Herdsmen Killings: FG Blames Anti-Open Grazing Law

The Federal Government has blamed clashes between herdsmen and farming communities leading to many deaths on ban on open grazing in some states.

The Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali made this known while briefing newsmen after a Thursday security meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and security chiefs in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Dan-Ali added that encroachment on the grazing routes marked out since Independence was also one of the causes of the clashes.

He said, “Whatever crisis that happened at any time, there has to be remote and immediate causes.

“What are the remote causes of this farmers/herders crisis? Since Independence, we know there used to be a route whereby these cattle rearers use.

“Cattle rearers are all over the nation, you go to Bayelsa, you see them, you go to Ogun, you see them. If those routes are blocked, what happens? These people are Nigerians, it’s just like you going to block river or shoreline, does that make sense to you?

“These are the remote causes. But what are the immediate causes? It is the grazing law. These people are Nigerians, we must learn to live together with each other, that is basic.

“Communities and other people must learn how to accept foreigners within their enclave, finish!”

Some states that have enacted an anti-open grazing law include Ekiti, Taraba and Benue, which lost 73 residents to attacks by suspected herdsmen in Guma and Logo LGAs on New Year’s Day.

The minister equally described as “illegal” the decision of some state governors to recruit and arm forest guards.

He said this has led to the proliferation of small arms in the country.

Dan-Ali noted that those arrested in connection with the killings were from all sides as fully armed militia were nabbed in some states.

He said the quarterly security meeting with President Buhari decided to set up a commission on small arms proliferation to check the crises in the country.

The minister added that the National Commission on the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons in the country would soon kick off.