Farmers/herders clash: ECOWAS must curb movement of foreign herders in S-West
Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State, yesterday called on the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS to take drastic steps in curbing foreign herders who are always armed with sophisticated weapons from making incursion into Nigeria.
The governor said this at a Stakeholder’s Parley on Farmers/Herders Conflict, organized by the Ogun State government, held at the Oba’s Complex, Oke Mosan in Abeokuta.
He also advocate what he described as “commercial herding” as a panacea to the incessant clashes between herders and farmers in the country.
Ganduje reiterated his call on the Federal Government to ban open grazing and block open grazing routes from the northern to the southern part of the country.
He noted that herders would need to abandon “traditional grazing” and embrace “merchant grazing” in order to find lasting solution killings and wanton destruction of property that has characterized farmers/herders clashes in the country.
The parley also had in attendance, Governor Bello Matawalle (Zamfara), Abubakar Sanni Bello (Niger), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi) and Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo).
The meeting was equally attended by traditional rulers, representatives of All Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, and other relevant stakeholders.
Ganduje acknowledged that climate change has been responsible for the influx of herders into the country from the neighbouring countries, maintaining that open grazing was no longer sustainable and realistic, particularly in the face of conflict between herders and farmers.
He said investigation had shown that herders wrecking havoc are foreigners who enter the country illegally through Niger in the North and Benin Republic in the South.
While noting that clamouring for eviction of Fulani herdsmen from the Southern part of the country cannot solve the crisis, the governor called for strong resolution mechanism towards ending the conflicts.
