proposed that the states should come up with the solutions after a rigorous consultative process with all stakeholders.

The committee, headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, comprises the governors of Adamawa, Benue, Ebonyi, Edo, Kaduna, Oyo, Plateau and Zamfara states.

The committee is headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

The report quoted an unnamed presidency official saying that the committee had resolved that the federal government would not impose any solution on any states.

The official, who craved anonymity, said Osinbajo stated in one of its recent meetings that fears being expressed on the cattle colonies proposed to establish by the federal government were misplaced.

He said the committee also resolved to work with the federal government to strengthen law enforcement as well all security and intelligence agencies so that they could coordinate better in dealing with the crisis and preventing it from further escalation.

He said the committee also resolved that decisive military force be fully engaged to deal with bandits “behind the killings in parts of the country especially regarding the crisis often associated with herdsmen.”

“The role of bandits and suspected mercenaries in what has become known as herdsmen/farmers clashes and violence may have provoked the need for a fresh approach to dealing with the crisis,” the official was quoted as saying.

He also said that the military was already engaged and would soon begin to take decisive steps to address the situation.

He said the police and other security agencies had also been directed to recruit more rank and file to beef up security in the troubled spots in particular and the country in general.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has given a matching order to security agencies in the country to tackle the proliferation of small arms and light weapons across the country.

The president gave the directive on Thursday, January 25, at the National Security Council Meeting which he chaired in the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, Abuja.

Speaking at the event, Buhari assured Nigerians that his government is doing everything possible to stem the tide of violence recorded frequently across the country. Source: Naija.ng