By Gift Chapi Odekina
The House of Representatives on Tuesday called on the Executive arm of government to prioritize the safety and security of Nigerians by banning the cross-border movement of herdsmen from other African countries into Nigeria.
The House also mandated the Committees on Police Affairs, Army and Interior to interface with the Inspector General of Police, the Chief of Army Staff and the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service respectively on the best ways of policing and securing the Nigeria borders.
In a motion titled: “Need to stop the Entry of Herdsmen from other African Countries into Nigeria”, moved by Rep. Ndudi Godwin Elumelu, from Delta, the
House noted that in recent years, herdsmen have been on rampage, destroying farm lands, burning villages and killing of innocent Nigerians indiscriminately in many states across the federation.
“The Nigerian security agents have consistently stated that those herdsmen are not Nigerians but migrants from other African countries.
“Those herdsmen who are militant in nature have consistently instilled fear in local farmers and villagers living in the affected areas by the use of coercion, intimidation, brute force and extreme violence, in most cases, leaving a large number of persons dead.
“The violent conflicts between the nomadic herders from neighbouring countries and local farmers is escalating by the day to more states of the federation, and if left unchecked will further threaten the security and stability of the nation.
“The clashes are becoming potentially as dangerous as the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East, yet to date, response to the crisis at both the federal and state levels have been very poor and ineffectively.
“It has become necessary to lend a voice to Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State that a stop be put to the movement of herdsmen from other African countries to Nigeria, so as to curb the rate of crime and conflicts associated with their movements across Nigeria”, the motion submitted.
