Reps charge FG to block entry of foreign herdsmen
The House of Representatives on Tuesday urged the federal government to end forthwith the alleged entry of foreign herdsmen from other countries into the country.
This resolution was sequel to the unanimous adoption of a motion sponsored by House Minority Leader, Rep. Ndudi Elumelu (PDP/Delta), at plenary on Tuesday.
Rep. Elumelu while moving the motion, said that in recent years, herdsmen have been on rampage, destroying farmlands, burning villages and killing innocent Nigerians indiscriminately, in many states across the federation.
The minority leaders said that the nation’s security agencies have consistently, stated that the herdsmen wreaking havoc in the nation were not Nigerians, but migrants from other neighbouring countries.
He said that the foreign herdsmen, who were militant in nature, had consistently instilled fears in the lives of local farmers and villagers living in the affected areas, accusing the herdsmen of using 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 are 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 ineffective.
“It has become necessary to lend a voice to Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano state that a stop be put to the movement of herdsmen from other African countries into Nigeria.
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“This is so as to curb the rate of crimes and conflicts associated with their movements across Nigeria,” he asserted.
House Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila in his ruling mandated the House Committees on Police Affairs, Army and Interior to interface with security agencies with a view to ensuring implementation and report within four weeks.
He mandated the committees to invite the inspector-general of police, the chief of army staff and the comptroller general of the Nigerian and Immigration Service respectively, on the best ways of policing and securing the nation’s borders.
