Okowa Orders Security Agents To Disarm Every Single Herdsman That Is Armed In Delta

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has directed security agents in Delta State to disarmed every single herdsman or youths seen wielding guns without authorization in the state.

The governor who disclosed in an exclusive interview with Sunday PUNCH newspaper, said that a committee made up of local government chairmen, a representative of the traditional institution, farmers and at least, two members of the Miyetti Allah have been set up to tackle the problems associated with Fulani herdsmen in the state.

BigPen Online recalls that the state government had last week set up a central coordinating committee as part of interim measures to address the perennial clash amongst herdsmen, farmers and host communities in Delta state.

The committee chaired by Secretary to the State Government ( SSG ), Mr Festus Ovie Agas would have representatives from the 25 local government councils in the state to be appointed by chairmen of the councils.

The governor announced the setting up of the committee on Tuesday, last week in Asaba while addressing stakeholders at a meeting involving Herdsmen, farmers, Community leaders and Heads of security agencies.
who are well known in their local government

Okowa however told PUNCH, “Traditional rulers, farmers, civil society organisations, Miyetti Allah and security agencies attended a stakeholders’ meeting (on Tuesday) and we agreed, essentially from the preponderance of opinion, that we did not need any cattle colony because we do not have land for cattle colony.

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“It is very obvious that a lot of Delta State people live on water, a lot of our land are also impacted by oil exploration and exploitation and to that extent, the available land will be needed by Deltans to grow food.

“Therefore, we do not have lands for cattle colonies. What we tried to do was to find out what the challenges were and to find out what we can do to tackle those challenges.

“What we agreed essentially upon in that meeting was that there was the need for every local government area to have a committee that would meet at least once a month to look at the issues of the relationship between the herdsmen and farmers in the state.

“That committee was made up of local government chairman, a representative of the traditional institution, farmers and at least, two members of the Miyetti Allah who are well known in their local government.

“They are to look at the areas of cooperation and find out specific local approaches to dealing with the issue in their areas.

“We have also asked that the Miyetti Allah, since they know their people, to educate them on the fact that they cannot cross into somebody’s farm.

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“We also did agree that they must talk to their people that minors cannot be used. Minors obviously cannot be used to rear cattle because sometimes they are not in the position to unable to distinguish between a farm and ordinary grassland.

“The other thing was the fact that security agencies must do everything within their reach to disarm every single herdsman or youth that is armed.

“That is not tolerable because the Nigerian constitution does not allow that. Any person, who is armed and he is not a member of any security agencies, is obviously a criminal and must be treated as such”.

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