Ebonyi governor offers cattle grazing routes, wants herdsmen disarmed

premiumtimesng.com

Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State has said his government, in consultation with local communities will arrange grazing routes and make same known to herdsmen to help reduce incidents of destruction of farmlands.

According to him, the routes will be in such a way that the herdsmen will feed their cattle in areas where there are no farmlands.

Mr. Umahi backed calls for the disarming of Fulani herdsmen by the police and other security agencies.

He stated this at the end of an enlarged State Security Council meeting in Abakaliki on Tuesday.

The governor, who reaffirmed his administration’s resolve to ensure harmonious relationship between Fulani herdsmen and host communities, charged the police to periodically search the herdsmen and recover illegal arms in their possession.

He charged traditional rulers to hold extensive meetings with their communities and warn them against taking laws into their hands as the state government would not hesitate to bring the full weight of the law to bear on anybody who attacks herdsmen in the state.

The governor also condemned the attacks on Uzo Uwani community in Enugu state by suspected Fulani herdsmen, but debunked rumours of impending attacks in the state.

He said a special security committee would be set up at the state, local government and community level to help mediate in security issues in the state.

The committee will have the Attorney General, the Special Adviser on Internal Security and Commissioner for Border Peace and Conflict Resolutions and others as members.