Gov.Sani Bello of Niger on Thursday cautioned Nigerians to stop playing politics with national security because the country had lost many lives to needless clashes.
The governor made the call on Thursday in Minna when he was declaring open a sensitisation workshop.
The workshop was organised by the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the ECOWAS Commission and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The event was titled: “Implication of Transhuman on Sub-Regional and National Security and Development’’ and is aimed at creating awareness among Nigerians on issues of human security, trafficking of persons and climate change.
Bello said that it was time for Nigerians to be concerned about the increasing number of innocent lives that were being lost daily in different parts of the country.
According to him, this occurs from violent clashes between farmers and pastoralists as well as from the mayhem unleashed by terrorists whom may not be Nigerians.
“We need to realise that national security is far too important to toy with. We must face reality and stop playing politics with national security.
“The security agencies need to play well coordinated leading roles in tackling the challenges.
“We must also involve other stakeholders with local authorities, especially our traditional and religious leaders in finding sustainable solutions to the problem.
“People no longer report cases of murder to Police. They seem to have lost confidence in the Police. We are all Nigerians. We are all human beings.
“No one has the right to take the life of another but what we see today is people killing at the slightest provocation.’’
The governor said that it was time for the Federal Government to set up trans-border surveillance, sensitisation and enlightenment campaigns to raise public awareness on security challenges.
He urged participants to pay rapt attention to issues that would be discussed and come up with modalities to address challenges arising from cattle grazing in Nigeria.
Earlier, Hajiya Khadija Ibrahim, Minister of state for Foreign Affairs, said the challenges plaguing countries in Central and West African sub-regions had been made complex by the increasing conflicts.
Ibrahim said that the phenomenon had resulted to the destruction of lives and property, dislocation of rural communities and displacement of persons, and putting pressure on the effort toward sustainable development.
She reiterated that massive desert encroachment caused by climate change had claimed about 350,000sq.km of land area in Northern Nigeria which also affected millions of people and livestock.
She said that the issue of transhumance was not limited to Nigeria.
According to her, the authority of Heads of states and government of ECOWAS are concerned over the rising incidence of violent and cross-border crime as a result of pastoralist transhumance.
The minister said the ministry had collaborated with ECOWAS Commission and other stakeholders to enlighten Nigerians on issues such as human trafficking, drug and arms trafficking, trade liberalisation and democratic governance. (NAN)
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