Farmer/Herders Crisis: Benue Security Council To Adopt Multi Dimensional Approach

The Benue State Security Council in North Central Nigeria is to adopt a multi dimensional approach to address the long standing conflicts between herders and famers in the state.

This was part of the resolutions reached at the first security meeting of the Governor Hyacinth Alia led administration, held on Thursday in Makurdi, the State Capital.

The resolution which emphasised the use of dialogue as a necessary tool in resolving the impasse urged all stakeholders to exhibit sincerity in the process.

“No single approach should be adopted but two or more including dialogue approach,” the Council stated.

According to a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Alia, Mr. Tersoo Kula, the Council also constituted a committee made up of top security brass and traditional rulers to identify leaders of herders in the state and report back within three weeks for a way forward.

“After painstaking deliberations, the Security Council resolved that a Sub-Committee of the State Commissioner of Police, the Director of State Security Services, the Traditional Rulers, NAPTITP, Immigration, Bureau of Local Government and Office of the Security Adviser to head the team, was set up to identify the heads of the Fulani Herders and report back to the Security Council in three weeks.”

The statement however cautioned that the Anti-open grazing law of Benue State was still in existence and urged livestock farmers to respect and abide by the stipulations of the law.

“Stakeholders in the various sectors are to ensure strict enforcement of the Anti – Open grazing Law that has come to stay”.

The Security Council particularly mandated all the stakeholders, especially the law enforcement agents to show sincerity in the implementation and enforcement of the Anti-Open Grazing Law currently in place in the State.

The Council recommended the review of strategies with emphasis now shifted to prevention of attack by the armed herders rather than the reactionary approach.

The Security Council also expressed concern about the plight of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs and stressed the need for a peaceful environment to enable the IDPs to return to their ancestral homes.

It frowned at incidents of cattle rustling in the State by criminal elements and directed the Chief of Staff to the State Governor to liaise with the Deputy Governor of the state and consider the report on the internal boundary between Ohimini and Otukpo Local Government Areas of the state.

PR./ Aloysius Umalo, Makurdi.