Agatu Massacre: Federal Government plans to ban cattle from villages
The federal government has said that it would put in place legislation to prohibit herdsmen from allowing their cattle roam in cities and villages. This follows a protest by Nigerians in Abuja on the killing of people in Agatu local government area of Benue state by fulani herdsmen.
The minister of agriculture and rural development, Audu Ogbeh, disclosed this while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday, March 3, in Abuja. Ogbe who condemned the attacks on communities stated that a formation of the Nigerian army has been deployed to the communities to restore peace adding that most rampaging herdsmen were from neigbhouring countries.
The minister gave assurance that government was taking lasting steps to prevent cattle from grazing into peoples’ communities and farmlands. “Yesterday, I spoke with the ministers of defence and interior and they assured me that they have deployed a military formation in Enugu to move in and restore peace in Agatu.
“Today, I will also be speaking with Mr President about this issue to ensure that the problem is solved once and for all,” he said. “We are producing massive hectares of grasses for the consumption of cattle; we have received these grasses from Brazil and we are growing them in massive quantities.
“Cattle herdsmen want grasses for their cattle; such grass is what we are growing in large quantities and, within the next three months, some of these will be ready. Most of these men are not Nigerians; they come in from places like Chad.
“Recently, I was in Berlin and I met the minister of agriculture from Congo, who complained to me that some Chadian herdsmen also invade some communities in Congo to commit similar havocs,’’ the minister said. He added that the government was in the process of enacting a legislation that would control cattle grazing in unauthorized areas.
“We are also sending a bill to the National Assembly to legislate that cattle should no longer roam in our cities and villages. “We will equally raise the issue at the level of the African Union, to compel member-countries to take steps to prevent their herdsmen from grazing into neighbouring countries. It will be a major international crises if we do not stop it now,’’ Ogbe added.
Nigerians in Abuja on Wednesday, February 2, embarked on a peaceful protest to express their displeasure over the incessant killings of people in Agatu local government area of Benue state.
Source: Premiumtimesng.com
The minister of agriculture and rural development, Audu Ogbeh, disclosed this while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday, March 3, in Abuja. Ogbe who condemned the attacks on communities stated that a formation of the Nigerian army has been deployed to the communities to restore peace adding that most rampaging herdsmen were from neigbhouring countries.
The minister gave assurance that government was taking lasting steps to prevent cattle from grazing into peoples’ communities and farmlands. “Yesterday, I spoke with the ministers of defence and interior and they assured me that they have deployed a military formation in Enugu to move in and restore peace in Agatu.
“Today, I will also be speaking with Mr President about this issue to ensure that the problem is solved once and for all,” he said. “We are producing massive hectares of grasses for the consumption of cattle; we have received these grasses from Brazil and we are growing them in massive quantities.
“Cattle herdsmen want grasses for their cattle; such grass is what we are growing in large quantities and, within the next three months, some of these will be ready. Most of these men are not Nigerians; they come in from places like Chad.
“Recently, I was in Berlin and I met the minister of agriculture from Congo, who complained to me that some Chadian herdsmen also invade some communities in Congo to commit similar havocs,’’ the minister said. He added that the government was in the process of enacting a legislation that would control cattle grazing in unauthorized areas.
“We are also sending a bill to the National Assembly to legislate that cattle should no longer roam in our cities and villages. “We will equally raise the issue at the level of the African Union, to compel member-countries to take steps to prevent their herdsmen from grazing into neighbouring countries. It will be a major international crises if we do not stop it now,’’ Ogbe added.
Nigerians in Abuja on Wednesday, February 2, embarked on a peaceful protest to express their displeasure over the incessant killings of people in Agatu local government area of Benue state.
Source: Premiumtimesng.com
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