- Governor Obaseki met with Miyetti Allah group on Friday, April 6
- The governor met with the herdsmen group to find a lasting solution to the clashes between herdsmen and farmers in the state
- The heads of security agencies were also present at the meeting
Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki, met with the national leaders of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and heads of security agencies in the state at the Government House in Benin city on Friday, April 6.
Obaseki at the meeting said his administration would do everything within its power to ensure qulaity security in the state and ensure peaceful co-existence between the herdsmen and farmers in Edo.
The Nation reports that the governor said the state is fortunate to have recorded fewer incidents as efforts have been intensified to manage the situation.
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He said this was done by setting up the security committee in the 18 local government councils.
Obaseki said: “The committee was made up of council chairmen, two leaders of the Hausa/Fulani community, Directorate of State Security, Divisional Police officers and two native farmers. They will continue to meet monthly and report any incident in their areas to the committee at the state level.
Governor Obaseki meeting with leaders of Miyetti Allah. Photo source: The Nation
“With the structures in place, sensitisation programmes will be organised for the Hausa/Fulani herdsmen, farmers and other relevant stakeholders in different communities across the state. Through these, we hope to reduce the incidents of clashes between herders and farmers.”
He maintained that the ban on night-grazing still stands, and approved a 40-day window request by the group to allow strangers in their midst to register with the state government.
The national secretary of MACBAN, Baba Othman Ngelzarma, thanked the governor for his words.
Ngelzarma said: “The stand against night-grazing shows the governor’s seriousness to maintain peace in the state. The setting up of the committee with representatives of local communities, who are critical stakeholders, will go a long way to ensure a lasting peace.
“If the problem must be resolved, it must be approached holistically. We are ready to capture the data of our people through biometrics as it has become necessary for us to identify our members."
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NAIJ.com earlier reported that a farmer, Adolphus Ogbonna, has warned that food security may be threatened seriously in Nigeria in the near future because of persistent herdsmen attacks and climate change.
Ogbonna said the future of agriculture was not looking good, due to recurring attacks on farmers in many parts of the country.
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Source: Naija.ng